Names of Autism: Adult Diagnoses

June 4th, 2009 Posted in Miscellaneous

What’s the difference between high functioning autism and Asperger’s? What do ASD and PDD-NOS stand for? In a field that is rapidly growing as research is conducted and public awareness increases, it is hard to keep up with the terminology. The following article will briefly describe all the possible names and acronyms for autism, and then discuss why those names are and are not important.

Names

One of the reasons there are so many names is because autism is a spectrum disorder with a wide range of symptoms related to the diagnostic criteria. Additionally, there are several genetic disorders (such as Fragile X or Rett’s) which manifest in behavioral characteristics reflective of autism.

Diagnosing autism isn’t like diagnosing some medical conditions, (for example, Down Syndrome). There is no blood test or brain scan that determines cutoffs between diagnoses on the spectrum. Autism is a “behavioral” diagnosis, meaning that someone is diagnosed as having autism if they demonstrate behaviors consistent with the criteria. The various names are an attempt to categorize the disabilities of autism by symptoms and functional impairment.

DSM Names

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), contains the most recent diagnostic criteria used by psychologists and psychiatrists to make diagnoses. In the DSM, autism falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs). PDDs are disorders characterized by impairment in three areas:

1. Social skills
2. Communication/language
3. Restricted and repetitive interests

Official diagnoses, in the DSM, under the umbrella of PDD, are:

Autistic Disorder (AD)

• Deficits in social skills
• Deficits in communication/language
• Restricted and repetitive stereotyped patterns of behaviors (for example, self-stimulatory behaviors)
• Onset prior to age 3
• May be an associated diagnosis of mental retardation

Rett’s Disorder

• Development of multiple specific severe deficits following a period of normal development
• Diagnosed only in females
• Characterized by stereotyped hand movements (hand-wringing or hand washing)
• Typically associated with severe or profound mental retardation
• Rare, much less common that Autistic Disorder

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

• Development of multiple specific severe deficits following at least two years of normal development
• Typically associated with severe or profound mental retardation
• Rare, much less common than Autistic Disorder

Asperger’s Disorder (AD)

• Impairment in social interaction
• Restricted and repetitive interests/passions
• NO communication/language impairment
• No significant cognitive delays (that is, no mental retardation)

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

• Catch-all category for when there is an impairment in social skills and language/communication or restricted and repetitive interests, but the criteria for a specific PDD are not met
• Includes Atypical Autism

Popular Names

Besides the official diagnoses, there are some names that have become accepted in popular culture. These names are not as rigidly defined as the diagnoses in the DSM, but they do have some generally understood meanings.

Autism

• An abbreviation for Autistic Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• A very broad name used to encompass all disorders on the spectrum
• Can be used interchangeably with PDD

High-Functioning Autism (HFA)

• Because autism can occur with mental retardation, this term is sometimes used to describe someone who meets the full criteria for autism but does NOT have mental retardation

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) or just Asperger’s

• The same as Asperger’s Disorder

Aspies

• People with Asperger’s may refer to themselves in casual conversation as Aspies
• Aspies for Freedom is a popular website created by and for individuals with autism spectrum disorders that promotes the idea that Asperger’s and autism are not negative, and are not always a disability

Old Names

Autism has been around for a long time. Like everything, the terminology changes, but you still might hear some of the following terms:

Kannerian Autism or Kanner’s Syndrome

• Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist, first identified a group of children with autism and their specific symptoms in 1943
• Today, Kannerian Autism would be the same as Autistic Disorder

Classic Autism

• The same as Kannerian Autism

Autistic Psychopathy

• The term Hans Asperger first used when describing what is now Asperger’s Disorder

Early Infantile Autism or Childhood Autism

• Old names for Autistic Disorder
• Misleading because they insinuate autism is strictly a disorder of childhood

Regressive Autism

• Used to describe Autistic Disorder when there is a period of normal development before a loss of skills
• There is no standard definition for regression

Why Names are Important

One reason names are important is because having an official diagnosis may be required to receive necessary services or supports. For example, in college, students may have to identify as a student with a disability to receive accommodations from the Office of Disability Resources.

A second, and perhaps more essential, reason names are important is because empowerment comes from knowledge. Even though naming it doesn’t change any of the difficulties individuals with autism experience, it is at least a reason. Being able to identify as an adult with autism is a way to accept oneself, educate others, and connect with people with similar disabilities.

Why Names are NOT Important

While eligibility requirements for many programs do require a diagnosis as a means of standardizing support, Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD) understands that a diagnosis is less important than the symptoms which impact each individual. AHEADD’s admission criteria, therefore, is not dependent upon diagnosis. Students are admitted based upon their interest in and willingness to participate in a support program.

It is important to remember that a diagnosis is really just a word. The spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders encompasses a huge variety of functional levels and symptoms. There will be an updated version of the DSM published in the next few years, which means a probable change in diagnoses and diagnostic criteria. Someone diagnosed with Asperger’s now might no longer be considered to have a disability, or they might fall under a new name that doesn’t even exist now. Ultimately, what is important is not the name, but the individual strengths, weaknesses, personality, and desires that are unique cannot be categorized and labeled.