Asperger syndrome

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People with Aspergers are frequently called "Aspies"

Chris has an extremely warped view of Aspergers Syndrome. From outright denying that it is part of the Autism spectrum, to confusing it with Alzheimer's Disease! He also believes people with Aspergers are "Stealing the limelight from us autistics".

Real differences between Asperger's and autism

According to Chris, having Asperger's is NOTHING LIKE AUTISM GET IT THROUGH YOUR DANG DIRTY SKULLS! Of course we don't have to take Chris' word for it. People that are far more qualified than him have done some research on the matter and the results may be considered not entirely surprising. Spoiler: Chris couldn't be more wrong.

There has been research comparing the cognitive profile of adolescents with autism and Asperger's syndrome. The studies have examined the cognitive profile of what may becalled 'High Functioning Autism', that is children with a diagnosis of autism with an Intelligence Quotient in the normal range, i.e. above 70. The term High Functioning Autism has been used in the past to describe children who had the classic signs of autism in early childhood but as they developed, formal testing of their cognitive skills indicated a greater degree of intellectual ability with greater social and adaptive behaviour skills than are usual with children with autism. Their clinical outcome was better than expected. The cognitive abilities of this group of children were then compared to the cognitive profile of children with Asperger's syndrome, who did not have a history of early cognitive or language delay. The results of the research has not established a distinct and consistent profile for each group. It was found that only a minority of each diagnostic group showed a characteristic profile.

Clinical experience and research has confirmed that in terms of the child's behavioural profile, children and adults with High Functioning Autism and Asperger's syndrome have a very similar presentation. Both groups benefit from the same behavioural treatment programs. The recommendations from clinicians and academics for treatment for both High Functioning Autism and Asperger's syndrome are the same. Clinicians have noted that as the clinical picture of Pervasive Developmental Disorders or Autistic Spectrum Disorders changes over time, a child may receive a diagnosis of severe autism or High Functioning Autism at one point in their developmental history and Asperger's syndrome at a later stage.

In short, the research and clinical experience would suggest that there is no clear evidence that they are different disorders. Their similarities are greater than their differences.