Why is aspergers syndrome grouped with autism?

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I read a cool article about a guy with down's syndrome who was very much like that. He was of above average intelligence if I remember correctly, went to school and had a good social life. He had many of the other symptoms of down's syndrome though and also didn't have neurotypical features, so when people met him, they always assumed he was a 'typical' case until he talked to them.

Because of the neurological similarities (and responses to similar pharmacologies), some people use the term "obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders" to encompass OCD, Tourettes, the spectrum of autisms, nonverbal learning disability, ADHD (sometimes), etc.

Many people make the same incorrect assumption about Down syndrome as the make about autism: that all people with these conditions have intellectual disabilities.

Yes, I was shocked when my biology teacher talked about down's syndrome and continuously used the word 'moronic' to explain it. (Although I admit she uses this word for about any possible neurological difference.) I was glad she didn't start on autism. She didn't want to hear any of what I wanted to say about people with down's syndrome and how she can't mean to say they're 'moronic'!

I'm exactly in this position too now. My school gives me bad behavioural grades for autistic issues, so I'm now truley considering going there and explaining it. Against all professional advice, I didn't want to do it at first, but now I'm not sure. I wonder how my biology teacher of all people will react. Maybe she'll stop being keen on saying 'moronic' to everything, because she believes I'm terribly bright but terribly lazy. She's a teacher and she teaches people such things as that all people with this or that are something definite. It's not right, she shouldn't generalise when she is a rather clever person herself and is capable of knowing better.


It's the same issue with the connection between AS and the rest of the spectrum isn't it. Everybody thinks of 'typical' cases, although there are few if even any. So when talking about classic autism, people think about 'typical' cases and then also see how different from them a person can be and forget to see how close the underlying issues resemble each other.

My therapist told me that if she were to put all her cases into one room, we'd most likely all dislike each other, because we're all so extremely different - no matter what typical social impairments or else we have in common. (Hehe, my autism therapist is cool.)

The term moron once described people who are now referred to as having mild mental retardation or mild intellectual disorder. However, "moron" has not been used by experts in decades. It is generally just an insult - like idiot and imbeclie (which also referred to the intellectually disabled at one time). I am surprised that a biology teacher would use such a word.



I once opened an autism spectrum room on an online chat service. One person came in and was surprised that, as he said, "You sound so intelligent." When I told him that I have been a college professor for 28 years, he just left the room.

Autistic disorder doesn't mean low functioning, it just means non-AS autism. The differences are about speech early in life, they don't necessarily continue on an outward level to be obvious differences.

And, yes, despite that I know many people labeled low-functioning who went undiagnosed. Autism was not in the DSM until 1980. In 1971 what is now called "regressive autism" was considered a form of early-onset schizophrenia. Many people I know who were undiagnosed were diagnosed instead with an intellectual disability or schizophrenia or both. "Kanner's autism" used to be almost synonymous with "higher functioning" at one point.

Aside from that, assuming that "severity" determines diagnosis rate doesn't show a lot of awareness of how cultures can differ over time and place. People assume that the range of which people get labeled with medical-like conditions has stayed stable over time. It hasn't.

although ill give you she was probably being a little crass in her diction...

"moron" is indicative of IQ... it pertains to a specific low IQ number... just as "idiot" does... people with DS do have lower IQs... im not too sure on definitions atm... but she could technically be correct in saying people with DS are morons.. but i would never teach nor talk about DS the way you describe she was doing... as it is offensive.

Most people with Down syndrome have IQs of less than 70, but not all. Some have normal IQs, especiallly those with the mosaic subtype.

all breeds of dogs are considered to be one species... and there are several cases of "ring species" (ex: some salamanders in CA and some pan-global arctic birds) where there is vast phenotypic variation across individuals within a species* (*or not, depending on a multitude of definitions)...

consideration for variation is a very complex matter. where do you draw the line? why do we need lines?

i dont think these issues will be resolved until the mechanisms for these "differences" are defined.

just looked up moron again... it's IQ of 50-70... so that could technically be used fo DS... but as you said, some do have higher IQs, which i was not sure of...

but still... i would never teach that sort of use of language in a classroom like that

Not necessarily, one of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's is that unlike HFA (or autism entirely) the symptoms do not occur in the early developmental years.

Not really.

They just don't have to. Major difference.

It depends on which set of diagnostic criteria one uses.

Becauase it's the same thing, just in varying degrees of severity.

I used to ask this question all the time but since my second son was diagnosed with HFA, I've done a bit more research and I understand.

It's on my blog;

http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com ... utism.html

A friend who has been fighting Depression (spectrum) decided to confide in a close friend who had called to see why she seemed withdrawn recently. The close friend tells her to be sure she does it right the first time because it is cruel to put friends through the trauma of multiple attempts.

I know this is Humans' Nature, but still don't comprehend this. How is all depression suicide or attemped? Why are all Downs 'morons'? or all autistics head-bangers?

Is it that neuroelitism where everything is 'Black and White' ?