Conversations like this one are why the people putting together the DSM V decided to do away with the difference and bunch everyone with a wide range of symptoms into the same group. There's no meaningful difference between the two.
When I was teaching, I used to joke (to myself) that the parents of kids who were typical of Apergers all wanted Autism diagnosis because they perceived their collage bound kiddos would get more services. And the parents of kids who were typical of moderate to severe Autism wanted a diagnosis of Aspergers because they thought it would be less stigmatizing. (Yes. I was over generalizing.)
The labels had little to do with reality. I once had a young man, of legal age, who only spoke in mimic phrases, had major outbursts of rage, was working on basic reading and math skills, and could not perform his own hygiene routine. His mother insisted that he had Apergers and DON'T YOU CALL HIM AUTISTIC!! ! Um...OK.
28 Apr 2015, 8:55 pm
