Aspergers dx not going to be used anymore

[flowwithit]

I have just been told this today at our last dx meeting with psyc. Not even HFA will be used only autism dx from now on.
Has anyone else been told this recently?

It's been in the offing for a while. Speech delays etc will be included separately in the diagnosis, so to put it simply, aspergers would be replaced with a diagnosis of ASD/ASC and autism under the current definition would be autism with whatever degree of speech and language impairment is appropriate for that child.

This is something that came in this month, it is through the diagnosis guide. The diagnosis will be asd.

Could someone point me in the right direction to get more details on this please . . A link or anything :)

I was told its the new DSM 5 but I haven't got more info so if anyone knows a link would be good for me too as this is new to me.

Our paed said on Monday he thinks dd is 'at the higher functioning end of the spectrum' its all in the way they word it I think

Google dsm.v you can see it there

My friend's 6th old was Dx with ASD at Xmas. They were told that Northampton were no longer giving Dx for AS.

yup, our parent support group recently had a speaker about the new dx terminology (officially in place May 2013) Aspergers will no longer be dx'd - no idea what happens to those already with the dx

there will be 3 levels of ASD, mild/moderate and severe and the triad of impairment will become a dyad. social and communication deficits will be classed as 'one' as they are deemed as inseperable (so the notes we were given say)

We were told that officially they will only say Autistic spectrum condition but they may still use the words Asperger's syndrome if they feel this will be more readily understood or accepted when talking to a young person about their diagnosis.

Sally yes, that's my LA - they are restructuring the whole Autism service in so it's in line with DSM-5

Interesting........

DS has just been given a dx of Aspergers along with a few other co morbid bits. I am waiting a report so it will be interesting to see wether it states ASC or wether they just list the individual overlapping dxs or AS

Leonie they used both the DSM 5 and ICD 10 during diagnostic process with DS for some reason that I know not :)

This has always been the case in our authority- all our diagnosed children have the same diagnosis, which makes us a bit when we all get together for a social event and they are all so different.

However, if everyone looked at the individual, and addressed needs instead of simply pulling support packages off the shelf according to label, we would all be better off. Maybe this move towards a blanket Dx will also herald a move towards more social model thinking? Our area is certainly making all the right noises on this score, and DS1's school is leading the way and doing a fantasic job .

I just don't know if its a good idea or not.

When I meet kids who have aspergers who are the same age as my severely autistic son... How can they possibly be comparable?

I actually think this could be even more.misleading for people who don't really know about autism.

Labelling eh? A minefield.

You are right, coolaskimdeal. It is confusing. My DS would fit into the AS 'bracket', and when I say 'he has ASD' people often do a double take, or start to look at him in a different way, as if he's somehow hiding something!

I would explain, but TBH, I can't be bothered. If people want to be educated about autism, they should google or read a book. I'm not about to start explaining the ins and outs of the Dx process, or the vaguaries of a spectrum disorder whilst standing in the supermarket checkout!

I do think it is a good idea as AS and HFA can be viewed as being mild or just slightly autistic but could have severe sensory/emotional/anxiety/behavioural problems. My DS2 has LFA he is non verbal but I would describe his other aspects of autism as mild, he has never had a full blown meltdown. It is the spikes of autism that should be dx under the heading ASD.

Well, my DS thinks of himself as an Aspie, and he's unlikely to change...
ASC is going to be the new label round here.

squidworth that is the justification our area give, and you are absolutely right. DS1 was in his third school by Y2 due to his severe behaviours, and yet he is very good linguistically, and has very few of the 'outward' signs.

Fallen, that's interesting about them calling it ASC. I find it hard to see why it would make a difference having a 'condition', rather than a 'syndrome', though.

Perhaps it will help schools to be better educated on the condition/syndrome (not sure which will be used) and help them to give better support.
I am really hoping it will prove to some teachers (who have said Ds makes it up for attention!) that he really is finding things very difficult and confusing.

It's teachers with attitudes like that who drove us out of two schools, flow, so I wouldn't hold out much hope. They simply don't believe the 'expert' asd team. The school he's in now, took time to find out what makes him tick, gave him freedom to just relax and be himself. Only now, after a year, are they starting to tentatively move him into doing more 'mainstream' stuff.

That's what I was worried about. I'm not sure you can change an attitude like that and it is frustrating. I will go armed with my two formal dx reports and battle for what he needs. If we still get nowhere then will have to look at other schools or even home school, though I'm not sure I'm cut out for that at all.

I agree with "hothead*. The label often doesn't tell you much - it needs to be acompanied by a description of the underlying diffculties. My DD has a chromosone deletion 4p-. It is a known syndrome with a few hundred people diagnosed in UK. The name of her condition does not tell anyone what her ability is - we have met many families of children with this condition and their abilities are extremely variable and their 'medical' conditions come from a 'pot' - so not every child has everything IYKWIM.
It is the same with ASD.