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Does diagnosis with Aspergers rather than autism matter?

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BirdInFlight
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08 Jun 2016, 7:16 am

I didn't say it isn't "valid" in the US, I merely acknowledged that now that the DSM-5 dropped the term and is now using "ASD level 1" for diagnoses which in the past would have been "Asperger's," that it's slightly odd that the OP would receive that term these days in the US. Whereas by contrast it isn't odd to still get that diagnosis in the UK because -10 didn't drop the term even though -5 did.

I'm thinking that since the term has been widely thought of as dropped in new US diagnoses -- not in-valid, just dropped -- the OP might feel more comfortable confirming with the clinician that this is taken to be ASD 1 just in case any interested parties want to nit pick it.



kraftiekortie
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08 Jun 2016, 7:52 am

I know you didn't say that. You said rather the opposite, actually.



somanyspoons
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08 Jun 2016, 8:27 am

I used to say that it isn't valid in the US. Until I got this paper, I had no idea it was still a codable diagnosis in the US. I feel bad now. I've been spreading misinformation. And I sound so dang competent and sure of myself, I suspect that others believed me.

It's like that guy from that other thread where people are fighting over the self-diagnosed. He has no idea what he is talking about. He's flinging around official phrases and using terms like "ad hominum attack" (to describe other people of course. His own personal attacks, he labels "objective.") But he says the things he says with such self-assurance that some people respond to him like he does know what he's talking about. They keep arguing with him instead of recognizing that his convictions are not logical, and therefor cannot be changed through logical argument. This, I am sure, is a pretty core trait of autism 1 (or aspergers, if you will). The words we use don't always reflect the level at which we really know.

So anyways, I'm getting another lesson here in using humility in my language.



kraftiekortie
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08 Jun 2016, 8:49 am

What that guy was doing was called using "rhetorical devices."

He presented himself as the exemplar of "logic," and demeaned others who seemingly did not meet his criteria for "logic." He presented himself as "higher" than others.

That's a device that people who argue use all the time: presenting themselves as superior to others, thereby blinding people to his "lack of logic" when it presents itself.



josh338
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08 Jun 2016, 9:27 am

BirdInFlight wrote:
I didn't say it isn't "valid" in the US, I merely acknowledged that now that the DSM-5 dropped the term and is now using "ASD level 1" for diagnoses which in the past would have been "Asperger's," that it's slightly odd that the OP would receive that term these days in the US. Whereas by contrast it isn't odd to still get that diagnosis in the UK because -10 didn't drop the term even though -5 did.

I'm thinking that since the term has been widely thought of as dropped in new US diagnoses -- not in-valid, just dropped -- the OP might feel more comfortable confirming with the clinician that this is taken to be ASD 1 just in case any interested parties want to nit pick it.


Well, in practice, the DSM V says that an Asperger's diagnosis is an automatic qualification for classification as ASD Level I so it doesn't really matter what they call it -- the two are essentially equivalent. And as someone who has been going through the diagnostic process I can tell you that every psychologist I've seen has referred to it not as "ASD I" but as "Asperberger's."

Perhaps this will change in time but I don't have the impression that psychologists are in any hurry to replace a term that everyone knows with a clunkier one. In fact, a psychologist with whom I raised the issue agreed that the name change isn't a terribly good idea. Sure, in light of contemporary knowledge, Asperberger's belongs on the spectrum. But in practice, there is a huge difference between an Aspie who makes a six figure income in Silicon Valley and someone who is more severely autistic. When people hear "autism" they think "Rain Man."



Billywasjr
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08 Jun 2016, 10:26 pm

josh338 wrote:
. And as someone who has been going through the diagnostic process I can tell you that every psychologist I've seen has referred to it not as "ASD I" but as "Asperberger's."


Times must be changing.. I got diagnosed 2 weeks ago with "autism spectrum disorder: level 1".



josh338
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09 Jun 2016, 11:16 am

Billywasjr wrote:
josh338 wrote:
. And as someone who has been going through the diagnostic process I can tell you that every psychologist I've seen has referred to it not as "ASD I" but as "Asperberger's."


Times must be changing.. I got diagnosed 2 weeks ago with "autism spectrum disorder: level 1".


Well, I demand an upgrade!

Seriously, I didn't get a slip of paper -- it may be that the psychologist was just speaking informally, and would use the new category in a more formal setting -- insurance claim, paper, what have you.



ASPartOfMe
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09 Jun 2016, 4:20 pm

Even though DSM 5 published by The American Psychiatric Association is referred to as "the bible" there is no reqiurment clinicians use it.

This is one of the few articles I have seen that tries to see what has happened since the new DSM was published in May 2013
Staying ahead of the Game: The DSM-5 and Autism By Melissa C. Blackwell, Psy.D. and Vincent P. Culotta, Ph.D, ABN, NeuroBehavioral Associates


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josh338
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09 Jun 2016, 8:21 pm

Thanks, that's a useful article. A bit concerning, too, insofar as some school districts and insurance companies are apparently demanding retesting, despite that language that says that well-established diagnoses of Asperger's should be grandfathered into ASD Level 1.



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10 Jun 2016, 1:58 am

The DSM 5 does not say what severity level those who were diagnosed with Aspergers should go to it says

Quote:
Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.


While without intellectual and language impairments does describe the Aspergers well enough I think the apparent automatic moving of those who were or would have been diagnosed with Aspergers to severity level 1, may not take into account people like me who were diagnosed with moderate to severe aspergers, may not take into account the internal struggles and effort to appear near normal, shows that clinitions have the same stereotypes as the media ie aspies are socially awkward brainiacs. IT misses a fundemental part of the old diagnoses IQ over 70/moderate to high intellengence. The Aspergers diagnoisis does not require an IQ of 130 or above it does not say ONLY high to genius intellengence.


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10 Jun 2016, 6:24 am

ASPartOfMe wrote:
The DSM 5 does not say what severity level those who were diagnosed with Aspergers should go to it says
Quote:
Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.


While without intellectual and language impairments does describe the Aspergers well enough I think the apparent automatic moving of those who were or would have been diagnosed with Aspergers to severity level 1, may not take into account people like me who were diagnosed with moderate to severe aspergers, may not take into account the internal struggles and effort to appear near normal, shows that clinitions have the same stereotypes as the media ie aspies are socially awkward brainiacs. IT misses a fundemental part of the old diagnoses IQ over 70/moderate to high intellengence. The Aspergers diagnoisis does not require an IQ of 130 or above it does not say ONLY high to genius intellengence.

Good point and, really, the faulty assumption here was mine -- I had taken ASD 1 to be essentially equivalent to Aspeerger's but the DSM doesn't actually specify that, what it says is:

"Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder."

So it seems that you should automatically be given a diagnosis of ASD and the clinician should then determine the severity level based on symptoms.



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10 Jun 2016, 5:03 pm

Sometimes it's a matter of what other people will understand..... which I guess is why they gave you the diagnosis which health insurance companies are familiar with.
My friend who works in disability services at a university says that she sticks with calling it "Aspergers", because it has taken her years of patient explanation to get all the academic departments to understand what that word means. Changing the terms on them now will just lead to yet more stupidity and obstruction.
(I'll admit, I'm tempted to use the term "Aspergers" as a shortcut when explaining myself, even though my actual diagnosis is the DSM5 one...)


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josh338
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10 Jun 2016, 7:06 pm

I would, for the reason you mention. I've told several people I was an Aspie since my diagnosis, with uniformly good and friendly results. If I told them I was ASD Level 1, they'd go "huh?", and if I told them I was autistic, they'd probably ask me if Dec. 13th, 1402 was a Tuesday.



Billywasjr
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10 Jun 2016, 11:22 pm

josh338 wrote:
... they'd probably ask me if Dec. 13th, 1402 was a Tuesday.


No, it was a Wednesday.



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11 Jun 2016, 9:33 am

Depends on what calander you are using

http://www.dayoftheweek.org/?m=December&d=13&y=1402&go=Go


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11 Jun 2016, 9:12 pm

somanyspoons wrote:
muff wrote:
im from the states. ive also worked at a systems-level within the behavioral health system here. honestly, the diagnosis only 'matters' to the system if you are seeking treatment. i was diagnosed with aspergers by my diagnostician in 2012, who later amended my diagnosis to autism spectrum disorder when i sought and was offered reasonable accommodations at work in 2013-2015. i honestly think my employer would have offered me reasonable accommodations with the aspergers. later on, i was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by my community mental health provider, however they refused to offer me coverage for a 'developmental disability' and this is an ongoing battle with them and the 'managed care provider networks' (i.e. behavioral health insurance providers) because the thing is, insurance providers can still have more restrictive criteria than the american medical association/american psychological association. what ive learned is that your diagnosis is only a code that triggers payment for services. so, i would play it safe and advocate for the 'worst case scenario' diagnosis. ive worked since i was 15 years old, and am attending university for a phd, but ive been unemployed since october 2015 and my daily functioning is now moderately impaired. i say this to say that 'the system' has a way (it least here in michigan) of wanting to make bank on the most vulnerable and skimping on everybody above that level of functioning so i do encourage you to get the most bank for (their) bucks and get the asd. you can pm me if you want to talk more about it as the pitfalls ive encountered are a little...detailed.


You're speaking to my fear. I have a graduate degree. I'm smart. Right now I'm running my own business successfully, in that I support myself entirely on the business. (Its not successful enough for me to save or even pay off my student loans, but I am supporting myself.) But the truth is that I've been homeless a couple of thankfully-brief times in my life. I've been betrayed and ousted by people I trusted multiple times in my life. I haven't been able to hold onto a job more than a year or so working under and employer. I'm 41 years old and I'm worried about the future. My parents are middle class and they've been able to "rescue" me in the past, but they are getting older. They are going to die someday and I won't have their support. I can't even conceive of burdening my only brother if I end up crashing again.

Part of my going in for evaluation now is a growing understanding that my functioning is unlikely to get better. I'm going to age like everyone else and I don't have a support system in place for dealing with that.


aw, i didnt mean to bring up the fear. honestly, i was going for a 'better safer than sorrier approach.' this time in my life won't last forever. when it ends though, i dont know if and when it will get hard again is all. do let us know the outcome if you decide to ask for the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.