A Discussion Regarding Terminology

[Clay Major]

Asperger's VS High-Functioning Autism
An Inquiry Into Terminology

Forgive me for my ignorance within this post/thread.

Being a individual born in the year 2000, I never quite understood the historical context of certain terminologies regarding the spectrum and it's respective communities. For example, Asperger's isn't a term many professionals and members affiliated with the medical community use very often. Though, I find that older members on this site prefer the term Asperger's as opposed to High-Functioning Autism. Also, a good number of individuals claim they're two different conditions while others claim it to be a term to describe the same thing. Clearly, I am one of the younger members on this site, lacking the experience of older individuals and their dealings with being labeled. Long ago, perhaps not too far into the past, Asperger's was the sole term used to diagnose. Now there appears to be multiple terms with multiple meanings to different individuals. Never once was I told to have Asperger's, but rather High-Functioning Autism. However, I was told these two words mean the same thing. Then I find information claiming they're not.
My intention with this post is not to start discourse involving argumentation on what is right or wrong. Clarification and a better understand of the spectrum is the goal of this post. Thank you for reading.

 

[AO1501]

The reason why Asperger's Syndrome is something many older members refer to and perhaps not the younger ones is that it was a legitimate diagnosis in the US until 2012, referring to a place on the autism spectrum occupied by those towards the high-functioning end, with very specific 'symptoms', first noted and described by Dr. Hans Asperger in 1930's Austria.

When the US revised the diagnostic manual in 2012, it removed the Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis and replaced it with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 - basically meaning high functioning autism (HFA).

Thus, those diagnosed in the last 6 years in the US have ASD, though may still be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in Europe where the diagnostic manual did not change, and retained the AS diagnosis. Prior to 2012, an Asperger diagnosis was common for those towards the high functioning end of the autism spectrum.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

People use both terms to describle me. I don’t really mind which although people seem to think aspergaus is mild autism.

 

[Tom]

Aspergers is no longer recognized in the USA as a distinct condition. Its all HFA, MFA and LFA now strung on a pretty theoretical 'Spectrum' with bright colors. The rest of the world retains it still so there is a lot of confusion on terminology. 'Aspie' was also a slang term that caught on within the autistic community and many still use it.

Personally I'm leaning towards 'Spectrimoids', which has a other worldly Dr Who feel. Or maybe 'Spectrons'. I think it best to avoid hard and fast characterization and keep the NT mind always guessing a little.

 

[Khendra]

High-functioning autism - Wikipedia

Here is a page comparing and contrasting HFA with Aspergers.

 

[Mary Anne]

Aspergers is no longer recognized in the USA as a distinct condition. Its all HFA, MFA and LFA now strung on a pretty theoretical 'Spectrum' with bright colors. The rest of the world retains it still so there is a lot of confusion on terminology. 'Aspie' was also a slang term that caught on within the autistic community and many still use it.

Personally I'm leaning towards 'Spectrimoids', which has a other worldly Dr Who feel. Or maybe 'Spectrons'. I think it best to avoid hard and fast characterization and keep the NT mind always guessing a little.

View attachment 46846

WOW, this is an excellent Halloween costume idea. Thanks!

 

[clg114]

I was diagnosed in 2008 using the criteria from the DSM-4. My diagnosis was Asperger's Syndrome. While I am not in the habit of discussing this with others, if it is needed I tell them Asperger's Syndrome. That is what I was diagnosed with. In the spring of 2013, the DSM-5 came out and it does not use the term Asperger's Syndrome.

The way that I understand it, there is a difference between AS and HFA. According to the DSM-4, there can not be any delays in the linguistic or the cognitive functions for the diagnosis to be AS. If there is, no matter how slight, the diagnosis will not be AS. A person with HFA could have very slight delays in these areas and be able to function normally. They could have families, jobs and lead normal life. Probably never knowing that they are autistic. Since the introduction of the DSM-5, both AS & HFA would probably be Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1.

 

[DCA]

Just to add, I think for some of us, referring to it as Asperger's rather than HFA is useful because it helps explain why we were never diagnosed. From my understanding, as was discussed above, to have Asperger's as opposed to HFA there cannot be developmental delays, & you would have to have hit your developmental milestones in a typical time frame. So it's useful in my mind to differentiate between the two. From what I understand some people that may have originally been diagnosed as HFA may now be diagnosed as Asperger's, if that diagnoses still existed.

 

[Mary Anne]

Aspergers is no longer recognized in the USA as a distinct condition. Its all HFA, MFA and LFA now strung on a pretty theoretical 'Spectrum' with bright colors. The rest of the world retains it still so there is a lot of confusion on terminology. 'Aspie' was also a slang term that caught on within the autistic community and many still use it.

Personally I'm leaning towards 'Spectrimoids', which has a other worldly Dr Who feel. Or maybe 'Spectrons'. I think it best to avoid hard and fast characterization and keep the NT mind always guessing a little.

View attachment 46846

I tried to google Spectrimoids and Dr. Who with no success at all. Where did this fantastic photo come from? It looks like something out of the 1950s, or earlier. Any info on photo or Spectrimoids as it relates to this image appreciated.