Diagnosis

[bibbler]

I had neuropsychological testing done in 2006 at the age of 43 and was told I have Aspergers.  I never received the report until today (long story) and it says that I have Cognitive Disorder NOS and Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS and not Aspergers.  What's the difference? 

Comments

[idiotgrrl]

IIRC, what it basically means is "Close, but not quite."

[bibbler]

What does IIRC mean?

[tooimpurenangel]

If I Recall Correctly=)

[bibbler]

Thanks....I'm still learning Internet Lingo

[r1vethead]

Your diagnosis is actually closer to HFA than to Aspergers.

[bibbler]

What is HFA?

[sheppeyescapee]

[caseytalk]

According to the DSM-IV, in order to have a diagnosis of Aspergers, there has to have been no language delay in early childhood. Very often, the difference between AS and PDDNOS is the language delay and there's no practical difference.

AFIK (as far as I know) the difficulties in making diagnoses on the autism spectrum make the functional differences between PDDNOS, HFA, and AS negligible. Among people with these diagnoses, there is so much variation that the distinctions blur. Whatever you call it (Autism Spectrum Disorder?), the only real importance is what it means to you. The diagnosis doesn't change who you are.

[mysticsong]

Interesting, because I had a language delay (didn't really talk until I was 3, and then still had trouble with several letters) and still received the AS diagnosis.

[tooimpurenangel]

Same here

[r1vethead]

interesting - i was hyperlexic [had the vocabulary of a university prof at age 4] along with accompanying "little professor" syndrome. I thought this was a key difference between Aspie and HFA.

[writerwench]

Well, as far as my daughter (who received a very similar report earlier this year) can tell, basically it means 'Close, but no banana'... in other words, you're not badly enough affected to qualify for an official diagnosis and the help/benefits/support that you would then be able to claim, depending on your country of residence.
Here in the UK, it's very hard indeed to get a clear diagnosis of Aspergers or anything more than a borderline degree of autism, because once diagnosed, one is entitled to considerable assistance and special dispensation, and that's an expensive thing to fund. So it's made very hard to qualify.

[for_u_alone]

I get financial assistance with a PDD diagnosis.

[aslanscountry]

I feel like PDD-NOS would actually be a more useful diagnosis, because it doesn't imply anything about how high-functioning the person is. A person with an Asperger's diagnosis might be assumed to be a certain level of high-functioning, but PDD-NOS people are understood to be all over the map in terms of functioning level. I think.

[frickkcirf]

It basically means that you have enough symptoms to be diagnosed with a PDD, but not enough symptoms of either Autism or Asperger's or symptoms that aren't consistent with any other Pervasive Developmental Disorder to appropriately diagnose you with a specific one.

Here's what my DSM-IV says on PDD-NOS:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Including Atypical Autism)
This category should be used when there is a severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction or verbal and nonverbal communication skills, or when stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities are present, but the criteria are not met for a specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, or Avoidant Personality Disorder. For example, this category includes "atypical autism"--Presentations that do not meet the criteria for Autistic Disorder because of late age at onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these.