What is the difference between Aspergers and High Functioning Autism?

[Mister Anonymity]

Hello everyone. I just got diagnosed with High Functioning autism with no cognitive and no language impairments. I asked him why he didn't diagnose me as aspergers. He told me that I am aspergers, but the term is no longer used. So now, I'm in the autism spectrum, but I'm high functioning. My psychologist told me that Aspergers isn't a word that's used because it's fallen out of date. What do you think? Is High Functioning Autism the same as Asperger's syndrome? Are High Functioning Autists just as smart as Aspergers? Or is one smarter than the other?

My psychologist told me that I'm very articulate and smart, which is why he classified me as high functioning. What I'm trying to ask is, am I okay if I'm high functioning Autism?

 

[Jordy]

I think what your psych means is asd1, because as far as i know hfa isn't used anymore either.

 

[Mister Anonymity]

I think what your psych means is asd1, because as far as i know hfa isn't used anymore either.

I think I remember my psychologist said that I have level 1 autism. He said that I am very high functioning, but I have social impairments. He said more importantly, I have no cognitive impairments and no language delays. He said that my brain was wired to gather information from books, and not learn from parental figures. So, it is the reason I'm highly articulate and robotic. But he said that I definitely have social impairments because I am so robotic. He said many people have fluidity of language, but I don't. Which is why I don't have an accent.

 

[Atrapa Almas]

Hello,

On the old days, Aspergers were normal to high IQ* with good use of language from kids age. And autists were normal to low IQ* with low or none use of language as kids. Also other factors, but more or less to give you an idea. You can read Neurotribes if you want to understand the full picture.

*The IQ thing is mostly wrong because to have an IQ score its mandatory that the individual scores are related (all high, all medium, all low). One autism characteristic is that our IQ tests are way lower in some areas than in others and that, by the definition of the test itself, makes the IQ score invalid.

Another thing to note is that Functioning is not equal to intelligence, its more like "Camouflage". So people who can behave like NT and thus camouflage, are high functioning and those who are spotted easily are low functioning.

 

[clg114]

My diagnosis is "Asperger's Syndrome" because I was diagnosed with the criteria from the old DSM-4. I do not know if "High Functioning Autism" is a actual diagnosis or not. The current criteria, the DSM-5, calls it "Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Levels 1,2,& 3. This is in the USA.

 

[Sherlock77]

I was diagnosed as HFA-1 two years ago, the highest functioning level

In some circles, particularly psychology, the term Asperger's is being phased out

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Did not Shakespeare say a rose is a rose no matter what you call it. still smells the same.

 

[Sherlock77]

Hello,

On the old days, Aspergers were normal to high IQ* with good use of language from kids age. And autists were normal to low IQ* with low or none use of language as kids. Also other factors, but more or less to give you an idea. You can read "Neurotribes" if you want to understand the full picture.

*The IQ thing is mostly wrong because to have an IQ score its mandatory that the individual scores are related (all high, all medium, all low). One autism characteristic is that our IQ tests are way lower in some areas than in others and that, by the definition of the test itself, makes the IQ score invalid.

Another thing to note is that Functioning is not equal to intelligence, its more like "Camouflage". So people who can behave like NT and thus camuflate, are high functioning and those who are spoted easily are low functioning.

I wasn't "impaired" enough years ago to even come up with Asperger's and/or Autism as a diagnosis... Back then the only people who would likely be tested would be the lower functioning ones...

 

[Atrapa Almas]

I really dislike the way ASD levels work:

The higher the level, the more need of help you have and the more autist you are. Level 3 lots of help, level 2 help, level 1 low help. If no help needed then no autism is there.

SO: the more problems we have, the more autist we are... thus autism = having problems = something bad = illness.

I hope some time in the future autism get diagnosed by our unique characteristics and not by how broken we are from an NT perspective.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

A lot of us high functioning, still see no reason to get tested. Do not fix what is not broken.

 

[Wolfnox]

Asperger's. Asd1. Titles. Probably money involved in the setup. As usual.
Dark Lord Hubscious apparently isn't appropriate.

They didn't like Wolfy Smurf either.

 

[Crossbreed]

What is the difference between Aspergers and High Functioning Autism?

It depends on the context.
Asperger's Syndrome & Autistic Disorder were two diagnoses offered in DSM-4.
Under DSM-4, psychologists further divided the latter into

1. those who could communicate (by speaking, keyboard, etc.) and
2. those who could not (preliterate; no developed speech).

#1 was considered HFA.
#2, LFA.

Under DSM-5,

• Asperger's ≈ ASD1,
• HFA ≈ ASD2,
• LFA ≈ ASD3

(One of the reasons DSM-4 was changed is that no one could agree where the line was between Asperger's & HFA.)

 

[Crossbreed]

I really dislike the way ASD levels work:

The higher the level, the more need of help you have and the more autist you are. Level 3 lots of help, level 2 help, level 1 low help. If no help needed then no autism is there.

SO: the more problems we have, the more autist we are... thus autism = having problems = something bad = illness.

I hope some time in the future autism get diagnosed by our unique characteristics and not by how broken we are from an NT perspective.

The severity levels are really a reference to how grievous one's co-morbid conditions are (and severe co-morbids ARE defects whether you are ASD or NT, otherwise).

There is only one type of autism.

1. ASD without severe co-morbids is ASD1.
2. ASD with debilitating co-morbids is ASD2.
3. ASD with even more debilitating co-morbids is ASD3.

#3 usually requires a Guardian.
#2, a Conservator.
#1, neither.

ASD2/3 usually requires special education ("short-bus" autism),
while ASD1 does not ("long-bus" autism).

 

[Judge]

In some circles, particularly psychology, the term Asperger's is being phased out

Yes.

And it doesn't help that the world uses different protocols with different names for who and what the NT world thinks we are. The DSM-V, the ICD-10...and all those medical professionals who choose to deviate from either to some degree.

Though as I recall, even the ICD-11 will be adapting a similar protocol to the DSM-V. Even then however, it doesn't prevent some from deviating in whole or in part from the present standards.

We can certainly quote how these protocols work, but it doesn't necessarily mean we like- or agree with them.

 

[Jordy]

From what i understand hfa was essentially for people who reached an aspergers level of functioning later in life, despite having had speech problems or other Learning difficulties in childhood.

 

[Jordy]

The severity levels are are really a reference to how grievous one's co-morbid conditions are (and severe co-morbids ARE defects whether you are ASD or NT, otherwise).

There is only one type of autism.

1. ASD without severe co-morbids is ASD1.
2. ASD with debilitating co-morbids is ASD2.
3. ASD with even more debilitating co-morbids is ASD3.

#3 usually requires a Guardian.
#2, a Conservator.
#1, neither.

ASD2/3 usually requires special education ("short-bus" autism),
while ASD1 does not ("long-bus" autism).

Could you elaborate on what you classify as co-morbids? I consider my sensory sensitivity a core symptom of autism, it's an annoyance for me, but far from getting in the way of life most of the time. For people with asd3 it can be severely debilitating, but it's not a co-morbid.

 

[Fino]

You're asking if you're okay as a person?

 

[Crossbreed]

Could you elaborate on what you classify as co-morbids?

Level 1 co-morbids would include things like

• prosopagnosia [face-blindness] (it is common, but not universal),
• ADHD,
• mutism (but still able to keyboard and/or sign),
• dyslexia,
  
• mild anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar etc.

Level 2,

• cognitive deficits (but with language development),
• executive dysfunction,
• agoraphobia,
• mild learning disabilities,
  
• more intense anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar etc.

For people with asd3 it can be severely debilitating, but it's not a co-morbid.

It is a co-morbid; one can be autistic without that condition.
(I have such an ASD3 daughter.)

Level 3,

• infantilism (preliterate cognitive development),
• profound executive dysfunction, etc.

These are examples and not exhaustive.
Having more than one can also increase one's severity level.
Ultimately, that is to be determined by your doctor.

Severe co-morbids (being the result of a postnatal brain injury) might improve with therapy,* but most do not.

*Temple Grandin is an example of such.

 

[SusanLR]

When I was diagnosed it was Asperger's.
Shortly afterwards the ASD 1 -2 -3 ratings started.
I've heard several reasons for the change from some thought saying Asperger's was not
a politically correct name because Hans Asperger, a Hitler associated doctor, is where the name
came from, to groups thinking it was discriminating to make a seperate name for certain autists.
They thought it was like putting them on a higher level than the rest due to IQ.

I'm now called ASD-1 even though the one who diagnosed me knows I had at least level two
co-morbids all my life. All because I can talk pretty fluently and she still clings to the high IQ
reasoning.

The psychiatrists that come up with these changes can't even explain it well themselves when you ask.
I agree, there was probably something to do with money or they wouldn't have cared.

 

[Crossbreed]

He told me that I am aspergers, but the term is no longer used. So now, I'm in the autism spectrum, but I'm high functioning. My psychologist told me that Aspergers isn't a word that's used because it's fallen out of date. What do you think? Is High Functioning Autism the same as Asperger's syndrome?

Today, "high-functioning autism" is a non-technical way of saying ASD1 (which used to be called Asperger's Syndrome).

What I'm trying to ask is, am I okay if I'm high functioning Autism?

Your value as a person does not change according to your severity level, just how much support you are likely to need.