Milder variants of Autism than Asperger's?

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Autism is a spectrum, so most people are not stereotypical aspies or auties. For those who have a view of autism as disease/damage, this is hard to accept, because they think it should be straightforward to diagnose like "other" "health" "problems". But for those who see it as neurological diversity (which may make some things harder and others easier) it's just the way things are.
Some people have more obvious difficulties. But there's not a clear boundary between people who are on the spectrum and people who are not.

Yes. HFA is more like they had a speech delay and aspies didn't. HFA's may score low on IQ tests when young and may be developmentally delayed but then later in life they aren't anymore. Some may be considered HFA despite that they can't take care of themselves and need assistance. I met one mother last year and she had a son with HFA and he often forgot to do things like turning off the stove and he was very trusting so he lets anyone in or takes anyone home because he is that friendly and assumes everyone is nice as he is and not dangerous. So he'd be unable to be on his own and he was okay going to a group home when he is 18. But yet people wouldn't even know he is autistic until he says he is or his mother.

Actually, they are getting rid of Asperger's as a diagnosis all together; but that's a subject for another thread.

There are many people with autistic / aspie traits who don't and shouldn't fit a diagnostic category, because it doesn't mess up their lives enough, it's not really a disorder, and for better or worse, the APA isn't in the habit of labelling differences that aren't disorders.

I like the Aspie Quiz. Here: http://www.rdos.net/eng/ It gives a score for both Aspie traits, and NT traits. And basically tells me I have traits of both. Works for me. I think it's results fit me much better than trying to fit myself into a diagnostic label would.

But if you, without having significant problems at the special interests section, have clinically significant problems at social relationships?

I agree with this.

Matt, I feel the same way as you do. I have not been diagnosed officially (as my son has), but I have many AS traits. I, too, feel as if I am somewhere in between AS and NT, though when I took a test, I scored WAY high on the AS profile, and fairly low on the NT profile.

Try doing a Google custom search (local search on Wrong Planet) for "mild Asperger" and "BAP." There have been many interesting threads on the subject.

I like to call it "Sub-clinical AS."

Hello Chris, good to see you back in print on WP. I bought a copy of your book


My sensory issues seem to be getting more pronounced since discovering my AS; sunglasses indoors and I don't dare to go out to the Mall or a restraurant without silicon earplugs and in relation to the thread question, there is nothing mild about my Asperger's

Thanks for sharing once again.