Is Asperger's Syndrome a type of autism?

Answer 1

Asperger's Syndrome is related to autism. Both are in the family of autism spectrum disorders. The two conditions have very similar symptoms, but Asperger's Syndrome is less likely to have a delay in the development of language use. When a child has the symptoms, autism is often diagnosed when IQ is below average, while Asperger's Syndrome is more likely to be diagnosed when IQ is known to be average or above average.

Answer 2

Answer

It depends on whom you ask. The two labels are differentiated in the official diagnosing manual (DSM IV) only by the presence or absence of an early language delay. And people diagnosed with Asperger's do have language delays (pragmatic, higher lever linguistic organization, and figurative language delays) that become more obvious with age. The other "spectrum" diagnoses are quite different. IMHO, it seems an artificial boundary, and it makes more sense to label both forms "autism," with the more severe form referred to as Kanner's Autism and the less severe form as Asperger's Autism.

People with either form of autism need support to function to their full potential, but those with asperger's autism could be expected to live independently with employment. Those with kanner's autism can be expected to need full-time support. ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: a label of kanner's autism does not imply low intelligence. I have known very bright kanner's. They just need very good communication support.

Answer

Yes, if that someone does not have "classic" autism. I who have Asperger's disorder have NOT been diagnosed with "classic" autism.

Answer

If a person has autism, he or she does not have Asperger's Syndrome. If a person has Asperger's Syndrome, he or she does not have autism. Having one precludes having the other.

As knowledge about autism has grown, five distinct conditions that present with similar features have been identified, and they are now known as autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. Autism and Asperger's Syndrome are different disorders within the category of pervasive developmental disorders. As research continues, it is possible that autism will be subdivided into more conditions, since it is informally subdivided into infantile and late-onset or childhood and atypical autism. Because it seems that there is no single cause for autism, it is certainly possible that it could become several different conditions after more research. So, one of those possible future varieties of autism could be merged into Asperger's syndrome.

Asperger's Syndrome is a neuro-developmental disorder, specifically a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), also known as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), resulting in differences in the way the brain processes information. Pervasive developmental disorders include: 1. autistic disorder also known as autism or Kanner's Syndrome, 2. Asperger's Syndrome (AS), 3. Rett's Syndrome (RS), 4. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) also known as Heller's syndrome, and 5. Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Pervasive developmental disorders have characteristics in common: they are marked by impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and by a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive.

While most of these PDDs are diagnosed while the individual is a child, people with Asperger's syndrome can often function well enough that they go undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed for years. Sometimes children diagnosed with high-functioning autism are relabeled as having Asperger's syndrome when they are older as more distinguishing characteristics become apparent. There are many people who were not diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome until their teens or adulthood who have never been diagnosed with autism. Some people with Asperger's Syndrome cannot live independently, so they might be diagnosed earlier in their lives or misdiagnosed with autism or another condition.

One of the criteria for diagnosing Asperger's syndrome is that a diagnosis of autistic disorder has been rejected, as well as other pervasive developmental disorders. In other words, you cannot have Asperger's syndrome if you have autism. However, unfortunately, you can have Asperger's syndrome and still be misdiagnosed with autism, or sometimes PDD-NOS.

AnswerI have a son who was diagnosed with Asperger's. I am also a special education teacher (32 years). Mental Health experts separate Autism and Asperger's syndrome and consider them to be two different developmental disorders. In the state where I teach there is no differentiation between the two as far as special education law is concerned. A student with Asperger's syndrome would have an "Autism Impaired" certification if he or she needed special education services.

Answer 3

I have Asperger's Syndrome, and I've been told my whole life EVERYTHING that was wrong with me!

Seriously, people born with Asperger's Syndrome have "a different set of wires and wiring" in their brains. They don't see reality the same way as "normal" people do, but it's their own normal.

I've always been told that too especially by my parents and by teachers at school. Why is it that they always forgot to tell me the good things, eg. being honest, working hard, etc. It is just being different, not worse. There's plenty of things wrong with "normal" people too.

Answer

There is a difference between wrong and different. People easily make the mistake of assuming that a differencemay imply something wrong. The traits of Asperger's may encourage this - perhaps odd, as some behaviours of Aspergers seem, is a character that lends itself very easily to being thought of as wrong. A special interest (Asperger-conditioned persons often have restricted interests) is not a wrong. It is hypothesised that great sometimes comes from such focussed interest - where Darwin, Einstein and Newton might have had Asperger's. Strange use of language is not a wrong. Concrete thinking and literal-understanding are not wrongs. Such things should not be immediately be presumed to need treatment. It is where damage and difficulty can come that treatment may be necessary. Note that the treatment will be for the safety and happiness of the patient and surrounding humans, not because the particular treated symptom is a wrong (some symptoms the Asperger can perhaps not help at all and thus cannot be a wrong worth blaming on the Asperger). Treatment may be necessary to help social interaction, make social relationships easier (not necessarily medical but behavioural treatment, an attempt to make the Asperger better at social interaction). Treatment may be necessary in cases of anger or unpredicable, dangerous outbursts (these cannot be necessarily blamed on the Asperger and the treatment may well be calm and explanatory and behavioural rather than medical - the Asperger cannot be blamed so it may be inappropriate to label the treatment-needy difficulty a wrong). The treatment will be to remove anxiety etc and help, so everyone can get on peacefully. All in all, most symptoms of Aspergers are harmless, all may be best not labelled wrongs. Much may be uncomfortable (loneliness, occasional rage or frustration), but much (that you would think could not exist in a condition sometimes determinedly labelled wrong) can flow from Aspergers. Many Aspergers are intelligent, prefer truth to lies, and rule-following rather than rule-breaking, many have sufficient friends, all of which you would think would not be in a condition that is wrong.

Answer 4

Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is similar to autism. Both belong to the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) group.

AS differs from Autism and other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development.

(see related links)

Answer 5

This question is very hard to answer because some people believe that it is, and some people believe that it isn't. So much remains to be found out about it that this is a hard topic to be able to delve into.

Answer

It might be. If there be a spectrum, like the electromagnetic spectrum, from neurotypical to severely autistic, then Asperger may be somewhere in the middle. It should be, perhaps, at the lower end of the autistic side of things ('High Functioning', mild, autism), on the boundary between autism-like conditions and near-autistic neurotypical. A 'diagram' may help.

Neurotypical = = Near-Autistic Neurotypical = = Asperger's Syndrome = = 'Severe' (very socially limited, more speech-limited) Asperger's = = Autism = = 'Severe' (extremely speech-limited) Autism

Answer 6

This question makes no sense - Asperger Syndrome *IS* Autism.

Asperger Syndrome has now been merged with Autism, it's no longer a diagnosis - this is because there wasn't any clear difference between the two, the only difference was that those diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome don't have developmental delays but all this means is that they developed at a different speed to those children diagnosed with Autism...not that it was a different condition. Asperger Syndrome was often used as a diagnosis instead of Autism to avoid stigma, thus it become quite ableist - people calling themselves Aspies rather than Autistic to distance themselves from Autistic people who they viewed to be less than themselves or less acceptable to neurotypicals.

If you have Asperger Syndrome then you are Autistic, full stop.

Answer 7

Yes, Asperger Syndrome is on the autism spectrum.

The only real difference between Asperger Syndrome and Autism is that those who were diagnosed as having Asperger Syndrome had no developmental delays in childhood. In adulthood an Autistic person and a person with an Asperger Syndrome cannot be distinguished, and Asperger Syndrome was merged with Autism because it was not enough of a difference to consider it a separate condition - especially considering everyone develops at different rates. Often Asperger Syndrome is a diagnosis given to avoid the stigma of Autism, it's a redundant term.

Answer 8

Yes, a person can have Autism (Asperger Syndrome is no longer a diagnosis, merged with Autism) without knowing it. A person is likely to realize they're 'different' but not know why, increased awareness of Autism is seeing more adults seeking diagnosis as they realize they may be Autistic.

I myself was severely Autistic as a child but due to diagnostic criteria and lack of awareness of autism during the 80's and 90's, in my early twenties I happened across adults with Autism and realized I was Autistic - I wasn't officially diagnosed until my mid twenties. My partner is clearly Autistic, it wasn't until it was mentioned to him that his son was Autistic that he realized he was Autistic too, he wasn't officially diagnosed as Autistic until he was 40 years old.

Answer 9

Until they are told themselves they have Asperger's Syndrome, then Yes.

Answer 10

Yes! In many cases Aspergers Syndrome is never diagnosed :)