General Question

[Kayla Joanne]

hi, umm, i'm not sure how to start this, but i have a question and it's probably really really stupid but i need clarification...
what is the difference between autism, asd and asperger's syndrome? i know they're three seperate things, and from what i'm reading, asd is like the overall "box" (for lack of a better analogy...) that autism and asperger's is put into, and i just don't know why. i'm sorry if i sound offensive, but i've been reading and reading up on it, and i just can't seem to distinguish the lines that separate them... i am an NT, and the reason i'm curious is because my fiancee has asperger's syndrome, and it's kind of frustrating that i don't know the difference between them. i was brought up that a learning disability and a "mental disorder" are the same thing and i know they aren't, but that's how i was raised from a little kid. (i am 18 now and basically educating myself on the subject... and i say "mental disorder" in quotes because i personally don't like the term, i apologize if it offends anyone...). if there's an easy way to tell between them, please let me know, or message me because i would really like to talk about it with anyone who knows and can help me... i have a lot of other questions to ask too so i'd really like some individual input and possibly a private conversation... feel free to message me or something if you can help! thank you

 

[zurb]

what is the difference between autism, asd and asperger's syndrome? i know they're three seperate things, and from what i'm reading, asd is like the overall "box"...

A long time ago, someone called a certain way of thinking 'autism'.
At about the same time, in a different part of the world someone else called a certain way of thinking Aspergers Syndrome (actually he called it autism too, but to avoid confusion it got named after him). Though, for the same reason that German Shepard dogs were unpopular, the rest of the world didn't hear about it for quite some time.
More recently, folks decided that they were both really just seeing different parts of the same spectrum/scale/range of ways of thinking. So it was decided to call all of it autism spectrum disorder.
Classical autism is the more extreme end of the spectrum and Aspergers fits somewhere lower on the scale.
I'm not sure, but I think this is where we also get 'low functioning' and 'high functioning' from.
Clear as mud?

 

[Kayla Joanne]

A long time ago, someone called a certain way of thinking 'autism'.
At about the same time, in a different part of the world someone else called a certain way of thinking Aspergers Syndrome (actually he called it autism too, but to avoid confusion it got named after him).
More recently, folks decided that they were both really just seeing different parts of the same spectrum of ways of thinking. So it was decided to call all of it autism spectrum disorder.
Classical autism is the more extreme end of the spectrum and Aspergers fits somewhere lower on the scale.
I'm not sure, but I think this is where we also get 'low functioning' and 'high functioning' from.
Clear as mud?

so what i'm getting from this is Asperger's is basically high- functioning autism... and ASD is the overall category that low-functioning and high- functioning is placed into?

 

[zurb]

Umm, I think so. However, if one is too high functioning one's aspieness might be called into question. At some point the clinician (or government policy) decides if one qualifies or not. This however doesn't really determine if you are actually an aspie or not - rather just whether you need services.

 

[Kayla Joanne]

Umm, I think so. However, if one is too high functioning one's aspieness might be called into question. At some point the clinician (or government policy) decides if one qualifies or not. This however doesn't really determine if you are actually an aspie or not - rather just whether you need services.

okay well that literally just saved me from like hours and possibly days of research... and made me more frustrated than ever... all the doctors and therapists i've talked to can't explain it the way you did in normal words like regular people do that don't have doctorates in mental health -.- omg thank you soooo much..... you just clarified like, a crap load of my questions o.o

 

[Vanilla]

I believe that classic autism is also more specific to those who don't speak, or do not start speaking, until a later stage in life. This may seem like a small factor, but it seems to make quite a difference in many individuals.

 

[Ylva]

If you want a pop culture distinction, the Rainman and Christopher Boone are autistic, and Bones and Spencer Reid are aspies.

However, not living my life as a hollywoodian stereotype, I see "autism" as the "box" as you call it, and any variety of autism, including asperger's, go into it.

 

[Balkan1996]

Ask yourself: "Can I imagine how people with autism think?"

If you CAN'T imagine - Congratulations, you are not an Aspie!
If you CAN imagine - Congratulations, you are an Aspie!

If you don't care about that question - You have classic autism.


Am I correct?

 

[Suzanne]

When ever I have seen an autistic person, just looking at them, I knew they were autistic, because they do have a visual handicap way of being. They cannot make changes in themselves; they are that way and people have to work around them!

With aspergers, although there are ones who can be obvious with their blank faces and monotone voices, generally, we do look normal and it is only when ones take the time to get to know us, that questions start up.

From what I read, a group of people were put together ie autistic ones and this one professor who's name is Aspergers, noticed that some acted similar, but not completely the same and so, went about, separating those and watching the behaviour patterns and noted that those who seemed: less autistic, were able to adapt better ie make changes and his conclusion was that they were "less autistic" and hello aspergers.

It is a mistake to say that one is autistic and aspergers because you just cannot be both! Since autism is an extreme, you cannot also have a less extreme. However, you can be on the spectrum of Aspergers, but from those who are autistic that I have heard of and seen, there is no spectrum (but I shall try to be willing to be put right on this).

No one looking at me would say I am autistic; it is almost laughable ie that is how far away I am from being that way! But a few who do know me and one who's son is aspergic and another, who worked with an aspie, both recognise that I am aspergic.

 

[Suzanne]

Ask yourself: "Can I imagine how people with autism think?"

If you CAN'T imagine - Congratulations, you are not an Aspie!
If you CAN imagine - Congratulations, you are an Aspie!

If you don't care about that question - You have classic autism.


Am I correct?

Not really because I am not autistic but do not care about the question lol

 

[Balkan1996]

Not really because I am not autistic but do not care about the question lol

Haha, I see what you did there!

Damn it, I knew I should have rephrased the word 'care'...
Help me out!

 

[Suzanne]

Haha, I see what you did there!

Damn it, I knew I should have rephrased the word 'care'...
Help me out!

That is called: me taking things to literally then, sorry about that! But really, not thinking about that question is still the same as not caring, isn't it

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

Disinterested: attentive to the question, having no personal stake in the outcome.
Uninterested: indifferent to the question, having assumed the outcome doesn't matter.

IMHO, of course.