Why do most people here think that AS and autism

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are the same thing? AS is on the autism spectrum, but is not the Same as autism. If you have AS you are an individual with a syndrom on the spectrum, but you aren't Autistic. I think people get really confused about that, which is why over the years WP has been smushed together with Autism in general instead of just Aspergers syndrome like it originally was.

The spectrum is broad and encompasses a multitude of people. The "spectrum" is all people. There is the spectrum of homo sapiens.

From what I understand of the diagnostic criteria, the only marked difference is a significant language delay for an autims diagnosis. If my son had been diagnosed younger, he most likely would have been diagnosed autistic rather than Asperger's. His language was still very delayed at diagnosis but no longer profound enough to be considered 'significant'.

Yes you're right, AS and autism are two different things but AS is a form of autism. That's why aspies call themselves autistic and why other people label them as having autism. Autism can also be used as one category.

Is there any reason why this forum SHOULDN'T be for people with other spectrum conditions as well as AS? Honestly, unless they explicitly say that they're LFA, HFA or PDD-NOS, I'm not able to tell with most people. I understand that different groups have different concerns, but there's nothing that says we can't share them and exchange opinions and experiences all together here. There's enough variety amongst people with AS that incorporating a few similar conditions in doesn't seem distracting or otherwise out of place. Our concerns are similar enough (worrying about a cure, quack treatments, abuse, media misrepresentation and other things to do with being on the spectrum in society) that excluding anyone based on their technical label would seem counterproductive more than anything.

Oh, No No know! You misunderstand me. I'm not sayin other people aren't welcome here at all!

Researchers seem to agree that there is no fundamental difference between autism and AS.

Okay, good. ^^; I'm glad to hear that. I was sorta worried. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

the reason autism is a lot more clearly noted on WP now is because a lot of non aspie asd users including am have asked to have it included and staff have put out votes on it before-aspies are not the only ASDers here [most of the spectrum is probably covered here though dont know about retts,CDD or FX,and then there are all the ASD x NT mixed as well-those who are not diagnosable].

Am not so sure that autism is so different to AS because of how similar 'severe' aspies are to auties-usually no different to auties.
Am see all the Autisms as being different in terms of their main impairment,but they also all share a lot of things including the triad of impairment,so am also see those with any diagnoseable ASD as autistic because the word doesnt belong to one condition as such.


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from reading other posts,not sure if have understood the topic.

Which is correct at face value, but the manifestation of the two sets of criteria are entirely different as it's written in the expanded text; the delay in the acquisition of speech usually comes with a whole slew of other symptoms along for the ride, as well as a different manifestation of the social impairments and repetitive behaviours. It's more detailed than the criteria themselves.

The OP is correct: Asperger's and Autism are two different disorders that share some overruling outcomes, but are different in how the outcome is reached. OCD and Social Phobia are both Anxiety Disorders, as they both cause Anxiety, but they both manifest differently.

Professionals like Attwood tend lump them together as the treatment is the same for both, just as it is for many Anxiety Disorders.

Which is wrong. A little over half say they're different, whereas the other half says they're on a Spectrum of severity (which is still "different").

Last edited by Danielismyname on 18 Sep 2008, 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

From what I have read the differences are usually related to stage when language is acquired.

There is really no good reason to make crude distinctions between any of us. We are all unique even in our autism. None of us are better or worse because of our problems. We each have difficulties but these do not define us.

Maybe I am making assumptions about how others feel.

I agree, but I have not gotten the impression that is being done here. I think the OP is just questioning why people think they are the same thing. I tend to think they are the same thing...just varying degrees. Before learning of Asperger's I had only heard of severe non-verbal autism, so I can see the difference too.

Perhaps "crude" was a poor choice of words. Divisive might be better. I did not mean to imply that the OP was being crude.

Do most people think they're the same?

They're obviously very closely related, if not identical, but I'm not sure how many people here really think they're the same.

They may be two different expressions of an underlying similarity. What are the differences? Severity of symptoms? Language?