New Study Says Autism and Aspergers Essentially the Same
Interesting new study in the upcoming issue of Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which examines the historical emergence of the classification of autism alongside the emergence of the classification of Aspergers. Abstract is:The histories of autism and Asperger’s Disorder (AD), based on original contributions by Kanner and Asperger, are reviewed in relation to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Their original articles appear to have influenced the distinction between AD and autism made in the DSM-IV. Based on up-to-date empirical research, however, it appears that AD and autism are not qualitatively distinct disorders, but are different quantitative manifestations of the same disorder. The differences between AD and autism may be a function of individual variability in these areas, not the manifestation of qualitatively distinct disorders. The DSM-IV criteria for AD and autism need to be considered with their historical developments, and based on empirical evidence, the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria may be subject to critical review.
The whole paper is a fascinating and accessible read but its overall conclusion is difficult to resist. Despite certain peoples beliefs that autism (by which I mean classic/severe/whatever) and aspergers (and the artificial construct of HFA) are very different, there is, in reality, very little difference between the two and, as the author argues, are simply slightly differing manifestations of the same ‘thing’.
Sanders (the author) makes the excellent point that the fact that these are seen as two different things is almost certainly due to the fact that Aspergers paper was only introduced into the USA in 1981, one year after the introduction of DSM III. It was further not fully translated into English until 1991. Amazing.
There is apparently talk of separating autism and aspergers in the new revision of the DSM. Based on the contents of this paper I’d say that is very premature.
New Study Says Autism and Aspergers Essentially the Same
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Doing away with aspergers
I had actually been told at a conference that the powers that be were actually going to do away with an aspergers diagnosis altogether because of the fact that aspergers perons want social contact. That the psychiatric community cannot get their heads around the fact that autism is not just what they decide it is. They are on the verge of hurting untold numbers of person's because of their lack of humility.
- asd2mom
June 29, 2009 6:30AM
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Who decides
what autism is? I mean, in what sense are you talking about? Whether to class it as a mental illness, what symptoms to list, what to call it...
- quantummechanik
June 29, 2009 10:36AM
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Aspergers and HFA the same? Yes. But LFA differs from both.
Mr Leitch does not define what he means by "the artificial construct of HFA".
HFA is not a separate diagnosis on the PDD or ASD spectrum of disorders. But it is a term that has been used extensively by researchers, including Dr. Laurent Mottron, to describe persons with an autism disorder who share the Aspergers social deficits but not the cognitive deficits and deficits of language comprehension and expression that challenge persons who are more severely affected by autism.
As a common sense, practical description distinguishing conditions which are markedly different in their real life impact there is nothing "artificial" about distinctions between Low Functioning Autism, LFA, and HFA, High Functioning Autism.
Merge HFA and Aspergers? Yes, because there are no substantial real world differences between these conditions.
Separate LFA and HFA/Aspergers? Absolutely. The lack of ability to comprehend the complexities of every day life and lack of ability to understand lanugage and to communicate are clearly important deficits of LFA that are not shared by HFA/Aspergers.
There is also "talk" of separating the various autism spectrum disorders by degrees of severity in the DSM V. Presumably severity will be measured by ability to function in the real world. Cognitiive deficits and lack of understanding of language are very substantial real world deficits and should be used to understand differences in severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
My 13 year old son has severe deficits cognitively and in terms of understanding language and ability to communicate. His autism spectrum disorder is much different than that of the persons with HFA/Aspergers that I have met and worked with. He requires 24 hour supervision for his safety and is not capable of appearing in media interviews, posting on the internet , conducting autism research or running an advocacy organization as some persons with HFA/Aspergers do very well.
A distinction in the DSM V between ASD's based on the functioning levels occasioned by cognitive and linguistic differences is not artificial. It is practical and makes good sense. Such a division is long overdue.
- AutismRealityNB June 30, 2009 3:05AM
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Stories
True, a distinction based on functioning levels, cognitive differences and linguistic differences is not artificial. It *is* practical and it *does* make sense.
What a spectrum with gradations does give the general public a framework to understand Autism in a more nuanced manner. It facilitates the process of meeting a wide variety of needs and telling all of our stories. I think we sometimes worry about one group getting more attention than our own. As if by one person telling their story there won't be room for our own.
That's just bullshit, plain and simple. Education and awareness are not limited commodities. The world needs to be educated on the realities of autism ...ALL AUTISM. Not just higher functioning individuals. Not just cognitively and linguistically disabled individuals. All of us--and we can build that future more effectively together than we ever could separately.
- Stella
February 11, 2010 10:59PM
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