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autism vs. aspergers

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0_equals_true
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23 Aug 2007, 6:42 pm

RhondaR wrote:
This is interesting - my son was just diagnosed HFA by a doctor from UCI. I suppose you could say she's an expert in the field of Autism, so I feel comfortable with what she's discussed with me. While giving me the diagnosis for my son, she explained that the reason for her diagnosis of HFA rather than Aspergers was because most kids with Aspergers tend to WANT the social interaction of friendship, but don't really know how to have it - and in kids with HFA (as well as in my son's case), typically there's no real desire for social relationships.

I think that for the most part, that is true with regard to my son, although he really didn't begin talking late or anything that would necessarily be an obvious sign of HFA, but then again, she's one of the few doctors around that I'm aware of that make a real distinction between the two diagnoses. I had asked her about that, and she said that in the UK, they do still make a distinction between the two, and that she feels that at least in my son's case - it's worth noting the difference. My son does not really have an open desire to make friends - once he has them, he's fine - but it's true he doesn't seek to make them. I still think it's basically a hairline difference on the spectrum.

I don't really agree with this it can go either way in terms of wanting friends. Also that can change as did with me. I started to truly want friends when I was around 20.

Asperger's and HFA a swell as NLD, PDD-NOS are just labels. They are arbitrary cut out more to do with the history of how autism was explored rather than anything else. Any diagnosis is only ever a question clinical judgment. Clinician vary and their use of labels also varies.

I was told I was Asperger's but the latest centre I went to diagnosed me with 'an Autistic Spectrum Disorder'. Even before that I was aware that a lot of experts are now in favour of scraping labels such as Asperger and that the diagnostic criteria will follow suit. Feel free to use Asperger's and HFA interchangeably.

I wouldn’t mistake to think if there is a language delay, that child would be more autistic. Nature is not that so simple.

Persnally I think it make better sense to look at and study the individual component of ASD, and not arbitrarily ring fence. That is more useful to them



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24 Aug 2007, 5:52 am

TimT wrote:
katrine wrote:
lol
I guess I shouldn't worry about it.
No, if you take the proper protections, you'll be okay. Get a large supply of a chelating agent to take mercury out of your child when he or she suddenly stops talking, starts screaming and loses potty training. That way you can bring him or her back to normal after the doctors get done with them.
You are being facetious aren't you? I hope you are.


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RhondaR
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26 Aug 2007, 9:10 pm

0_equals_true wrote:
RhondaR wrote:
This is interesting - my son was just diagnosed HFA by a doctor from UCI. I suppose you could say she's an expert in the field of Autism, so I feel comfortable with what she's discussed with me. While giving me the diagnosis for my son, she explained that the reason for her diagnosis of HFA rather than Aspergers was because most kids with Aspergers tend to WANT the social interaction of friendship, but don't really know how to have it - and in kids with HFA (as well as in my son's case), typically there's no real desire for social relationships.

I think that for the most part, that is true with regard to my son, although he really didn't begin talking late or anything that would necessarily be an obvious sign of HFA, but then again, she's one of the few doctors around that I'm aware of that make a real distinction between the two diagnoses. I had asked her about that, and she said that in the UK, they do still make a distinction between the two, and that she feels that at least in my son's case - it's worth noting the difference. My son does not really have an open desire to make friends - once he has them, he's fine - but it's true he doesn't seek to make them. I still think it's basically a hairline difference on the spectrum.

I don't really agree with this it can go either way in terms of wanting friends. Also that can change as did with me. I started to truly want friends when I was around 20.

Asperger's and HFA a swell as NLD, PDD-NOS are just labels. They are arbitrary cut out more to do with the history of how autism was explored rather than anything else. Any diagnosis is only ever a question clinical judgment. Clinician vary and their use of labels also varies.

I was told I was Asperger's but the latest centre I went to diagnosed me with 'an Autistic Spectrum Disorder'. Even before that I was aware that a lot of experts are now in favour of scraping labels such as Asperger and that the diagnostic criteria will follow suit. Feel free to use Asperger's and HFA interchangeably.

I wouldn’t mistake to think if there is a language delay, that child would be more autistic. Nature is not that so simple.

Persnally I think it make better sense to look at and study the individual component of ASD, and not arbitrarily ring fence. That is more useful to them


As I've said - this was just our doctor's opinion, and quite honestly - I'm not going to argue with it because I really don't think it makes a bit of difference in my son's case. Part of my problem with this entire disorder is that it's based on clinical opinion - and so you can go to one doctor and have a "diagnosis" done, go to a different one and have them not find it unless it's obvious. It's frustrating - and even more so when you want an IEP done for your child.



Danielismyname
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28 Aug 2007, 11:30 pm

There's autistic disorder (classic autism, Kanner's autism, early infantile autism etcetera), and there's Asperger's disorder. (There's also Rett's, childhood disintegrative disorder and PDD-NOS under the autistic spectrum heading.)

Attwood sees HFA/Asperger's as the same, and I agree with him. Autistic disorder for the most part can be labeled as LFA if you like the HFA/LFA distinction.



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30 Aug 2007, 8:58 pm

joshsmom4 wrote:
Pretty much from everything I have read and see, there isn't much difference. Originally, the language issue were what seperated the two forms. And just because your child doesn't speak by a certain age, it doesn't mean there is a problem. Understanding of language and all its nuances is just as important. Using language and words in certain ways and with meanings not included in the dictionary is common with Aspies.

My son started saying words at 6 mos. But 16 years later we still disagree on the meanings of words and I hear all the time how the dictionary is wrong.


I suppose my Aspie-ness is showing in that I'm struggling to resist pointing out exactly how he could be right by that, by identifying all the words whose dictionary definitions of changed due to a change in their common usage.



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31 Aug 2007, 3:24 am

When he was diagnosed, I was expecting "aspergers" ant not "autism". I understood Aspergers as somehow milder, and cleverer, than autism! As the years have gone by, my son has proved himself "very autistic" when it comes to sensory issues, ability to interact socially (he and my 2 year old are at about the same level), inflexibility ect., which is in striking contrast to his school work and ability to grasp intellectual ideas, which is in the normal range.
He IS very interested in other kids, but as mentioned, lacks the skills to interact. He is on his own most of the day, because he easily overloads and becomes quite disruptive.
I guess I am afraid (social/behavioural/sensory) expectations of him from teachers will be greater if the diagnosis is changed. I hope for a lot from him - but realise the way of "getting there" is very different from the way you would raise or teach a "normal" or "mildly autistic" child.



Last edited by katrine on 02 Sep 2007, 9:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

MishLuvsHer2Boys
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31 Aug 2007, 9:05 am

katrine wrote:
When he was diagnosed, I was expecting "aspergers" ant not "autism". I understood Aspergers as somehow milder, and cleverer, than autism! As the years have gone by, my son has proved himself "very autistic" when it comes to sensory issues, ability to interact socially (he and my 2 year old are at about the same level), inflexibility ect., which is in striking contrast to his school work and ability to grasp intellectual ideas, which is in the normal range.
He IS very interested in other kids, but as mentioned, lacks the skills to interact. He is the kid with the most severe social problems in his class, which is a class for mostly aspergers kids. He is on his own most of the day, because he easily overloads and becomes quite disruptive.
I guess I am afraid (social/behavioural/sensory) expectations of him from teachers will be greater if the diagnosis is changed. I hope for a lot from him - but realise the way of "getting there" is very different from the way you would raise or teach a "normal" or "mildly autistic" child.


I have a 6 1/2 year old son with moderate autism that is quite high functioning and clever and will never have his diagnosis changed to Asperger's because he never had normal language development. Just because a child has an Autism diagnosis doesn't mean they are any less than an individual with Asperger's Syndrome. I have Asperger's Syndrome and while I see similiarities between him and I, there are also differences too. I also didn't have many of the issues with motor skills he had when he was younger or the self-help issues he has. Dylan at 2 years old was severely autistic (classical autism), over the years we have seen improvement getting to his level and helping him understand on his level without placing expectations on him to come to an adult's level.

We may all have the same goal, but doesn't mean any single path is the best route to get there.