AS vs. HFA di8agnosis. I'm confused can anyone help me out.

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My psychic told me that those with autistic disorder ("classic autism"), no matter if they have mental retardation during childhood or not (75% do however), are lower functioning than those with Asperger's; Asperger's is at the top of the spectrum he told me with autistic disorder being at the bottom. I'm the "best" you can get with autistic disorder he said, but I'm below those with Asperger's and hovering around the middle if it's a fluid spectrum; this is compared to those he sees.

I'm going to Attwood's clinic next week, I plan on asking where on the spectrum I am located -- they seem to be a proponent for a fluid spectrum rather than the clear cut top and bottom like the DSM-IV-TR says.

nobodyzdream, there's no question you're intelligent! It just sounds like IQ tests don't work on you right.

Anyway, it sounds like HFA isn't a real diagnosis? It's all a bit confusing to me. AS is confusing to me too since I'm not really clumsy (well, weirdly sometimes I feel disconnected with my body, but most of the time I think I'm within normal range, and in some ways probably more advanced than normal). (Ticker also mentioned environmental problems-not 100% sure what that means.)

No question that was a BS diagnosis (if HFA even IS a diagnosis at all!)

I mean isn't anyone with AS pretty much automatically a person with "high functioning autism" just by definition? (Assuming AS even is part of an ASD.)

Why the hell would I get flamed for putting what is in the diagnostic criteria. Mental retardation. If any one finds that insulting they need a clue. If I.Q. tests don't work right for many people on the spectrum it is not my fault I didn't make it up. I just want answers for something that I find extremelly confusing. Mental retardation is a score on an I.Q. test. If you scored low you will have the label. Maybe some of these freaking geniuses we have here should come up with one before they get sh***y.

According to an academic book I am reading on Aspergers, research studies into those diagnosed with AS have actually found the the majority met the criteria for Autism. It has also been found in studies that a speech delay really is a moot point, as they found that the verbal IQ in those who had delayed speech and those who did not, was approximately the same. Personally, I do not think there is a different between HFA and AS, and Lorna Wing herself regrets having coined the term AS and has herself written about her belief that it is akin to HFA.

I get laugh out of the person who went on about how most real autistics they know use thier real name like that Gwnfrn says they did. I checked your profile dude, and you aren't even diagnosed. I'am I went through the crap of being thee people's subject, and testing. I don't want to be flamed more so here is my view on undiagnosed. Some people are truelly on the spectrum that are self diagnosed. I do tend to be leary when it comes to those who say AS undiagnosed due to that it is popular among NT Nerds trying to fit in. There are many forms of mental illness that have similar issues that a lay person may give themselves a mis self diagnosis. So French guy don't flame me untill you have gone through te misery of the tests. The eyes test was my least favorite.

I appologize to the gentle people here for having to see this. I write as I speak when I'm verbal. It comes out as I think it.

I looked up info on mental retardation, and cognitive delays. As I small child I would have been classed a mentally ret*d. I had a few problems involving learning basic self care. I was other than reading mentally delayed untill about third grade according to tests.

I love that movie too but she was supposed to be schizophrenic in the movie as the director says in the audio commentary. I watch the movie everyday.

I saw my psychic today, and I asked him a question to clarify where I am: am I closer to Asperger's or autism? He said that before I even brought "autism" up he assumed I had Asperger's (thanks for telling me...), but when I mentioned autism and we went through the DSM together he agreed I met all of the criteria and I'm genuinely autistic. No high, middle or low functioning. My mother asked him a question, 'I thought autistic people couldn't speak?' That's a misconception, most of those with classic autism can indeed communicate by the time they're adults (he sees them); it's when they're little people that they don't speak, only rarely talk and/or speak "weird".

He also said that it's only a label that groups people like me; which can change at a whim. Speaking of change, he also said they're working on the DSM-V now, so if you've been diagnosed with something now it's going to be null and void when the new book comes out (meaning you have to go through it all over again).

I was so confused because I thought you meant that you actually saw a "psychic", as in someone who predicts the future. I thought that was an interesting choice for someone looking for info about an ASD diagnosis. Then I was *really* confused when I read that you were going through the DSM with him. Somewhere near the very end I finally realized it was a psychologist you were talking about!
BTW, I had assumed from your posts on here that you were autistic, rather than AS. Glad you got some official clarification for yourself and your mom. It sounds like she is continuing to learn more about the spectrum.

It's lovely that our diagnoses will be null and void, by the way. I'm assuming that's true for NLD as well, especially since NLD wasn't an official diagnosis in the DSM-IV (and so my diagnosis is officially LD-NOS). Hopefully it will *finally* make it into the DSM this time round. No way am I going through the diagnosis process again though- as if my insurance company would actually pay for it anyway!

Except that it's not.

Psychologist equates psycho; psychic is the one who can prescribe the funky drugs: psychiatrist. It's just small "affectionate" terms I use because I don't enjoy spelling both of them.

I've been autistic for a couple of months now (well, since birth, but you know...), it's just that after he mentioned it the first [second and third] time, he hasn't really said much about the label and where I "fit" in. Said fitting in seems to be a big thing around these 'net parts (I'm obviously trying to fit in somewhere). He's not much for labels as I said. Which goes back to an anecdote he told me, as soon as he finished university they brought out this new diagnostic tool: the DSM. He had to relearn how to diagnose people.

The gist I got concerning the DSM-V is that they're adding stuff and shuffling what's already in there; obviously, you're still going to satisfy some label if you already do, it might be a different label however. Its release is awhile off yet anyway (2012 or something like that).

Lostinspace wrote: Except that it's not.


I checked the DSM, and there is no HFA, or LFA. Just what could cover about anyone on the spectrum except for a very few. I still owe no damned appology. I'm going off of what my Social Worker, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, and many other proffesionals in the field use to say if it's LFA, or HFA. I guess that means they owe the Autistic community an appology. So why is it so hard for them to make an I.q. test accurate for autistics. I know when I did one not to long ago it drove me up the wall because it's timed, and I over analize everything, and the guy adjusted it from average to 180 due to my disability? Now I have a new confusion. Of course I'm under tons of stress, and so I'm confused alot lately.

Most children with autistic disorder have mental retardardation (70% or so):

He shouldn't have done that, at least if he actually wrote it up that way. 180 is a standardized score, and not only are you not supposed to assign a standardized score when testing conditions are non-standard, like when accomodations for disabilities or language differences are made (this is clearly stated in most test manuals), but you're also not allowed to just make up your own score because you felt that the person scored lower than their potential. You should just discuss that in your write-up.

Huh! No kidding. I don't understand this. It seems like there are criteria, and rules, but few follow them. I don't see how they can do that I have difficulty deviating from most any rule. That's strange. I did do another test when I wasn't stressed out, but I was irritated. It was in a Psychology course. The professer gave us all the test for MENSA for an experiment. It annoyed me so I didn't over analize as usual, and gained enterance. I told them to keep thier club because some one told me many of them studied real hard to pass, and I felt that was cheating. I hate when people cheat. I really understand fully that I.Q. tests don't work good for ASD. I had to be in a state not normal for me to get a more accurate score. In the state I'm in now I'd most likely would score below 70. I think?

Well, not everyone with an ASD.

I said environmental senstivities... that means AS often have sensitivites to the things around them... such as smells, light, noise, fabrics, being touched.