HFA / AS differential dx - language delay

[Hamandcheese]

My DS is in the (long, long) process of assessment for ASD.

One of the areas of discussion ATM is would he be dx with AS or with HFA.

I understand that the difference is around language delay - could someone elaborate for me? And is clarity of speech / pronunciation (rather than vocab / sentences etc) relevant?

Thanks,

I am going down a similar path re:diagnosis with DS.

I think there are 2 sets of guidelines used for diagnosis (DSM and ?Gillberg). Where the DSM set (the more usual set I understand) is that for a diagnosis of AS, there is no clinically significant language delay - i.e single words used by age 2, communicative phrases used by age 3). I understand the other more modern guidelines are less rigid about the language problems.

I think that the vocab/sentences are more significant than pronunciation.

If you put "AS DSM diagnosis speech delay" into google, you will bring up lots of articles/info on this topic.

Ds1 didn't start talking until he was around 3yrs and so was given a dx of HFA. Ds2 had some words by the age of 2yrs and was given a dx of AS. It doesn't seem to be set in stone though as our Paed uses the 2 terms interchangeably and so some reports talk about ds2's AS while others mention HFA. It can be very confusing.

AFAIK pronunciation doesn't seem to be taken into account.

Yes, we had the same:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1373/349137

DS was using sentences by the time of the DX (at 3.8) but with weird grammar. Vocab and pronunciation have never been a problem.

FWIW the pros I dealt with seemed to think HFA was the "better" DX as far as getting help & services went.

How old is your DS?