I have asperger's, does that mean I am considered autistic?

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just wondering, I wasn't sure it that was just the people with classic autism or anyone with a ASD

yes, Aspergers is on the spectrum

Yes.

Yes it does. And good choice of user name. Welcome to the club

Last edited by HarryWilliams on 26 Aug 2008, 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yep, its one of the spectrum disorders. I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and I too, am autistic. Welcome to the club.

You'd be recognised by medical professionals as being on the autistic spectrum, certainly.

You can view yourself as autistic or view yourself as being on the spectrum but not have it.


I don't view myself as being autistic because my parents say I am not but I say I have a form of it and I am on the spectrum.

My parents see AS and autism as two different things. They are correct technically because they are two different things but they don't see AS as autism but they know it's on the spectrum. They say AS is a spectrum.

I'm pretty much the same exactly -

My mum has even said AS and autism are unrelated. I think that's a bit strange to say, but I think maybe she has a point that it's not as straightforward as AS=mild autism. I think autism is AS and something else, which makes speech difficult.

I don't veiw myself as autistic, because autism implies (certainly in the UK, maybe it's different in other countries) a much more severe disability than Asperger's. But I do identify with autistic people. I also identify with a lot of mentally ill people. I'm going off topic

AS is considered part of the Autistic Spectrum. However it is distinct from "Classic Autism" which causes some confusion. The reason it's distinct from classic autism is that speech delay, one of classic autism's defining characteristics, is entirely absent. However both AS and Classic Autism (as well as PDD-NOS) fall under the classification of "The autistic spectrum"

I know it's a little confusing because you are effectively both autistic and not at the same time depending on if your referring just to classic autism or the entire spectrum.

for classic auties,are automatically autistic, for aspies or PDDNOSers,its more a choice than automatic term-if feel relate well to autism,then can say are autistic,if feel are too far from autism/too hf or mild to be considered autistic,dont use it,can use the other terms for own form of autism.

some times aspies look no different to kanner/autism,am used to live with several who were diagnosed but am would have thought were auties if hadnt found out off staff-one of them had big difficulty with speech-though was able to,the other is a lady and she is said to have the most severe autism related challenging behavior out of everyone in the entire learning disability residential service [more so than even the profound LFAs].

Yeah, that's what it means basically. I'm not a stickler for the diagnostic subtleties between the subtypes of the autism spectrum, and also someone as an adult may have had delayed speech as a child but not significant difficulty as an adult, in which case as an adult two people with different diagnoses can have very similar profiles of traits and skills, whereas two people with the same specific diagnosis can have very different skill profiles, and mix of traits.

Also a fair amount of people are difficult to classify, to split into one diagnosis or the other. I probably end up technically as classic autism, considering that my speech development was a bit unusual (though not a delay in starting speech, but rather in getting from single words to communicative phrases, which was slight enough not to get fretted about though clinically significant), but really when it comes down to lots of the traits, it's almost split right down the middle between what's described as typical for each. Then on some traits that I'll be one way sometimes, and another way other times.

When I was first diagnosed with AS about eight years ago, I remember thinking, "Well, I'm nothing like those autistic people, it's just related to autism; it's not really autism." It turns out I had a lot more in common with myself than I first thought!

That's a good way of looking at it.
When I say 'AS', it's nice because it's more specific - 'autism' can mean something quite mild or something very severe, so I'm lucky to be AS and get a more specific term! Also, autism just sounds scarier, because it's associated with people with quite severe disability. I would find it very odd to think of myself of autistic, especially as before I joined this forum I knew very little about classic autism (your posts have taught me a lot!).




Thank you for telling me that - I didn't know Aspies could have trouble speaking. I suppose the problem with Asperger's and autism is where does one end and the other begin? Perhaps it would be easier if Asperger's and PDD-nos were just called 'autism' if there's sometimes no difference but the name.
Does 'challenging behavior' mean behaving inappropriately and having meltdowns and stuff?

As far as I can tell, for an adult, there is really no necessary difference between Asperger's disorder and autistic disorder as defined by the DSM-IV or ICD-10. The difference lies in whether one had a speech delay as a child. I'm still new to this, so someone correct me if I'm wrong - but this is the impression I get.

The only thing that is necessarily different between Asperger's and autism is that people with Asperger's hadn't had a speech delay. But what difference does that make if you're an adult?

I really don't see how my life is any different now because I have Asperger's than it would be if I had autism.

Yes, I'm very high-functioning, but I could qualify for a diagnosis of autism and still be very high-functioning. The idea that one can be "too high-functioning to be autistic" seems silly.

Yea i agree with you, being too high functioning to be autistic is simply stupid, autism affects individuals very differently some it affects severely, some it just affects them socially other then that thats it. I know a kid who has aspergers who doesnt stim at all, can tell sarcasm, gives amazing eye contact, speaks fine, just is soo socially clueless and impaired, he is what u call of having mild aspergers. Yet he still qualifys to be on the spectrum. I have classic autism, though sometimes ppl assume that means its always soo severe, thats not true, in fact there at times i can even seem very ntish, of course im noticably autistic a lot by my stereotype stimming, such as flapping, rocking, biting oneself, and etc, but i can speak and sometimes so well you cant even tell something is wrong, alot of the times you think im mentally ret*d though unfortunely. Autism is a spectrum meaning you can have aspergers and have a lot of classic autism traits, or vice versus, that is why its such a huge spectrum!



As for the differences between autism and aspergers is very small, i made a list awhile ago, see if this helps some people...

Differences between Aspergers and Autism...
1- Person with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things
2- Person with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims.
3- Person with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems.
4- Person with Autism usually have some sort of language delay or more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime.
5- Person with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need assistance.

1- Person with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme.
2- Person with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals.
3- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.
4- Person with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay but usually have language problems like stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc.
5- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as many problems taking care of oneselfs rather then somebody with Autism.

Both Diagnosis's can be mild, moderate, or severe. Both Diagnosis's can overlap, some individuals with Autism can have Aspergers symptoms, and some individuals with Autism can have Aspergers symptoms.

Sorry mate, you are....

Yeah, it can be hard to assume....

Age1600, that was extremely helpful!! Thanks for making that list.. now I can see why I was diagnosed with having PDD-NOS instead of either autism or Asperger's, I am going to copy and paste what you had written and I'll tell you how any of the things in the list apply to me-

Differences between Aspergers and Autism...
1- Person with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things <-- as a kid somewhat but it started to disappear as I had gotten older
2- Person with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims.<-- not me, in fact never
3- Person with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems.<-- I did as a toddler but that ended quickly.. though these days I become anxious if I hear a buzzer or an alarm (not clock but security) but maybe that is not unusual even for "NT's"
4- Person with Autism usually have some sort of language delay or more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime. <-- I had a significant language delay but today you would never know it..
5- Person with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need assistance.<-- never (other than the care that I needed as a child..like every child needs), in fact I have a hubby and family to care for! The only reason I would ever neglect to take care of myself these days is because I am too busy taking care of everyone else lol

1- Person with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme. <-- yes!! always have and that hasn't really changed
2- Person with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals.<-- yep!! ! Not that any of my stims these days are all that unusual, taking walks is one and there is nothing "odd" about that. But I used to have some weird ones as a kid and even back then I knew enough to hide it.
3- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.<-- yes, other than me having adverse reactions to bright lights and loud sounds as a toddler, but even as an older kid and today, other than becoming anxious at the sound of the buzzer.. I have no other sensory issues
4- Person with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay but usually have language problems like stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc.<-- not at all, had the delay but my language comes out just fine now
5- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as many problems taking care of oneselfs rather then somebody with Autism.<-- yep for me

So what does that tell you? Oh yeah and I will also add my social skills are okay considering... I still prefer to be alone but there are other times that I want to be with others, I have no problems with initiating small talk, I can read facial expressions and body language, and understand sarcasm... so that explains why I was put into the "miscelenaous" category..