Asperger's disorder will be back.
Most comparative papers see Asperger’s and HFA as different, so keep recording fine details even under the single spectrum rule.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The author read 128 studies that compared Asperger’s disorder with high-functioning autism. He counted how many found clear differences and how many did not.
No new kids were tested. The paper is a tally of old ones.
What they found
Most of the 128 studies said the two groups differ in language, motor skills, or brain scans. The review itself stays neutral, but it warns clinicians that the label could return.
How this fits with other research
Kamp-Becker et al. (2010) looked at the same question three years earlier and reached the opposite view. Their cluster math found only gradual shades, not two separate boxes. The clash is mostly about method: Inge used numbers to group traits; Tsai (2013) counted published conclusions.
Farrant et al. (1998) is inside the 128. It showed quirky social traits in relatives, adding to the pile that sees Asperger’s as a distinct mild edge.
Kuenssberg et al. (2011) tried to fit Adult Asperger Assessment scores into tidy factors and failed. Their messy numbers quietly support the idea that the old labels may not carve nature at the joints.
Why it matters
DSM-5 folded everything into one autism spectrum, but payers and schools still ask, “Is it Asperger’s?” Keep your intake forms wide. Note language history, motor delay, and family traits. If the label comes back, you will already have the data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This review focuses on identifying up-to-date number of publications that compared DSM-IV/ICD-10 Asperger's disorder (AspD) to Autistic Disorder/High-functioning Autism (AD/HFA). One hundred and twenty-eight publications were identified through an extensive search of major electronic databases and journals. Based on more than 90 clinical variables been investigated, 94 publications concluded that there were statistically significant or near significant level of quantitative and/or qualitative differences between AspD and AD/HFA groups; 4 publications found both similarities and differences between the two groups; 30 publications concluded with no differences between the two groups. Although DSM-5 ASD will eliminate Asperger's disorder. However, it is plausible to predict that the field of ASD would run full circle during the next decade or two and that AspD will be back in the next edition of DSM.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1839-2