Asperger's syndrome vs. High-functioning autism

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I was recently asked by my mother what is the difference between Asperger's and High-functioning Autism and I was not able to provide sufficient answer.

So I would like to ask; what is the relationship between these two? Are they two different things with their own specific peculiarities (and if so what are these differences?), or is Asperger's syndrome merely a specific subgroup of High-functioning Autism?

Some people believe they are often the same condition, just one person got diagnosed with Aspergers and the other got diagnosed with autistic disorder.

They say the difference is whether there is a speech delay or not and once you start talking the differences are negligible. They say the difference between an autistic who craves social interaction but cannot manage it and one who feels no or little need for it are merely personality differences. I disagree but that's just my opinion.

As far as I am aware ...

Technically, Asperger's Syndrome (AS) should not be diagnosed where a person has significant delays in language development. Autism, on the other hand (including HFA), involves impaired communication, e.g. delayed speech development or even lifelong mutism. Temple Grandin, who has HFA, could not speak at all at the age of three, and had to learn to speak through cue cards and repeated drilling.

So HFA is similar to AS but with the addition of significantly delayed speech development in early childhood. But as speech development among people with HFA tends to be OK by about the age of nine, after that there is no clinically significant difference. When psychiatrists see high-functioning teenagers or adults with ASD, they cannot reliably distinguish between AS and HFA unless they ask questions about language development in early childhood.

I should add that there is a degree of subjectivity and vagueness surrounding the notion of "significantly delayed speech development", and so it may well be the luck of the draw whether you are diagnosed with AS or HFA if you have "some" delay in speech development as a child - is it enough to be deemed "clinically significant"? The fact that there is no clear dividing line between the two conditions is one of the reasons why DSM5 is merging AS, classic autism, and PDD-NOS into a single Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I feel AS is milder version of HFA in AS the deformities are not severe.
Whereas in HFA a person is totally unable to perform normal activities.

I have a dx of childhood autism not Aspergers but I had no speech delay. In fact I was very early with language using sentences by 10 months. However I had problems with other early childhood development stages namely relating to imaginative play. I questioned why it wasn't AS and was told some major developments were missed out completely. I always assumed late speech had to be the main difference. I had three professional people involved in the diagnostic process so it's not just one person's idea. They used ICD10

In my opinion the main difference between HFA and Asperger’s is the onset of language and your early years. If you got your diagnosis of Asperger’s as a child, it was probably at then already obvious that you have a higher functioning form of autism – that’s why you got the AS diagnosis. It was already certain that you will not end up nonverbal or severely affected by your autism. You were talking and acting somewhat “normal”.

On the other hand autism diagnosis was given to you (and you were maybe then later on referred as high functioning) probably because at the point of diagnosing you, they couldn’t predict the outcome. If you were still after three years of age nonverbal and aloof, it could be very well that in your twenties you will still be nonverbal and aloof or it could be very well that you will learn to speak and develop later on more typically. Therefore you have a diagnosis of autism.

I also think this is the reason why some sort of a distinction between these two situations may persist to exist. You can’t predict the outcome. Sometimes a nonverbal person might even in late adulthood reach communication and that again might open up new doors to development. That just shows how no label can ever measure the power and possibilities that a one unique person might hold. And because of the advancement in rehabilitation, support, acceptance and so on, more and more kids from pretty affected grounds grow to become very functioning adults – despite the fact they were righteously given an autism diagnosis in their early childhood.

http://www.sacramentoasis.com/docs/8-22-03/as_&_hfa.pdf

Excerpt from Tony Attwood's book on aspergers syndrome. It says there isn't really a difference between the two.

This is the summary of the three pages or so

Conclusion
Having reviewed the literature, we may be able to answer the question, is there a difference between Asperger's syndrome and High Functioning Autism? The reply is that the research and clinical experience would suggest that there is no clear evidence that they are different disorders. Their similarities are greater than their differences. We appear to be taking, particularly in Europe and Australia, a dimensional view of autism
and Asperger' syndrome rather than a categorical approach. (Leekam, Libby, Wing Gould and Gillberg 2000). At present both terms can be used interchangeably in clinical practice.

Also, you can be diagnosed with autism based on the lack of imaginative play criteria, and not even have affected speech at all. People seem to confuse "AS requires that you rule out speech delays" with "Since AS rules out speech delays, then autism must automatically require them." The truth is that the items that are used to rule out an AS diagnosis are not mandatory for an autism diagnosis.