Speech delay with Asperger's...?

Post Reply New Topic

What I find confusing is that the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's states that there must be no speech delay, which is what separates it from high functioning autism. Yet, there are people who were diagnosed with A.S AND claimed they had speech delays, one of them being the author of Breaking Through Hidden Barriers, Nick Dubin. He claims that he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, but talked at a later age as opposed to his peers. Shouldn't he have instead received a diagnosis of HFA? Could someone here explain why some autistic people with speech delays are diagnosed with Asperger's instead of HFA?

It depends on where you were diagnosed and your age. I was diagnosed late at 16 (shocked my psychiatrist who specialised in autistic disorders) we explained my speech delay, and if I still have delayed speech. Since the answer was "Not really", diagnosis: Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism.

Technically Asperger's doesn't exist as a diagnosis anymore - it's now all autism: mild, moderate, or severe.

Regardless of what my signature says, I usually tell people that I'm mildly autistic. I only bring up the Asperger's thing with MD's and even then I tell them I'm diagnosed as High Functioning Austism - Asperger's subtype.

I had a major speech delay--didn't talk until age 5 1/2.

After I started speaking, I presented more Aspergian than like a person with Kanner/classic autism.

I am from the UK so Asperger's is a valid diagnosis here.

However I am diagnosed High Functioning Autism because of my speech delay. I would probably be more moderate-functioning if it weren't for my very high IQ (HFA = IQ > 70 and mine is 160).

Speech delay was one of the main differences between AS and HFA. I would say the biggest difference is how the person is doing socially at the time of diagnosis. There is a preconception that AS is "better" than HFA- that people with AS are smarter, have less problems, are more successful and so on. This just isn't true. Past childhood, there was no difference between AS and HFA. I know a lot of people weren't behind the change in diagnosis, but I'm glad they did it.

It's probably possible to be diagnosed with Asperger despite having speech delay in early childhood if the person is high functioning in the moment of diagnosis and for some reason the doctor decided the person will get more benefits from being diagnosed with Asperger than HFA.

Asperger has some nice stereotypes (high intelligence, special interests, "difference - not disability") so diagnosis like this might be more useful than HFA because many people still think "autism is disability/mental retardation" and ignore the functioning level and some even wonder "high functioning? Does it mean autism is highly affecting the person?".

Well, no. Honestly, the reason why autism is classified in a spectrum so it accesses how much trouble the individual has. Obviously some people, particularly those with Aspergers are at the far end, while some people with classic autism or HFA based on communication, living skills, etc.
My point is, don't think to hard about it. The system is arbitrary as is.

Well I think That the diagnosis depends on the individual doctor that is making the assessment but it is certainly possible to be diagnosed with aspergers instead of HFA even with speech delays, because the exact same thing happened to me. When I was diagnosed I was assessed twice by two different doctors with the first doctor diagnosing me as having autistic disorder while the second doctor gave me a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. I never even knew that it was possible to have two labels until I checked my medical records has anybody else ever experienced this before?, coming back to your question I can say that it is definitely possible but I am not sure the reason behind it.