Re: What is the difference between Aspergers and HFA?

February 10, 2010

A timely op-ed in today's New York Times:

Disorder out of Chaos:

_http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/opinion/10grinker.html?emc=eta1_

(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/opinion/10grinker.html?emc=eta1)

Good food for thought about what " high functioning " should consider.

In a message dated 2/10/2010 12:52:08 P.M. Central Standard Time,

Ladyshrink111@... writes:

----- Original Message -----

From: Andree

Thank you for your reply.

Interesting comment you make about the biomedical differences. I saw my

DD's DAN recently (I just see her for needs outside chelation) but she said

that labwork for HFA kids shows issues (metals, yeast, deficiencies etc) and

they typically respond well to treatments while labwork for Asperger kids

reveals few issues and they respond poorly to treatments. Do you know if

many docs share this view?

=====>I do not know about Asperger kids, few kids meet the strict

diagnosis because of that restricted interest criteria I talked about. I do

know

that many drs say and it is also my experience that PDD-NOS kids respond

very, very well to treatment. I do remember a couple of studies for various

treatments that did show improvement with Autistic kids but not Asperger kids.

It could also be that Asperger kids get identified later, come to Biomed

treatment later than their Autistic counterparts so that the treatment is

less effective as we know.

I see that soon Aspergers & PDD-NOS will be removed from the DSM, mostly

because there is no scientific rationale for distinguishing between these

forms of autism - if I understand correctly. Yet, if biomedical markers are

different, then there are medical differences too right?

====>I think this is a mistake, I think there are distinct differences in

the Autism vs. PDD-NOS and Asperger categories. Yes, there are medical

differences, cholesterol levels being one with Pdd-nos and Asperger kids

presenting with high cholesterol, Autism kids with low. This finding alone is

probably responsible for the advanced speech of the pdd-nos/Asperger kids vs

Autistic kids.

For us, I'm just trying to find the closest fit for DD between HFA &

Aspergers.

====>If it helps we were very close to Aspergers yet she responded

unbelievably well to chelation, viral treatment and thyroid supplementation.

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Andree

>

> ===>Clinically speaking there is no such category as high functioning

Autism. Experts disagree as to whether Aspergers is a separate dx from

Autism. I agree that it is separate as Asperger kids differ even in Biomedical

presentation as well as behavioral presentation. Ours was the same, didn't

fit either category, missing the Asperger dx only by the criteria that she

had " restrictive interests " although I saw this come out early in chelation

rounds. These kids get relegated to the PDD-NOS category and I think this is

what regular people are talking about when they say " high functioning "

Autism.

>

> Is there a definition that is agreed upon?

>

> My DD is on the spectrum but not officially diagnosed and she has

elements of both groups, but isn't typical of either. She has advanced

vocabulary

and language skills, but isn't always adept in her communication,

understanding/ My DD is on the spectrum b

>

> Thanks

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

February 10, 2010

----- Original Message -----

From: Andree

===>Clinically speaking there is no such category as high functioning Autism.

Experts disagree as to whether Aspergers is a separate dx from Autism. I agree

that it is separate as Asperger kids differ even in Biomedical presentation as

well as behavioral presentation. Ours was the same, didn't fit either category,

missing the Asperger dx only by the criteria that she had " restrictive

interests " although I saw this come out early in chelation rounds. These kids

get relegated to the PDD-NOS category and I think this is what regular people

are talking about when they say " high functioning " Autism.

Is there a definition that is agreed upon?

My DD is on the spectrum but not officially diagnosed and she has elements of

both groups, but isn't typical of either. She has advanced vocabulary and

language skills, but isn't always adept in her communication,

understanding/following discussions.

Thanks

February 10, 2010

Thank you for your reply.

Interesting comment you make about the biomedical differences. I saw my DD's DAN

recently (I just see her for needs outside chelation) but she said that labwork

for HFA kids shows issues (metals, yeast, deficiencies etc) and they typically

respond well to treatments while labwork for Asperger kids reveals few issues

and they respond poorly to treatments. Do you know if many docs share this view?

I see that soon Aspergers & PDD-NOS will be removed from the DSM, mostly because

there is no scientific rationale for distinguishing between these forms of

autism - if I understand correctly. Yet, if biomedical markers are different,

then there are medical differences too right?

For us, I'm just trying to find the closest fit for DD between HFA & Aspergers.

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Andree

>

> ===>Clinically speaking there is no such category as high functioning

Autism. Experts disagree as to whether Aspergers is a separate dx from Autism. I

agree that it is separate as Asperger kids differ even in Biomedical

presentation as well as behavioral presentation. Ours was the same, didn't fit

either category, missing the Asperger dx only by the criteria that she had

" restrictive interests " although I saw this come out early in chelation rounds.

These kids get relegated to the PDD-NOS category and I think this is what

regular people are talking about when they say " high functioning " Autism.

>

> Is there a definition that is agreed upon?

>

> My DD is on the spectrum but not officially diagnosed and she has elements

of both groups, but isn't typical of either. She has advanced vocabulary and

language skills, but isn't always adept in her communication,

understanding/following discussions.

>

> Thanks

>

February 10, 2010

----- Original Message -----

From: Andree

Thank you for your reply.

Interesting comment you make about the biomedical differences. I saw my DD's

DAN recently (I just see her for needs outside chelation) but she said that

labwork for HFA kids shows issues (metals, yeast, deficiencies etc) and they

typically respond well to treatments while labwork for Asperger kids reveals few

issues and they respond poorly to treatments. Do you know if many docs share

this view?

=====>I do not know about Asperger kids, few kids meet the strict diagnosis

because of that restricted interest criteria I talked about. I do know that

many drs say and it is also my experience that PDD-NOS kids respond very, very

well to treatment. I do remember a couple of studies for various treatments

that did show improvement with Autistic kids but not Asperger kids. It could

also be that Asperger kids get identified later, come to Biomed treatment later

than their Autistic counterparts so that the treatment is less effective as we

know.

I see that soon Aspergers & PDD-NOS will be removed from the DSM, mostly

because there is no scientific rationale for distinguishing between these forms

of autism - if I understand correctly. Yet, if biomedical markers are different,

then there are medical differences too right?

====>I think this is a mistake, I think there are distinct differences in the

Autism vs. PDD-NOS and Asperger categories. Yes, there are medical differences,

cholesterol levels being one with Pdd-nos and Asperger kids presenting with high

cholesterol, Autism kids with low. This finding alone is probably responsible

for the advanced speech of the pdd-nos/Asperger kids vs Autistic kids.