Question why on why all subtypes of Autism was removed

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I have a question on why all subtypes of Autism was removed.

Why were all sybtpes of Autism was removed? Is there a scientific reasons as to why those subjypes of Autism were removed from DSM-5 and ICD-11?

Before 2013, in DSM-4, there was Asperger's Syndrome, Rhett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Kanner's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified. And before 2019, in ICD-10, there was Asperger's Syndrome, Rhett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Kanner's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified.

Now it is just Autism Spectrum Disorder, nothing else.


I felt confused, because before 2013, I had a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, but in 2013, I was considered to have ASD.

Is there any explanation as to why it is now just ASD? Does it sounds so broad to you?

I hope we can discuss about this topic, I still don't understand why they lumped all PDDs to ASD, I thought there are Non-autistic Pervasive Developmental Disorders as well.

Because too many spectrumers whined about how functioning labels meant nothing because every spectrumer is sooo different and their symptoms fluctuate sooo much from day to day that autism cannot be a spectrum any more, just one blanket diagnosis. So here we have it, people like me have to be lumped together with autism, (aka "selfism", which I hate being labelled after).

It makes sense.

I think getting rid of functioning labels is a good idea, they're not really that clinically useful, and most of the people upset about their abolition seem to be the kind of people who just, really enjoy hierarchies that let them feel superior to others.

It makes sense.

My main problem with this is that the general population has now just about got a handle on what "Aspergers" means, just in time for the concept to be abolished.

I still find it saves a LOT of time to say "I have Asperger's syndrome" (despite my never actually getting that diagnosis) rather than to say "I'm autistic. No, I'm not making that up, yes, I can talk, no, we're not all strapped to our beds in an institution, do you think it's still 1960 or something?" When dealing with most neurotypicals, if you can speak, then whatever your diagnosis is you're probably better off saying "Aspergers". Saves you having to do a long, tedious explanation which they will neither understand nor believe.

It makes sense.

Yes, some of us high-functioning Aspies don't feel that autistic, even though Asperger's is a form of autism but some of us still prefer it to have its own term.

Generally people diagnosed with Asperger's had no speech delays as a toddler, were articulate as a child, and some of their social skills can even develop naturally sometimes later than average but sometimes even at the same pace as their NT peers. Some children with Asperger's are sociable and articulate and can just be socially awkward rather than socially clueless.

When I was a kid I had a friend with a severely autistic sister, and she was a perfect example of what you'd call severe. She was non-verbal, had frequent meltdowns, would rock for hours, always had to have noise-cancelling headphones on, never made eye contact, and was most happy in her sensory room. She had such severe sensory issues that she hardly wore any clothes, just diapers, and spent all day every day stimming and repetitive behaviours like spending hours throwing the same ball over and over. She had to be homeschooled because she couldn't cope with being anywhere near other children. She was just locked in her own world, but she was intelligent. She'd stack things very neatly in her sensory room, in size or colour order, and she even made very good models of things out of playdough or clay. But she had no idea, at all, of how to communicate.
I'd like to know what she's like now as an adult but I lost touch with my friend years ago and I can't find her or her family on Facebook. But last I heard the autistic sister had to go into a care home because she got too aggressive. The slightest of change used to send her into a meltdown.

I'm resistant to the term "Asperger Syndrome" on general principle (i.e. that Hans Asperger was a nazi who would have had my brown ass killed, and we shouldn't casually invoke his name), but also I feel like it has the connotation of, like, dorky white guy Sheldon Cooper stereotypes, which society should understand that autism doesn't necessarily is.

It makes sense.

Because it was felt that Asperger’s was being overdiagnosed.

Why is that?

Autism is a spectrum disorder, I don't think it is possible for ASD to be over-diagnosed.

It is actually being overdiagnosed. I know a couple who had got their 4-year-old daughter diagnosed with HFA at 18 months, just because her older brother has HFA. She was just developing normally, didn't have any speech delays or peculiar repetitive behaviours, made eye contact and was sociable. She's 4 now and seems 100% NT whenever I see her (the couple posts a lot of videos of her on Facebook too, so I know how she is and what she's like). I don't know why they were in a hurry to get her diagnosed when she was still a baby. I don't think she even has it.
All babies and toddlers typically have some repetitive behaviours, stimming, startled by loud noises and some other 'autistic' traits that they grow out of, but these days parents are quick to suspect their baby has autism if it isn't talking by its first birthday.

Yep....I've seen many "normal" 2-year-old do "autistic" things.

If if they seem to develop normally, should the ASD assessment wait until they are adults? Because, she can still have ASD, but it's just so mild that it is too early to tell, as she seems to develop at a normal phase as you pointed out.

I once had very severe symptoms of ASD and I was diagnosed at the age of two. Was that way too early?

I did not notice that I have ASD until I was thirteen years old, even though I was diagnosed with ASD at age two.

I improved so much with therapies as well.

Their doughtier could have ASD, but it is so mild that it was too early to tell and when it comes to milder cases of ASD, it is better for them to wait for their daughter to be at least age 16 to be diagnosed with ASD, because that is where social rules gets more complex and this is where ASD masking may fall apart.

I hope you know what I mean.