The difference between autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome can not be clear-cut. It depends on two main factors:
1) The age of the person that is to be diagnosed,
2) The qualification of the person who is making the observation.
ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) is a “very” wide spectrum and people with autism may be mildly or severely affected depending on where in the continuum their conditions lie.
In many individuals especially kids with autism, their conditions “change” over time, depending on the following:-
a) Natural developmental growth over time,
b) Exposure to appropriate education, early intervention and training,
c) Emotional care and other support from family and the local community.
Say for an example, Mr. Y was diagnosed with “low-functioning” autism in 1997 when he was non-verbal.
Over time, his social and verbal skills changed drastically, so in 2007 his condition now would fall into “high-functioning” end of the continuum. Alternatively, Ms Z has lost a number of previously acquired skills. She regressed over time and now her condition lies at a lower point on the spectrum.
Hope it’s a little clearer.
Now, 2) The qualification of the person who is making the observation.
Needless to say, professionals who are experts in this area would be able to diagnose people with the conditions you mentioned. B-U-T, as for the general public, it is not easy at all to make the differentiation, especially between HFA (High-functioning Autism) and AS (Asperger’s Syndrome). There lies a very fine line between them.
If you are looking for the actual “definitions” of those conditions, please browse through the resources I listed at the very bottom. To be very brief, the major difference between HFA and AS is that people with AS did “not” have any developmental delay in LANGUAGE skills when they were kids, but people with HFA “had” this delay when they were kids. As for the difference between “low” and “high” functioning autism, the people with lower than an IQ score of 70 are on the lower end of the spectrum, and those with an IQ score of 70 or more are one the higher end of the spectrum. Approx. 75% of the individuals on the ASD have an IQ which would be lower than 70. 25% of the people on the ASD have an IQ of 70 or more, some of them are on the genius mark. So, LFA and HFA are to do with the IQ really. A person with HFA could very well be “severely” affected with sensory stimuli.
Resource:http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2007/09/17/the-difference-among-autism-aspergers-syndrome-and-high-functioning-autism/
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
Beck–Fahrner syndrome as a cause for Autism? |
18 Nov 2024, 3:05 pm |
What makes the difference between being in a relationship or |
05 Nov 2024, 2:18 pm |
Abused Because of Asperger's? |
22 Nov 2024, 9:30 pm |
Asperger Experts |
22 Nov 2024, 9:42 pm |