Is Asperger's the same as high-functioning autism?

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Tell me what you think

That's a tough one. I'd say yes, but also no, since there are some differences.

If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.

I have been diagnosed with high functioning autism when I was two years old. Back in the early 90s their reasoning was:

High functioning autism- mostly average to average cognitive development, language delay, autistic symptoms and tendencies

Aspergers syndrome- average to above average cognitive development, no language delay, autistic symptoms and tendencies

The only difference was that people with Aspergers syndrome did not have a developmental language delay. They gave me high functioning autism so I would qualify for speech therapy.

Later, they changed my diagnosis to Asperger's syndrome in high school since the language delay was gone since the therapy worked.

I think they should be considered different because of this reason.

By the diagnostic definition, they're not the same. However, I think that if you were to look at a group of AS and classic autism cases in which everyone had the ability to speak and do basic self-care, you would not find any significant differences between their abilities, prognosis, or general traits. In addition, many people who are diagnosed AS should be diagnosed with classic autism, and in adulthood the two are usually identical.

So--according to standard psychology, they are not the same, but I think that idea is wrong; and so do most psychologists, since they are going to merge the autism spectrum soon.

I'm really interested to see this question and facepalmed that I didn't put it up myself as I've pondered this issue a LOT.

When I first started seriously looking into whether I might have AS my initial definite assumption was that AS is pretty much a pre-HFA thing - ie. anyone who is HFA will also always be AS, but being AS doesn't necessarily mean someone is HFA - definitely on the same road so to speak but not that far along it. I know that what I'm descibing is basically just that it's all part of the spectrum - but my point - and this relates to the OP and survey - is that I felt there is a definite LINE on the spectrum.

For example as part of the early process of examining my situation in relation to AS, I deliberately watched ADAM (the type of film I would not normally watch) and it pissed me off at the time because my feeling was that it should have been advertised as a film about HFA rather than about AS - ie. I took Adam to be HFA - which obviously included AS - but as I'm only AS, altho I appreciated it's message and it made me aware of HFA, as someone who possibly has "only AS" I felt a bit left out.

As time went on I just got confused and gave up that generalisation and left the whole thing alone - more or less deciding to just take it for granted that AS is HFA and then it's just where on the severity scale an individual is.

I'd say no, because I think I have HFA & I am very different from someone with aspergers.

I'd say people with high functioning autism tend to have far more of the traits of Classic Autism than aspergers. I have HFA (I think) & I'm quite different from someone with AS, for I don't have the same erging to socialise, I don't talk so much that others can't get a word in edgewise, I've also got Learning Dificulties.
One differene is that while someone with AS migt be able to do quite well living on their own, a person with HFA might need more support.
People with AS have a much better chance of being independent, so it isn't such speech deley that's the difference; there are other deleys too, like cognetive deleys.
Another thing is that HFA people will often have more language difficulties, even when there speech has came on, as those with AS will often have very good Verbal communication, but have worse non-verbal communication. Peoiple with HFA, may have more of a problem understanding people's Verbal Communication than those with AS; you see there's quite a difference when yoiu think about it. Check out this video by a 16/17 year old boy with HFA; it explains the differences really well. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86sg1ik8oQ

When I say a HFA person will also have AS - I mean that the AS will just be part of much more that's going on with them - ie. someone who is AS but not HFA will have much less happening overall.

Last edited by Wooster on 17 Jun 2011, 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

They're the same thing with just about the same prognosis. The only difference is that an AS diagnosis is supposed to rule certain things out, but those things are not required for a diagnosis of autism.

WELL I'M NOT ALLOWED TO POST LINKS YET
but if you google "aspergers removed from dsm"...

I asked my counselor last time I saw her whether or not High- Functioning Autism and AS were the same? She said yes, that the terms are used interchangeably. A diagnosis of AS is the same thing as High- Functioning Autism. Classic Autistic Disorder is different from both other terms.

Actually, many of Kanner's original patients would probably be described as "high functioning" today.

Anyway, someone described as HFA could be diagnosed as AS, PDD-NOS, or autistic. It mostly depends on who diagnoses you.

That's true with the diagnostic criteria. The list of AS traits is shorter than the list of classic autism traits. The four traits I listed (speech delay, odd speech, problems with conversations, no pretend play) are the four that occur in classic autism but not in AS. You only have to have one of them to be diagnosed with classic autism. And there's the truly strange thing: Almost all of the people I know who have been diagnosed with Asperger's had at least one of those traits as a child, me included (odd speech and lack of reciprocal conversation). In other words, most people who can be diagnosed with Asperger's autism can also be diagnosed with Kanner's autism.

Well, HFA and AS are pretty similar. The only major differences between the two diagnoses has to do with early speech patterns and imaginative (pretend) play. Kids diagnosed as having HFA don't develop/demonstrate speech patterns typical for their age range, and when looking at toys, show no signs of pretend play. Kids diagnosed with AS do both of those things.

That being said, I'm sure there are people diagnosed with AS who had speech delays as children.

Aspergers is high functioning autism. It's as simple as that.