There are many people out there who seem to believe that Aspergers and Autism are not the same thing. So its time to explore this issue.First lets look at it in diagnostic terms – are Aspergers and Autism the same thing. But to put it in scope lets look at a few other conditions first. If you have diabetes and are able to self-manage your insulin levels by having a strict diet are you still diabetic even though you don’t have to get insulin shots all the time? What about if you are having a cancerous growth on your skin removed – is that still cancer? Society seems to think that just because something does not appear the same to them at a quick glance as something else than its not the same. Which is just as stupid as saying a 1993 Chevy Lumina is not a car because its different than other cars, or a Granny Smith Apple is not an apple because its green not red.
According to the DSM-IV Autism and Aspergers are listed under the same subsection, and in fact a study was once done on 26 children to see if using DSM-IV criteria you could separate Autism and Aspergers. It found out of the 26 children 20 could be diagnosed with Autism according to DSM-IV criteria. I think this is important to show that Autism and Aspergers show common symptoms and likely a common cause.
Aspergers is often time just as severe as Autism, just more difficult to see. People with Autism have a hard time relating to others in social situations, tollerating repetitive noises, certain types of lighting. This can cause many other things, such as loneliness, unemployment which can lead to things like depression. I think its time that people who attempt to discredit those with forms of Autism for whatever reason quit – they don’t realise sometimes the pain and damage they can be causing.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I absolutely agree!! I ran into this attitude during the holidays with regards to my 5 year old and it made me crazy!
“I think its time that people who attempt to discredit those with forms of Autism for whatever reason quit – they don’t realise sometimes the pain and damage they can be causing.”
I think, sadly, that many of them do. Here in Finland, many people who would qualify for F84.0 Autism get given F84.5 Asperger syndrome, and some of this is down to cultural differences in what is considered severe enough to include as behaviour that fulfils a criterion; but some of it is down purely to shitty practice on the part of the diagnostician.
As for Asperger syndrome being autism… a study not long ago used Asperger’s own clinical descriptions from his habilitation thesis and checked them with DSM IV’s criteria for Autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Not one fulfilled the criteria for Asperger’s at all, but they all met the criteria for Autism.
I myself would have been diagnosed F84.0 as a 7 year old under the current ICD (10th edition), but was given the dx of F84.5 given the developmental progress I made by that time and before it.
The study you cite suggests that AS is what is known mathematically as a proper subset on the whole Autism thing.
Autism is to Asperger’s as Chevette is to Corvette.
That distinction will be made clear in court one day for people who try to blur that difference intentionally.
No. I have Asperger’s.
Aserger’s is no way as severe as real autism.
I get annoyed and depressed
And I have been to the point it was… *rasp*
There are similar symptoms.
There is so solid, scientific evidence behind psyciatric disorders.
Despite the DSM-IV placing Asperger’s under the same category as autism; there’s no solid empirical evidence to say it is, neurologically speaking, just a milder form of autism.
Some people even think it’s a brain infection…
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TomM