Aspergus

naheed73ahmed · December 2022

Hi
my daughter was diagnosed with Aspergus and ADHD. But we have not had any further support on how to help her. She struggles to concentrate for exams and express her feeling. Can anyone help please

Hannah_Alumni · December 2022

Hello @naheed73ahmed

Welcome to the community

If it is ok to ask, just so we can see how we can help further, Is she under anyone at the GP? or under Camhs?

Adrian_Scope · January 2023

Hello @naheed73ahmed. You mentioned that your daughter was struggling with exams and I wondered if she's still in school? If so, have you been in contact with the SENCO at her school? They should be able to work with you to put adjustments in place to help your daughter.

durhamjaide2001 · January 2023

Hi I was told that they weren't diagnosing Asperger's that it all comes under the umbrella of autism now.

durhamjaide2001 · January 2023

Ada said:

Well I have Asperger and was told recently that what had changed is naming it Asperger Syndrome

Oh that's strange

durhamjaide2001 · January 2023

Because I was told that they weren't diagnoseing Asperger's

durhamjaide2001 · January 2023

Ada said:

sorry my words are getting all mixed perhaps signals bad

No problem I have bad signal so I understand

chiarieds · January 2023

Hi @durhamjaide2001 & @Ada - Confusion may have arisen as Asperger syndrome was named after an Austrian Dr who it's now thought 'may' have collaborated with the Nazis; he was involved in referring children, many being disabled, to a clinic in Vienna, where 789 were murdered under the Nazi's euthanasia programme.

This didn't come to light until comparatively recently, & many no longer want their disorder associated with the name of Hans Asperger. So now, the National Autistic Society recognises tho some will want to keep the name they were previously diagnosed with, it's now just diagnosed as Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

naheed73ahmed · January 2023

What are the difficulties of life as Asperger if you don’t mind sharing. It will help me understand my daughter who is 19 at the moment

anisty · February 2023

You're right @durhamjaide2001 - when the DSMV was published back in around 2014 i think it was, Asperger's was not included as a diagnosis at all.

I haven't heard the reason that @chiarieds mentions in her post. What I heard was that the perception amongst the general public is that those diagnosed with Asperger's are always extremely intelligent and it was almost seen as a 'more desirable' diagnosis, especially by parents of autistic children.

So they very much wanted to bring those previously labelled with Aspergers onto the higher functioning spectrum of autism.

Though there is still a school of thought that Aspergers is an applicable label fitting for those having special characteristics of autism.

chiarieds · February 2023

Hi @anisty - You can see about this here under 'The problematic history of Hans Asperger': https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/asperger-syndrome

More here: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/aftermath-hans-asperger-expose

I think defining 'high functioning' can also be problematic: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-high-functioning-autism-5198358

I think you are also correct that the general public tend to identify some of those with Asperger's Syndrome even as 'savants.' Indeed Hans Asperger followed one of his patients into adulthood, who 'became a professor of astronomy and solved an error in Newton’s work he originally noticed as a child.' https://autismuk.com/home-page/history-of-autism/hans-asperger-definition/

I think as a Mum with a son on the Autistic Spectrum you will know way more than I, & like with any disorder, altho characteristics may be shared, each person is an individual, with their own strengths & difficulties. I just have a small glimpse of this as a neuropsychologist said he wouldn't diagnose my son some 15-16 years ago, but that he was 'next door' to Asperger's Syndrome, so I hope I haven't spoken out of turn.

anisty · February 2023

All very interesting @chiarieds, thank you. No, you haven't spoken out of turn at all.

My son hasn't got Aspergers; he has language and cognitive deficits but I do know a local young man here and he would definitely fit the DSM1V Asperger's diagnosis.

The label did seem appropriate for a distinct group within the autistic community.

I was doing some studying in 2014, just when DSMV was published, which is when I came across the change.

Here's some more info about it

https://livingautism.com/dsm-5-proposed-changes-means-lives-affected-autism-aspergers-syndrome/

Aspergus

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