I went to a great conference by Tony Attwood last month. There’s always debate going on about the relationship between high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome (AS). According to the official diagnosing criteria, the only difference between the two is that HFA has an early language delay and AS does not. So, when people ask me, “Is Isaak becoming AS?” I say, no, he had an early language delay, so he has HFA and that doesn’t “turn into” AS.
While that is true, Attwood made it real clear what that relationship is.
That makes sense to me. Isaak’s early development definitely look more “autistic”, but as he hit 5-6 years old and his language caught up and his social and behavior delays were less pronounced, he began to look like the kids with AS that I knew. Looking at this chart, I can see why! While he doesn’t have AS and never will, his development now will follow that same trajectory.
Just some FYI to share!
