Asperger's and High Functioning Autism (HFA)=Same?

Page 1 of 1 [ 7 posts ] 


What was your original diagnosis?
Asperger's 68%  68%  [ 23 ]
Autism Spectrum (but not Asperger's) 32%  32%  [ 11 ]
Total votes : 34

fsuhunter
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 4 May 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 16

11 May 2014, 2:47 pm

I notice very often that these two diagnoses are lumped together. Should they be? I notice that most of the posters on this forum write brilliantly, but have an Asperger's diagnosis. If they are the same/similar, at least later in life (this is what I gather from most of the studies on the subject), why aren't there more posters who had an initial diagnosis of high functioning autism (or autism but not aspergers)?



FireyInspiration
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Mar 2014
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Posts: 540
Location: Unknown

11 May 2014, 3:12 pm

Aspergers is the most common form of high functioning autism (at least as far as I know), and as a result, is likely the most common diagnosis on these boards. Just a guess, though



Spectre
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 24 Apr 2014
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Posts: 38

11 May 2014, 4:59 pm

From what I understand, HFA has never been an actual diagnosis. Prior to the DSM V, I think it was autism, Aspergers, and PDD-NOS. Some say that the difference between Asperger's and HFA is speech delays. Others have said that they are one and the same. Perhaps the best definition is that Asperger's is a type of HFA.



bleh12345
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 Mar 2013
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 753

11 May 2014, 6:18 pm

Spectre wrote:
From what I understand, HFA has never been an actual diagnosis. Prior to the DSM V, I think it was autism, Aspergers, and PDD-NOS. Some say that the difference between Asperger's and HFA is speech delays. Others have said that they are one and the same. Perhaps the best definition is that Asperger's is a type of HFA.


I don't know. I was given the ADOS test. I scored an 11. According to my results, the cutoff for Aspergers (even though that's no longer a diagnosis in the DSM V) was I think 7. The cutoff for "Autism Spectrum" was 10. So, I guess I scored lower on some traits than other Aspies. I don't know. I just say I'm "on the spectrum" or "autism". It's ALL autism, anyways.



adriantesq
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 20 Mar 2010
Age: 79
Gender: Male
Posts: 135
Location: Wales, UK

12 May 2014, 11:13 am

Labels vary in time and space - they are illusory - you are illusory - I am illusory - does your question matter - do you matter - do you exist - I am theoretically born in the UK (Wales) in 1945 - earliest diagnosis savant syndrome by Nursery School Head Mistress 1949 - then childhood autism by a National Health Service General Practitioner 1950 - then witchcraft by Junior School Head Master 1952 - then autistic psychopathy by County Education Authority Psychologist 1960 - then 'probably autism spectrum disorder most likely aspergers syndrome' by a private consultant clinical psychiatrist commissioned by my employer (a Welsh county council) 1994 following a nervous breakdown at work - I have not been able to persuade the National Health Service to confirm the latter despite several attempts, the last being in 2012 - I can assure you I have some kind high performing autism as much by my deeds as my thoughts and my words and I believe it to be aspergers syndrome due to its characteristic interplay of OCD and ADD traits causing chaos in my head unless I call them to task, when they obey as good and faithful servants of my highest self - I had an estimated IQ of 'over 200' in 1960 and scored 'AA-AH6' in an Eysenck attribute distribution E175 numeracy: E155 spatial: E135 verbal in 1975 - so I'd say that's high performin'


_________________
adriantesq - Born 1945, diagnosed as Savant 1949, Autist 1950, Unfulfilled musical genius 1953, Autistic Psychopath 1960, Aspie 1994, appointed as the County Surveyors Society Chief Instructor Suicide Avoidance and Prevention in 1995, became Amazon Best Selling Author in Biographies and Memoirs of Childhood Autism and Asperger's Syndrome 2014, and Ambassador for Autie and Aspie Students of Energime University 2016.


linatet
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Sep 2013
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Posts: 934
Location: beloved Brazil

12 May 2014, 2:03 pm

from what I know difference is that aspies score high on verbal iq tests, sometimes higher than visual and hfa's score a gap in the higher visual and lower verbal iq tests.



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,249
Location: Long Island, New York

13 May 2014, 11:55 am

British National Autistic Society Webpage is the best explanation I have seen so far

www.autism.org.uk/18325


High Functioning Autism has always been a colloquial term
In the The DSM IV manual used from 1994 to 2013 Aspergers syndrome was an official diagnosis.
Is the current DSM 5 manual the Aspergers Syndrome diagnosis was subsumed into the larger Autism Spectrum Disorders diagnosis. Aspergers is still used as a colloquial term in areas where the DSM 5 manual dominates
In areas that use the ICD 10 Aspergers remains a official diagnosis
Aspergers is dropped in the beta version of the ICD 11 manual set to take effect in 2017


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman