What is the difference between High functioning autism and Aspergers Syndrome?
High-functioning autism (HFA) is an informal term applied to individuals who show some symptoms of Autism but are very close to non-autistic people. One definition is that individuals with HFA have an IQ above some cutoff value such as 85. There is no consensus as to the definition, and the extent of the overlap between HFA and Asperger syndrome is unclear.
Asperger’s Syndrome is defined by slightly different criteria than autism. While people with autism show a marked delay in speech and language development, according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), people with Asperger’s Syndrome demonstrate average or even above-average language acquisition. However, some experts have questioned the differentiation between high-functioning autism and Asperger’s, noting that there are some people with Asperger’s whose speech did not develop normally, while there are people with high-functioning autism who demonstrate the same high level of self-care and cognitive skills. For more information, see the article on this subject in our Resources section.
