Aspbergers symptoms and differences between aspie and autism.

[hoeffelt]

Just curious what symptoms individual people have? Is it true that everyone has a different combination of symptoms? Are there combinations of symptoms that are more common to have together? Are there any symptoms that all aspies have? Also what is the difference between autism and aspbergers?

 

[Bellatrix]

It isn't 'Aspbergers', it's 'Asperger's'.

Well, speaking for myself, having Asperger's Syndrome is probably one of the reasons I am so pedantic, and correct others when they make a mistake. People who have the more severe autism tend to be non-verbal, whereas people who have Asperger's Syndrome can be quite talkative, especially when the topic of discussion is something they are really interested in. Autistic individuals often require help from others when it comes to basic needs, whereas those with A.S. can be quite independent. As I understand it, the severity of the symptoms of autism usually don't fade over time, but those with A.S. can, and often do, find ways to work around the constraints imposed upon them by the condition.

 

[zurb]

It isn't 'Aspbergers', it's 'Asperger's'.

Don't be too hard on people who spell it like that. If he's typing on an apple device, he won't be the first, nor the last, to have it 'autocorrected' to that.

 

[Datura]

Classically, the distinguishing feature between Asperger's and other form's of autism is that individuals with Asperger's tend to be more high functioning with average to above average intelligence. They also do not exhibit the same language delays present in classic forms of autism.

It is also worth mentioning that Asperger's is a somewhat defunct classification. That is not to say it is incorrect, just that the medical establishment is migrating toward a different standard. In the DSM5 Asperger's (along with PDDNOS and some other conditions) are all consolidated under Autism Spectrum Disorder. The severity of the condition is rated on a scale from one (requiring support) to three (requiring very substantial support), with most "aspies" being somewhere around a one, or even zero.

As I understand it, the severity of the symptoms of autism usually don't fade over time, but those with A.S. can, and often do, find ways to work around the constraints imposed upon them by the condition.

While this may be true in more severe cases I have been lead to believe that individuals with classic autism can also be remarkably addaptive. I have heard of people who were non-verbal through most of their childhood who went on to become quite articulate speakers in adulthood and live independantly.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

From my diagnostic report:

"A diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome is given when a person meets criteria for the Autistic Spectrum, with impairments in social communication, verbal and non-verbal communication, restricted repetitive interests and impaired imagination and these impairments must have been present since childhood. It also requires an IQ within the normal range or above and no delay in language development."

My understanding is that the first sentence is for all Autistic Spectrum Disorders (so need to have this, obviously), and the second is when they find out what type of autism you have - in this case, Asperger's. So for Asperger's you meet the criteria for autism, with an IQ above 70 and you need to be speaking by the normal age.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

From my diagnostic report:
..you need to be speaking by the normal age.

I don't think that's strictly true. I think it's agreed on by most professionals now you need to be speaking on a level that is matching your age to be diagnosed with asperger's syndrome.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I don't think that's strictly true. I think it's agreed on by most professionals now you need to be speaking on a level that is matching your age to be diagnosed with asperger's syndrome.

That's what I meant. No language delay. So speaking at the normal age. What did you read it as? To me it looks as though you just repeated back what I just said, I'm not understanding at all. Explain please what you meant.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Oh okay. I thought you meant normal age as in single words by 3, complex use of words by 4.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Wait, and what did you mean?

 

[artfull dodger]

They look to your parents or baby book records kept by parents to see if the person hit thier "milestones" where it relates to language development. I hit all these as child, but when all the rest of me behavior and issues is looked at as a whole, there is no doubt that I have what, under the current DSM my therapist calls ASD level 1. Although some days I rate more of a 1.5. But I was Dx'd under the old DSM as having Asperger's Syndrome. Mike