Asperger's or High Functioning Autism

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Redstar2613
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29 Jun 2014, 7:10 am

I found something that talks about the differences between Asperger's and High Functioning Autism. I've thought of it as the same thing and I know many other people do as well. But there doesn't seem to be a clear answer either way.
Especially here:

Language development

This is the area that probably causes the greatest controversy. Both ICD-10 and DSM-IV1 state that for a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, spoken language development must be normal. Children with high-functioning autism may have had significant language delay. However, [Hans] Asperger's original descriptions of the condition stated that speech and language peculiarities are a key feature of Asperger syndrome. Often diagnoses of Asperger syndrome are made when a child is quite old and they or their parents may have difficulty remembering the details of their language development.


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I just talked to my mum and she said I did have a language delay.
I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was 8 but my mum new from when I was 3 that there was something really different about me. Click here for a 1 minute video of Tony Attwood basically saying that people with High Functioning Autism, in their preschool years (so around the time mum new something was up), show more classic signs of Autism than those with Asperger's. The people that do have Asperger's have the the signs but not as noticeable until the child is a bit older (8, 9. 10) and any the differences are only historic and the two are the same "in terms of needs, on friendship, learning profile, emotion management, sensory sensitivity and motor coordination problems".
But still, I'd like to know what other people think about this subject. Do you think Asperger's Syndrome and High Function Autism are the same thing, or is there a slight difference between the two?
I don't remember it myself but mum says I had eye contact problems when I was little and they had to teach me to look people in the eye and explain why, when I talked to them (and talking to people was rare when I was around 4 years old). So I've been wondering if a more accurate diagnoses for me would have been High Functioning Autism, due to things such as when mum new something was up and the age I was diagnosed and the thing Tony mentioned about classic signs of Autism in people with HFA at a younger age. But that probably doesn't apply to me (I really dont remember much from under 10) because when I was 3 or 4, mum read a book about Autism, also detailing Asperger's and she had previously thought that Autism sounded kind of like what I have but it wasn't until she read about Asperger's that she thought she found the answer.
So, I dunno.. I think I'm just having a bit of an identity crises lately.



KingdomOfRats
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29 Jun 2014, 8:09 am

am guessing are from the UK?
the significant language delay refers to a delay that isnt caught up after four years or more,and although am not a supporter of this practice because it denies their own criteria a lot of adults who go to get assessed;who were significantly language delayed as kids end up being diagnosed as having aspergers because their current behavior/outcomes/circumstances presents as such.
next year the new ICD manual will be out and it is strongly believed that it will follow the DSMs route of merging everything into ASD so unless are planning to get assessed within the next year and a half or the NHS waiting time lasts that long-its likely will end up being labeled exactly the same as aspergers [is it level one ASD? still havent got the new DSMs criteria stuck in head yet].

off topic,good to see another fan of bobs burgers,love that show its awesome,wish channel four woud buy the licence and show it like they used to with king of the hill.


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Redstar2613
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29 Jun 2014, 3:03 pm

Nah, I'm in Australia. What made you think I was in the UK?
I don't know what level Asperger's is. I haven't looked at that, though I am a bit curious. I guess what could have been considered HFA before would now be an official diagnosis. But I still look at thing the old way. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, I'd forgotten the change even happened.

I love Bob's Burgers! It's one of my favourite shows. It's also great to watch when I'm having a bad time. It actually makes me feel better.



zemanski
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30 Jun 2014, 3:46 am

The differences between AS, HFA and Autism are actually simply differences in the presentation of the same condition and have no clinical reliability which is why DSM V dropped them and ICD 11 probably will.

The language development criteria don't say anything about how the person will develop into adulthood. They also don't cover the delay in pragmatic language all people on the spectrum have regardless of how early or late they actually spoke. Nor do they cover non-verbal language development - look at the number of people who can communicate effectively through the internet who struggle with the spoken word or are completely non-verbal.

I spoke at 6 months and I am definitely autistic.


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ASPartOfMe
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30 Jun 2014, 4:34 pm

KingdomOfRats wrote:
next year the new ICD manual will be out and it is strongly believed that it will follow the DSMs route of merging everything into ASD .


ICD 11 is coming out in 2017
http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/factsheet/en/


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zer0netgain
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30 Jun 2014, 8:49 pm

Although we're all under the Autism umbrella now, I see the difference between AS and HFA in that you can be HFA but not have AS. "Classic" autism affects cognitive skills like speech. AS often does not...affecting emotional processing rather than cognitive processing. A person with HFA but not AS may have some measure of speech development issues like anyone else with "classic" autism while people with AS usually do not.



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30 Jun 2014, 9:50 pm

Same thing.

Hans had speech impaired and aloof kiddies.