Asperger types are not autistic

[AsheSkyler]

There isn't any difference in the symptoms between a person with Asperger's and a person with classic autism, apart from speech development, but there may be differences in severity. For example, I don't have such severe sensory issues as those often experienced by people with classic autism, but some other traits I have very similar. Many aspies talk a lot, but I don't talk much at all, and that's one thing I don't have in common with other aspies. As said previously, it's a spectrum that we are all on, and those with classic autism tend to have more severe symptoms, especially sensory issues, which affect their daily living to a greater extent.

Is this something you've picked up over studying other Aspies and auties or do you happen to have a convenient link to a list I can obsess over and read? I've been trying to find a clear list for plain ol' curiosity's sake, but the best I've been able to get is to scratch my head and draw my own conclusions. I've noticed the speech development, but I haven't noticed the sensory thing. I'm rather chatty, but some days I could nearly swear I've got SPD with a comorbid of autism rather than the other way 'round, so it makes me wonder...

 

[WildCat]

And the proof? So far, I haven't come across anything definite. The whole "cognitive and linguistic development" thing doesn't cut it for me either, I've seen way too many contradictions - if things like executive dysfunction, learning disabilities and the like are a part of "normal cognitive development" then I stand corrected, because as far I can tell, being on the spectrum means more often than not that your neurology is skewed to a greater or lesser extent. Sometimes to an advantage, sometimes not so much. I can't fully relate to everyone on here and I wouldn't expect to, but that's not a cue for me to distance myself over a couple of subtle differences.

If there was some evidence backing this statement up then I might be inclined to agree, but right now (and especially with the way it's presented) I can't.

 

[Progster]

Is this something you've picked up over studying other Aspies and auties or do you happen to have a convenient link to a list I can obsess over and read? I've been trying to find a clear list for plain ol' curiosity's sake, but the best I've been able to get is to scratch my head and draw my own conclusions. I've noticed the speech development, but I haven't noticed the sensory thing. I'm rather chatty, but some days I could nearly swear I've got SPD with a comorbid of autism rather than the other way 'round, so it makes me wonder...

Unfortunately, I don't have a link or list, perhaps someone else here has one? My conclusions are based on various observations I have made on reading forums, blogs and biographies of people with ASD. Sensory issues can vary, but people with classic autism tend to have more severe sensory issues, and this is one of the reasons why they find it harder to cope. One can learn social cues, scripts etc, and this can improve over time to the point where the autistic person can blend in a bit better and be more independent, but the sensory issues never improve and may even get worse; they will always be present and hamper the person, making life difficult. My sensory issues are mild in comparison to those of some autistic people, and I'm independent and can generally cope.

 

[Lee954]

I'm not convinced that Asperger's is a type of autism either. From my own personal observations and experience autistic people want to isolate themselves from the world and have nothing to do with it, whereas people with Asperger's, like myself, want everything that the world has to offer...but we're not very good at interacting with other people and so end up just as isolated.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I'm not convinced that Asperger's is a type of autism either. From my own personal observations and experience autistic people want to isolate themselves from the world and have nothing to do with it, whereas people with Asperger's, like myself, want everything that the world has to offer...but we're not very good at interacting with other people and so end up just as isolated.

I isolate but I'm diagnosed Asperger's. Isn't the criteria the same other than with Asperger's you can't have speech delay or intellectual disability? How am I more like your description of autism while having Asperger's?

 

[ancusmitis]

I isolate but I'm diagnosed Asperger's. Isn't the criteria the same other than with Asperger's you can't have speech delay or intellectual disability? How am I more like your description of autism while having Asperger's?

I do recall the DSM-IV criteria, and indeed, that is the one true difference. Technically, you don't need to meet as many criteria for AS, but the criteria themselves are the same and "autistics" frequently got diagnosed as "aspergers" even if they had speech delays as long as they were capable enough.

 

[Sass]

I was diagnosed as autistic (ASD) after the DSM change, and my son was also diagnosed as autistic before the change. We're very similar, although he had the speech delay that I didn't have as a child.

I often wonder if the desire to separate out Aspergers from Autism is a sort of elitism thing (this isn't a comment on the OP's motives, just a general observation). Like 'oh no, we're not that kind of autistic, we're the kind that invent stuff and have sitcoms made about us'. That's why I have issues with functioning levels too. I know it's hard to answer questions about autism without using them (though I wonder why people are asking the kinds of sh*tty questions that require that response), but often high-functioning means people ignore your troubles and support needs because you can 'pass', and low functioning means people ignore the voice of the individual, even though there have been amazing gains made in communication technology for non-verbal autistics.

It's all a bit of a minefield really.

It kinda seeps into the argument over whether we're disabled or not too. I personally think I am, but it's a societal model that makes it that way. When society as it is makes few attempts to lighten the load of autistics, then I see that as a disability, much the same as if someone in a wheelchair arrived at an event they could participate in, but couldn't get inside because there was no ramp.

There are no ramps for us it seems.

 

[WildCat]

...Technically, you don't need to meet as many criteria for AS, but the criteria themselves are the same and "autistics" frequently got diagnosed as "aspergers" even if they had speech delays as long as they were capable enough.

This was my case when I got re-diagnosed in my teens. I got a diagnosis of AS at first, despite having some speech delays in early childhood which eventually led to a "true" diagnosis of so-called "high functioning" autism. I've seen other people like myself who net a diagnosis of AS in a similar fashion - it seems like a matter of professional opinion more than anything else sometimes.

I find the whole thing silly, but whatever...if people really enjoy clinging to a label that much, to each their own I suppose.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I do recall the DSM-IV criteria, and indeed, that is the one true difference. Technically, you don't need to meet as many criteria for AS, but the criteria themselves are the same and "autistics" frequently got diagnosed as "aspergers" even if they had speech delays as long as they were capable enough.

ICD 10. And I had no speech delay. In fact my speech was early.