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What is the difference between Asperger Syndrome and ASD Level 1?

Arran

A 14 year old has been identified as having suspected AS by a police officer following a long a circuitous route starting with a Prevent referral at his secondary school.

It was reported back to his secondary school but they no longer recognise AS as a condition as they have gone down the DSM-5 ASD route. The school also does not accept that he has ASD - even at Level 1 - as he does not meet either of two criteria:

1. A noticeable speech and language delay - either currently or at any time since starting primary school.

2. Behind academically in the main subjects - English language, maths, science.

His mother stressed to the school that two criteria of AS are:

1. No noticeable speech and language delay.

2. Average or above average academically in the main subjects.

He is of quite high academic ability, most notably in maths, science, computer science, and geography.

What is the difference between Asperger Syndrome and ASD Level 1?

Is a noticeable speech and language delay and being behind academically in the main subjects essential criteria for an ASD Level 1 diagnosis?

  • The school is not qualified to assess ASD nor is the police man in fairness.

    frankly I think the schools criteria for assessing ASD are a joke and I’d like to here what medical basis they have for them. Strongly suggest you speak to your child’s GP about an assessment.

  • in reply to Caelus
    Caelus said:
    which lead to me personally being placed in low sets/classes for subjects

    He is in the higher sets for the subjects he is taking for GCSE.

    He wasn't very good at and didn't like the arts subjects, so he dropped all of them at the start of Y9.

  • in reply to Martin
    Martin said:
    No-one now gives diagnoses of Asperger's, it is all ASD (or ASC).

    Wrong. Diagnoses of AS still take place as ICD-10 is still a current publication.

     “persistent difficulties with social communication" - could be interpreted as speech and language delays.

    “limit and impair everyday functioning” - could be interpreted as behind academically in the main subjects.

  • well arnt people with ASD usually above average academically anyway?
    although we generally get held back due to schools being very social hierarchy, which lead to me personally being placed in low sets/classes for subjects and feeling like i am surrounded be absolute imbeciles that can barely read or write who were all below my level of intelligence. so i guess we can get unfairly judged and misplaced in lower tiers of education because the education system is tainted by the social hierarchy, but generally speaking people with ASD are likely above average academically other than that.

  • I'm a bit gobsmacked that the school think it's up to them to diagnose and decide what to recognise or not.

    Asperger's is now part of ASD as Martin points out and speech delay is not part of the criteria. And being behind academically isn't either. A lot of people with ASD are high IQ and performing well academically. 

    Well done that police officer for spotting potential signs, but clearly he can't diagnose either. If you think he could be right, start with your GP. Tell him/her why you think it may be a possibility and he/she will make the necessary referrals. If that ends up in a diagnosis an EHC plan at school might be in order, which the school have no choice but to recognise.

  • No. It was once the dividing line between 'high functioning autism', with speech delay, and Asperger's, without speech delay. If they are using DSM-5 ASD, they really need to read the diagnostic criteria contained in it and not just invent stuff. No-one now gives diagnoses of Asperger's, it is all ASD (or ASC). The criteria they are quoting do not exist for diagnosis of ASD Level 1. Diagnostic criteria are summarised as: “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” (this includes sensory behaviour), present since early childhood, to the extent that these “limit and impair everyday functioning”.  Nowhere does this include delay in speech and language acquisition or low academic achievement. At best the school are putting their own limits on to whom they give support and passing this off as being clinically sanctioned. At worst they are entirely uninformed about ASD diagnostic criteria. Presumably, there is  no-one at the school who is qualified to give a clinical opinion? In which case their criteria are invalid anyway.

    A clinical assessment would be the best thing for the child. In the meantime there are a number of AQ tests for autistic traits available online, getting scores within the autistic range might give some leverage over the school.