Since I've started reading about autism (which has become my new 'special interest'), I've been made aware several times that some people say that their child has, for instance "Asperger's with delayed speech development". This puzzles me, because everything I've read points to something else. Asperger's is a form of high-functioning autism (from now on referred to as HFA), yes, but... You can have HFA without having Asperger's?
This is the area that probably causes the greatest controversy. Both ICD10 and DSM IV state that for a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome then spoken language development must be normal. Children with high functioning autism may have had significant language delay. However, Asperger's original descriptions of the condition stated that speech and language peculiarities are a key feature of Asperger syndrome. Often diagnoses of Asperger syndrome are made when a child is quite old and they or their parents may have difficulty remembering the details of their language development. (Source)
I'm wondering if perhaps, since so many parents say that their child has Asperger's, but at the same time that there has been a significant language delay, it's because the prospect of having an autistic child is so terrifying? Is it perhaps that, because you avoid the 'autism' term by saying "Asperger's Syndrome", you're soothing the parents, telling them "It'll be alright"?
(Page discussing the prognosis of individuals with Asperger's) If someone can provide some insight on this, that'd make me very happy.
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I would say that many parents and teachers these days use "Asperger's" rather than autism because of the stigma and perceived severity of autistic conditions. Like using 'slow' instead of 'retard'. Laymen won't understand the difference between high functioning and any other type of autism, whereas they may think Aspergers is something else or understand that its less severe. Especially since autistic characters in movies are usually very severe cases and those with Aspergers (like that dude from Ally McBeal) are portrayed differently.
I would also say that with kids these days it can be the parents using the word as an excuse, one of my cousin's was considered to be both dyslexic and Aspergeric (?) when he as younger. His parents used this to justify his mediocre grades since the world couldn't then expect more from him because of his conditions and they were freed from fault in the matter. Turned out he was just 'a bit thick' and under socialised as a child and he has since been proved to have no such conditions. There are a lot of parents using buzzword conditions to make excuses for their subpar parenting. My partner has taught kids with Aspergers and kids with 'aspergers' and there is definately a difference between the real cases and the excuse cases. Same with ADHD and dyslexia.
It seems to be more 'acceptable' to have a child with a fashionable (ie common in the media) condition than it is to have a child who is described as autistic, or struggling in school, or who is just frankly odd.
Thank you so much for your comment.
"I would say that many parents and teachers these days use
"Asperger's" rather than autism because of the stigma and perceived severity of autistic conditions. Like using 'slow' instead of 'retard'. Laymen won't understand the difference between high functioning and any other type of autism, whereas they may think Aspergers is something else or understand that its less severe."
That's what I was trying to say, only you did it better. Thank you.
So, by the guy in Ally McBeal, you mean The Biscuit, right? I wasn't aware of Asperger's or autism back when I watched it when it was on TV, but after rewatching the show now, I really do see his as an Aspie.
I'm sure that what you're saying is correct, but the distinction between high-functioning autism and Asperger's is meaningless once the so-called high-functioning autisics are old enough that they've learned to speak. Asperger's was given a different name only because of the now-outdated belief that the prolonged absence of spoken language is an intrinsic feature of autism.
Heres how it's worked in my family: I'm an Aspie, as is my son. That is, we're both autistic, and we each started talking very early. My daughter is neurotypical, and she also started talking early, but not quite as early as my son. She married a neurotypical man who didn't start talking until much later. Their son is a high-functioning autistic. He didn't start talking until quite late, and his language is still a bit deformed at the age of ten, despite his being highly intelligent. It appears to me that he inherited autism from me and the language delay from his father; and that they're separate phenomena.
That is indeed very interesting. You're right that it really doesn't matter, but I chooe to hang on to my theory that 'Asperger's' doesn't sound as scary as 'autism' for parents who have just been told that their kid isn't "like everyone else".
Several parents who make the "My kid has Asperger's with a speech delay" have in fact mentioned that before, and also during, the assessment process, 'autism' has not been mentioned. Instead the doctors have used other words and the parents have gone home and looked all of this up online and are quite surprised when every site they read on says this is autism.s
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