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Residual AS the same as High Functioning AS?

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zeldazonk
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05 Apr 2012, 1:51 am

Hi everyone,

I've just seen my psych for the first time since my diagnosis and she mentioned "residual" Asperger's.
I'd asked her if High functioning AS basically means I can successfully pretend to be NT, and she said yes. Now I'm wondering if residual basically means the same thing.

If it's still an absolute struggle every day, but for the hour she sees me I seem socially competent or whatever - what's the point of these other labels?? It seems to be to describe what one may seem like to others. :?

Best, Zel



OJani
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05 Apr 2012, 2:55 am

zeldazonk wrote:
If it's still an absolute struggle every day, but for the hour she sees me I seem socially competent or whatever - what's the point of these other labels?? It seems to be to describe what one may seem like to others. :?

I guess so.

'Residual' can also mean that you used to have more (or more pronounced) symptoms than you do now.

If it consoles you, we all struggle with our lives to some degree, though the things we are struggling with the most differ widely between us.



zeldazonk
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05 Apr 2012, 7:06 am

Thanks OJani,

I'm a bit confused because I was diagnosed with AS, but now she's used this term which I thought was about
"sub-clinical" conditions.?
I have quite a lot of traits and deal with them on a daily basis so I don't see what's "residual" about it.

It seems to be a fairly uncommon term, I can't find too many references to it...

I know I'll just have to wait & ask her about it, I thought someone might know about it.
She is a bit inconsistent actually. At my last appointment I really got the impression that she thought I may have been misdiagnosed with bipolar, but today there was no mention of that at all. She just went on as if we'd established that I have both conditions.

Anyway, thanks.
Zel.



Sora
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05 Apr 2012, 7:29 am

I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist officially.

There was a residual infantile autism category in the DSM III/ICD-9 but it was dropped in the DSM-IV.

From what I understand, this residual category was for people who once met the criteria for infantile autism (AS wasn't in the DSM III yet) but who didn't meet the criteria anymore later in life though they may still have exhibited a number of residual symptoms that were associated with autism.

Based on that I think you're right in that residual AS is meant to describe sub-clinical AS-like symptoms. It probably means to describe a state in which one no longer has the necessary number of symptoms and/or isn't thought to be "impaired enough" anymore to receive a diagnosis of AS.


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JuggaspieZ2k
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05 Apr 2012, 12:04 pm

So I have low-functioning AS because I don't want to pretend? I don't think that exists.


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TPE2
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05 Apr 2012, 7:07 pm

Sora wrote:
I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist officially.


I suspect that we are comparing two things without official definition - "residual AS" and high functioning AS".



zeldazonk
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05 Apr 2012, 10:24 pm

TPE2 wrote:

I suspect that we are comparing two things without official definition - "residual AS" and high functioning AS".

Maybe that's because neither of them are "official" terms.?

I have a pretty good idea what high functioning means - it isn't about severity or number of traits, but about how one is coping or functioning. If they are coping / functioning well (on the outside) ie they seem pretty neurotypical, they are "high functioning".

Best, Zel.



iridescence
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06 Apr 2012, 7:02 pm

I read someting about "residual Asperger's Syndrome" in the document : "Invisible at the end of the spectrum : shadows, residues, BAP and the female aspergers experience". (I can't post the link because I'm new here, but you can find it by google).

I hope it can help... !



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07 Apr 2012, 6:40 am

JuggaspieZ2k wrote:
So I have low-functioning AS because I don't want to pretend? I don't think that exists.


I know a child who was diagnosed at 6 and the had it classified as residual as he no longer met the criteria at 11 - I am not sure he would have the ability to 'pretend'


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07 Apr 2012, 7:18 pm

I have an online friend who is dx'ed residual AS and I asked her what that meant. Her reply:

Quote:
As far as I was told, it means I would have been diagnosed as a 'regular' aspie if I'd received a diagnosis when I was younger. However, because I've developed a bunch of 'alternative strategies' to cope with day-to-day life, can hold down a reasonably social and multi-faceted job, and have a few friends, I get the 'residual' diagnosis. The symptoms are all still there on the inside, but I can suppress them (to some extent) when I'm around others, so it's not immediately noticeable that I'm on the spectrum (I certainly act more 'normal' than when I was younger).

I suppose most people could meet me and realise I'm a bit odd - I get called kooky, unusual, eccentric, eclectic, weird, odd etc on a weekly basis - but it would take someone who knows me better to think it may be more than mere oddness, and there aren't many who know me that well.

I've also heard the term applied to people whose aspie features have mellowed or faded over time. IMO, though, I haven't mellowed, I've just gotten better at acting NT(especially pre-diagnosis).


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zeldazonk
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09 Apr 2012, 1:11 am

Skilpadde wrote:

I've also heard the term applied to people whose aspie features have mellowed or faded over time. IMO, though, I haven't mellowed, I've just gotten better at acting NT(especially pre-diagnosis).
[/quote]

Thanks Skilpadde,
Seems pretty much the same as "high functioning" as I understand it.