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Comparative Study
. 2019 Jan;49(1):138-150.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3689-4.

Subtyping the Autism Spectrum Disorder: Comparison of Children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Concetta de Giambattista  1 , Patrizia Ventura  1 , Paolo Trerotoli  2 , Mariella Margari  1 , Roberto Palumbi  1 , Lucia Margari  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Subtyping the Autism Spectrum Disorder: Comparison of Children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Concetta de Giambattista et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Since Hans Asperger's first description (Arch Psych Nervenkrankh 117:76-136, 1944), through Lorna Wing's translation and definition (Psychol Med 11:115-129, 1981), to its introduction in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM, 1994), Asperger Syndrome has always aroused huge interest and debate, until vanishing in the DSM fifth edition (2013). The debate regarded its diagnostic validity and its differentiation from high functioning autism (HFA). The present study aimed to examine whether AS differed from HFA in clinical profiles and to analyze the impact of DSM-5's innovation. Differences in cognitive, language, school functioning and comorbidities, were revealed when 80 AS and 70 HFA patients (3-18 years) were compared. Results suggested that an AS empirical distinction within autism spectrum disorder should be clinically useful.

Keywords: Asperger syndrome; Autism spectrum disorders; DSM-5; High functioning autism; Subtyping.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with ethical standards of the local Ethics Committee of the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari and with the 1964 Helsinky declaration and its later amendments. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed Consent

Informed consent from parents and assent from children and adolescents were obtained prior to enrollment.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
ROC curve for AS versus HFA. AS Asperger syndrome, HFA high functioning autism
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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