What happened to Asperger's syndrome?
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association stopped using the clinical term Asperger’s syndrome, grouping the condition with other forms of autism under the term ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder.’
Adam McCrimmon, University of Calgary
March 8, 2018
I often get asked “Does my child have Asperger’s?” in my clinical work. Or, “Do I have Asperger’s?”
These are challenging questions to answer. They have stimulated much debate among clinicians, researchers, and those who have identified with the term over the past several years.
A ‘pervasive developmental disorder’
Asperger’s syndrome made its official appearance when the World Health Organization (WHO) published the initial version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 10th edition.
These efforts yielded variable results, and the general research consensus is that clinicians applied diagnostic criteria inconsistently and that individuals with Asperger’s and autism are more similar than different.
Replaced by ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’
As a result of this inconsistent application and similarities among the PDDs, the APA removed the clinical term from use and replaced it with a broad Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) term — encompassing several previous distinct disorders — when they published their most recent diagnostic manual in 2013.
‘Aspies’ identify with clinical label
Despite these views, Asperger’s syndrome has become socially popular, with characters in movies such as The Accountant and television shows such as Community being portrayed as either having the condition or displaying traits commonly associated with it.
An interesting social phenomenon also began to occur in the early 2010s, in which those with Asperger’s began to personally identify with their clinical label — referring to themselves as “Aspies” or other similar terms that represent their unique attributes and characteristics.
Asperger’s unique characteristics
As for how I respond to parents, I try to describe the current clinical framework and how it has evolved over time.
I tell them that I appreciate the unique attributes commonly associated with Asperger's term and I suggest that if their child’s behaviour seems to align with that description, then they or their child may feel more comfortable thinking about things in that way. In the end, the term that clinicians, families or individuals use is a matter of personal preference. One thing is certain though, Asperger’s is here to stay, even if the diagnosis isn’t.