Autism Spectrum Disorder instead of Asperger's Syndrome?

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IceKitten
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26 Jan 2014, 2:48 pm

I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2010. Is it called autism spectrum disorder now instead? Or am I still an "aspie" since I originally got that diagnosis? I read somewhere that if you have got the Asperger diagnosis, it will be called that and that only newly diagnosed people will have an "autism spectrum disorder". Is this true?



serenaserenaserena
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26 Jan 2014, 2:56 pm

I don't know, because I was diagnosed with "Asperger's Disorder" in 2013, when the DSM supposedly had already changed it.


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Dillogic
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26 Jan 2014, 2:58 pm

Generally, "ASD" is the current term to use, whether you were diagnosed with AS, AD or PDD-NOS in the past.



Willard
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26 Jan 2014, 4:14 pm

The only place Asperger Syndrome was eliminated as a diagnosis was in the DSM-V, compiled by the American Psychiatric Association. The diagnostic criteria used by the World Health Organization still list Asperger Syndrome as a specific diagnosis, within the umbrella of ASD.

So AS has not disappeared as an offical diagnosis. Only in the United States are all Autism Spectrum Disorders lumped together, and that may be temporary, as many Mental Health Professionals in the US are refusing to use or recognize the DSM-V (for many reasons) and are still using the DSM-IV.

OTOH, since the only difference between Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism is a clinically significant speech delay in early childhood, they are essentially the same thing and IMHO, 'High Functioning Autism' sounds better and communicates the concept better to most people than 'Ass Burgers.'

But if you were diagnosed with AS, that DX is still valid.



Sethno
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26 Jan 2014, 11:31 pm

Asperger's Syndrome was and is a form of High Functioning Autism, and is therefore an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

If you're an Aspie, you're autistic.

End of story.

No big thing, just different terms being used by different medical bodies in different places.

Again, if you were diagnosed with Asperger's, it meant right from the start you had an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Asperger's was just the specific type and that term isn't being used everywhere now.


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briankelley
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26 Jan 2014, 11:43 pm

IceKitten wrote:
I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2010. Is it called autism spectrum disorder now instead? Or am I still an "aspie" since I originally got that diagnosis? I read somewhere that if you have got the Asperger diagnosis, it will be called that and that only newly diagnosed people will have an "autism spectrum disorder". Is this true?


Well called an aspie by who? If you mean in places like here, the term will probably remain for a really long time.
If you mean officially, probably not. If you mean by the general public, I doubt most anyone knows what Aspergers is. And the only way I've heard it explained to them is that it is "a form of autism" or "part of the autism spectrum". So "aspie" is really only a term used and understood within the autism community.



ASPartOfMe
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27 Jan 2014, 2:40 am

Under The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM IV which was in effect in 2010 Aspergers Syndrome was recognized as a official diagnosis. In May 2013 The DSM 5 came into effect. Aspergers Syndrome and a couple of other conditions considered part of the Autism Spectrum were eliminated replaced by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The DSM 5 recommended that those previously diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome keep their diagnoses under the new name. The DSM 5 is a guideline. Clinicians are not mandated to use it. As mentioned there is another book that is used outside of the United States that still recognizes Aspergers Syndrome as a official diagnoses.

The media and the general public in general often use terms that are not in official books. In 1999 Liane Holliday Willey coined the term "Aspie" as a term of endearment for people with Asperger Syndrome. The term became popular as a way to turn the negative way people with AS had been viewed and abused into a positive and as a group identifier for some people when they found out there were others like them.

Just within the last week a couple of people said they have been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and the term "Aspie" is still used. But from what I see the term "Aspie"is used more as neutral descriptor and less as a positive group identifier lately. But this is only anecdotal at this point.

My advice is use Autism Spectrum Disorder if you are trying to get benefits. Otherwise use whatever term fits you in whatever way you like.


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