Differentiate between ADD, Asperger's Syndrome and Autism?

Question

I would prefer answers from doctors... I'm just curious..
I'd like to know the precise characteristics of these conditions..

Answer 1

Asperger Syndrome and Autism are more of a degree of disability. AS is much more highly functioning than Autism. They are considered different points on the same neurological spectrum. While Autism spectrum problems can cause the person to have a short attention span, the attention span problem is a secondary issue to their neurological pattern. In other words, they may have trouble focusing, or get very frustrated, but it is because of the way they process the world around them.

In attention deficit disorder, the lack of ability to focus attention when, where, and how the person wants to, is the primary issue. When an AS person misses a social cue, it is because they do not know how to understand it in the first place. When an ADD person misses a social cue, it is because they weren't focused on it.

An ADD person can learn all kinds of skills that an Autistic person cannot. But the Autistic person can apply the skills they do have, and an ADD person will likely forget when or how to apply them, or apply them inconsistently.

Both are neurological problems, both have genetic components.

ADD (or ADHD) is on a completely different spectrum from AS and Autism. A person can have ADD along with Asperger Syndrome, or Autism. But a person cannot be diagnosed with Both AS and Autism.

Answer 2

Albert Einstein did not speak until the age of four and did not learn to read until age 9. He is thought to have had some type of disability, and look what he did with his life. There is so much confusion between asperger's and autism because they have many of the same traits. The symptoms can also change a little as a person grows and matures and the brain develops. So it is possible that your diagnosis is not exactly right. I would not worry about the exact label so much since they are related. Instead, make sure you know what you need help with and how to get that help so that you can become a successful learner. If you get to know your own strengths and weaknesses, your label will not decide who you become in life. Good luck.

Answer 3

Asperger's syndrome: Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting".

ADD: This too is a neurological disorder; however, it is actually treated by psychiatrist. There are several different characteristics, but basically the big ones are impulsivity, inability to concentrate - staying focused on task. It is kind of a strange way to describe it, but it is like you have thousands of thoughts/actions in your brain and they just go round and round. It is extremely difficulty to pull them out and put them into order. A person with ADD often needs very small projects not big projects. However, people with ADD can and are often very intelligent and very artistic.

Autism: Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.

If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help

Answer 4

Wow - good question. These 3 conditions are so similar it is difficult to differentiate. From what I know, my son fits all 3 as well as Tourettes Syndrome, they are all degrees of the same condition. I am not a doctor but I know from experience. I will be watching your question for information I haven't heard. I was told by doctors that Autism is the umbrella under which these all the rest fall under. Thanks for asking this!

Answer 5

I highly recommend reading
“The ADHD Autism Connection”
by Dianne M. Kennedy.

You'll discover that there is a great deal in common and it's not just with these disorders, you could plug in Angelman or Fragile X syndrome instead of autism and have the same results.

Answer 6

ADD is very different from the other two, ADD causes a short attention span and sometimes increased hyperactivity (ADHD), asperger's is someone with a low degree of autism and can be a functioning member of society, the odds of someone with full blown autism being functional in society is very slim

Answer 7

ADD Stands for Attention Deficit Disorder This is one of the only times that I will refer to ADD as Attention Deficit Disorder. Those of us that are ADD know that attention is only one part of being ADD. Plus we really don't have an attention deficit. In fact we actually have an over abundance of attention. It's just hard for us to pay attention to only one thing at a time. If that one thing is boring or meaningless to us, it is next to impossible to pay attention to it...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Asperger's syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder. It is milder than autism but shares some of its symptoms. It is more common in boys than girls.

An obsessive interest in a single subject is a major symptom of AS. Some children with AS have become experts on dinosaurs, makes and models of cars, even objects as seemingly odd as vacuum cleaners. Their expertise, high level of vocabulary and formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors.

Children with AS have trouble reading social cues and recognizing other people's feelings. They may have strange movements or mannerisms. All of these make it difficult for them to make friends. Problems with motor skills are also common in children with AS. They may be late learning to ride a bike or catch a ball, for example. Treatment focuses on the three main symptoms: poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Autism is a disorder that is usually first diagnosed in early childhood. The main signs and symptoms of autism involve communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviors.

Children with autism might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them. They may have to line up their pencils before they can pay attention, or they may say the same sentence again and again to calm themselves down. They may flap their arms to tell you they are happy, or they might hurt themselves to tell you they are not. Some people with autism never learn how to talk.

Because people with autism can have very different features or symptoms, health care providers think of autism as a "spectrum" disorder. Asperger syndrome is a milder version of the disorder.

The cause of autism is not known. Autism lasts throughout a person's lifetime. There is no cure, but treatment can help. Treatments include behavior and communication therapies and medicines to control symptoms.

Answer 8

Autism can refer to any type of autism, and other times it refers to classical, profound autism. People with Asperger's are more high functioning than those with classical autism. Some with classical autism are mute and throw temper tantrums even when they are adults.

Answer 9

ADD - subject will not pay attention if is not relevant to his/her interests

Asperger - subject is actually processing information in his head, but is not aware you are not getting feedback

Autism - subject is in the teletubbies happy place