Why is everything now just ASD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some info to explain:

http://www.behavioral.net/article/asperger-s-diagnosis-disappears-will-treatment-disappear-too

OP here, thanks, this was a good read. I admit I personally have no idea the difference between Asperger's/autism/high functioning autism in terms of what those different signifiers meant for symptoms/characteristics. At a blind guess I would have assumed Asperger's was high IQ and intellect, academically successful, but had some quirks and social issues, and probably same for high functioning autism, and that autism in general was the label for the kids who experience the stims/repetitive behaviors/etc and perhaps struggle more than Aspergers or HFA. It actually is confusing I guess when I think of it that way- but simply saying they are all on the spectrum in varying places does seem to make more sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some info to explain:

http://www.behavioral.net/article/asperger-s-diagnosis-disappears-will-treatment-disappear-too

OP here, thanks, this was a good read. I admit I personally have no idea the difference between Asperger's/autism/high functioning autism in terms of what those different signifiers meant for symptoms/characteristics. At a blind guess I would have assumed Asperger's was high IQ and intellect, academically successful, but had some quirks and social issues, and probably same for high functioning autism, and that autism in general was the label for the kids who experience the stims/repetitive behaviors/etc and perhaps struggle more than Aspergers or HFA. It actually is confusing I guess when I think of it that way- but simply saying they are all on the spectrum in varying places does seem to make more sense.

No Aspergers is more complicated than your blind guess. This description does not capture Asoergers at all or the associated challenges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some info to explain:

http://www.behavioral.net/article/asperger-s-diagnosis-disappears-will-treatment-disappear-too

OP here, thanks, this was a good read. I admit I personally have no idea the difference between Asperger's/autism/high functioning autism in terms of what those different signifiers meant for symptoms/characteristics. At a blind guess I would have assumed Asperger's was high IQ and intellect, academically successful, but had some quirks and social issues, and probably same for high functioning autism, and that autism in general was the label for the kids who experience the stims/repetitive behaviors/etc and perhaps struggle more than Aspergers or HFA. It actually is confusing I guess when I think of it that way- but simply saying they are all on the spectrum in varying places does seem to make more sense.

No Aspergers is more complicated than your blind guess. This description does not capture Asoergers at all or the associated challenges.

I think that was the OP's point -- that she (and, according to the article linked above, many professionals) don't have a good idea of the parameters of Asperger's, and that's why they got rid of it in favor of tiers of severity of autism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some info to explain:

http://www.behavioral.net/article/asperger-s-diagnosis-disappears-will-treatment-disappear-too

OP here, thanks, this was a good read. I admit I personally have no idea the difference between Asperger's/autism/high functioning autism in terms of what those different signifiers meant for symptoms/characteristics. At a blind guess I would have assumed Asperger's was high IQ and intellect, academically successful, but had some quirks and social issues, and probably same for high functioning autism, and that autism in general was the label for the kids who experience the stims/repetitive behaviors/etc and perhaps struggle more than Aspergers or HFA. It actually is confusing I guess when I think of it that way- but simply saying they are all on the spectrum in varying places does seem to make more sense.

No Aspergers is more complicated than your blind guess. This description does not capture Asoergers at all or the associated challenges.

Op here, exactly. My original post was curious why more specific diagnoses and labels were done away with but when someone told me that they weren't used consistently and had arbitrary deviations that made it difficult for uniform use, I looked at my own not very informed perceptions of those labels and realized that was true. I am fully aware of those previously used labels had specific characteristics that I and others who didn't use them frequently weren't aware of. So now it makes more sense to me why all are just "on the spectrum" and severity is denoted but not specialized labels.

[Anonymous]

There are a few good and recent books about the history of all this that are worth reading. Neurotribes is my favorite, personally. But the basic gist is that the psychiatrists have no real clue about the underlying realities. Diagnostic lines have been drawn and redrawn, and will be again. What we really need is good lifetime data about which childhood traits or markers or interventions predict which sort of outcomes for those kids as adults. But that doesn't remotely exist yet and won't for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a few good and recent books about the history of all this that are worth reading. Neurotribes is my favorite, personally. But the basic gist is that the psychiatrists have no real clue about the underlying realities. Diagnostic lines have been drawn and redrawn, and will be again. What we really need is good lifetime data about which childhood traits or markers or interventions predict which sort of outcomes for those kids as adults. But that doesn't remotely exist yet and won't for decades.

Awesome, thank you for the book rec! I will pick it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

+1 although I'll add that many kids with ASD have language impairments/delays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

unnecessary snark

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

Never heard that Mixed Expressive and Receptive Language Disorder is the equivalent of Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder!?! Thought MERLD meant that the person had issues with expressive and receptive language skills that were more severe than just problems with social communication and pragmatic language. For instance in the DSM-IV, kids who got diagnosed with Asperger's had no delays in language (was verbal without expressive/receptive language delays) other than pragmatics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

Never heard that Mixed Expressive and Receptive Language Disorder is the equivalent of Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder!?! Thought MERLD meant that the person had issues with expressive and receptive language skills that were more severe than just problems with social communication and pragmatic language. For instance in the DSM-IV, kids who got diagnosed with Asperger's had no delays in language (was verbal without expressive/receptive language delays) other than pragmatics.

MERLD and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder are two different things, but they are both classified under Communications Disorders. MERLD is not necessarily more severe, just a different diagnosis. It's true that in DSM-IV, an Asperger's diagnosis meant you had delays in language, but this was dropped from DSM-V because they found that the lack of language delays wasn't really meaningful once the child gets older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

Never heard that Mixed Expressive and Receptive Language Disorder is the equivalent of Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder!?! Thought MERLD meant that the person had issues with expressive and receptive language skills that were more severe than just problems with social communication and pragmatic language. For instance in the DSM-IV, kids who got diagnosed with Asperger's had no delays in language (was verbal without expressive/receptive language delays) other than pragmatics.

MERLD and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder are two different things, but they are both classified under Communications Disorders. MERLD is not necessarily more severe, just a different diagnosis. It's true that in DSM-IV, an Asperger's diagnosis meant you had delays in language, but this was dropped from DSM-V because they found that the lack of language delays wasn't really meaningful once the child gets older.

It makes sense that both MERLD and social communication pragmatics disorders are classified under "Communication Disorders" but pp made MERLD and Social Communication Pragmatics Disoders sound like it was the same thing. Thanks for the clarification.

[Anonymous]

and the one diagnosis a kid with an Asperger's diagnosis would NEVER have qualified for was MERLD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They changed the diagnostic codes and eliminated Asperger's and PDD-Nos. Now everything is coded as ASD, but with degrees of severity.

OP here, I know that, was just wondering what the reasoning was. It seems counterintuitive to me to go from more specified diagnoses to more generalized so I just didn't know why they went that direction.

Because the previous distinctions weren't helpful. For example, the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism was whether there was a speech delay before age 3. That does not provide any meaningful guidance for what a 10 year old needs. Calling it autism but having levels based on how much support someone needs at that time is more helpful and specific.

And Asperger's was often used as a label to indicate that a kid didn't have any IQ deficits, when that isn't in the criteria at all and not what it meant.

The label high functioning autism was just confusing for patients and families because the researchers used it to mean a patient with language impairments and an IQ greater than 70, but lots of parents didn't think of that as "high functioning" compared to a neurotypical kid. And it really didn't say anything clear about the kid with autism and a testable IQ over 100.

A language impairment is different than autism.

This again? Yes, we know that MERLD kids do not have autism. But some kids with autism do have language impairments and delays and under DSM IV, whether a kid (who met the other requirements of autism) had a language delay or not was the difference between autism and aspergers.

MERLD falls under Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder under DSM V. In case, you actually care about diagnosing your child correctly. (Other than it's not autism, of course.)

Never heard that Mixed Expressive and Receptive Language Disorder is the equivalent of Social Communication Pragmatics Disorder!?! Thought MERLD meant that the person had issues with expressive and receptive language skills that were more severe than just problems with social communication and pragmatic language. For instance in the DSM-IV, kids who got diagnosed with Asperger's had no delays in language (was verbal without expressive/receptive language delays) other than pragmatics.

MERLD and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder are two different things, but they are both classified under Communications Disorders. MERLD is not necessarily more severe, just a different diagnosis. It's true that in DSM-IV, an Asperger's diagnosis meant you had delays in language, but this was dropped from DSM-V because they found that the lack of language delays wasn't really meaningful once the child gets older.

In the US. In Britain, Pragmatics Disorder is not used as a DX and a diagnosis of autism is given. Researchers don't agree.

Now please stop highjacking this thread.