http://rdos.net/eng/aspeval/quizr4.htm

I don't quite know what everything means, but ADHDers are WAY closer to the Aspies and AS (could that be Autistic Spectrum, because I thought that stood for Asperger's Syndrome?) than their NT buddies. :eek: On every question too! This also means, dont take those quizzes seriously...

That is interesting information! It is hard to argue with the data, and yes, I agree, that many ADDers are very aspie-like. Obviously, if Hans Asperger was right about AS being on a spectrum between "normal" and very autistic, one wonders where the very, very mildy autistic ones are? It seems to me that one has to have severe, compelling symptoms to fit into pdd, and the mild ones don't fit the full criteria, so they get diagnosed with something else to explain away their symptoms... or not diagnosed at all...

AS sometimes is used to denote ASperger syndrome. AS is sometimes used to refer to autism spectrum, but ASD is more correctly used for autism spectrum disorder... makes it easier to conceptually seperate aspergers frmo autism, pdd nos, etc.

ME :D

It seems to me that one has to have severe, compelling symptoms to fit into pdd, and the mild ones don't fit the full criteria, so they get diagnosed with something else to explain away their symptoms... or not diagnosed at all...I'm no expert on this stuff, but could that possibly be what ADHD is? Just like a milder form of AS, where AS is a milder form of autism? Surely that would mean that ADHD should be on the spectrum then???

In my experience, Asperger Syndrome is not a milder form of Autism.

I think that there are a lot of aspies who are misdiagnosed with ADHD instead of AS.

I think the overlap in symptoms between the two disorders is mostly due to the fact that both affect similar regions of the brain, with AS being a bit more global than ADHD, so ADHD appears milder, and with similar symptoms....

I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say they are both really the same disorder. My reasoning is that ADDers tend to multitask, while aspies tend to dislike multitasking.. even though some aspies DO multitask. ADDers do not perservate. Aspies tend to perservate. For those who don't know, perservation is a tendency to resist change, or to prefer sameness or to prefer predictability in their environment. For some Aspies it is a big deal, for others environmental change is not a problem. Interestingly tho, only aspies and ADDers can hyperfocus.
Another interesting thing that I've noticed is that many ADDers speak aspergese... that is, many aspies and ADDers are able to communicate effortlessly, as though they had some commonality.
.

For me writing this posting is close to my heart. I've considered the idea that I might have AS. I've decided that I am probably not anywhere near qualifying for a PDD. But even so, I do a lot of things that are very aspie-like and more than one person who knows me well has confided that they thought I was a little autistic. Things fit together, and one gets a general picture of things. It's hard to say if it is an accurate picture, but it is enough to give me pause to think about it when I sum it all up.

I feel like my position that ADHD is NOT in the autism spectrum is possibly denial on my part. Maybe denying my own autism. But, the facts as we presently know them just don't support the idea that ADHD is in the autism spectrum (in my opinion)... but it is interesting and I think it should be investigated.

ME :D

You might find the information here helpful.
http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/7/4/310

The subject of dual diagnoses came up on another thread.

from: http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/7/4/310

"Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (DSM–IV)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presents withinattention, distractability, fidgetiness, impulsivity and hyperactivity.Persons with HFA spectrum disorders may be hyperactive, impulsive,have a short attention span and share similar executive functiondeficits as patients with ADHD. The conditions differ in thatADHD lacks the classic impairment in reciprocal social interaction,narrow interests, repetitive routines and non-verbal problemsof Asperger syndrome. In accordance with a hierarchical rulein DSM–IV, a person meeting the criteria for a pervasivedevelopmental disorder cannot be diagnosed as having ADHD. Thisis not the case in ICD–10, in which a dual diagnosis ofAsperger syndrome and ADHD is possible.

Gillberg & Ehlers (1998) point out that children who meetcriteria for ADHD may also meet the full criteria for Aspergersyndrome. They mention one study, in which 21% of children withsevere ADHD met the full criteria for Asperger syndrome and36% showed autistic traits. A developmental history is usuallysufficient to separate ADHD from Asperger syndrome, but ADHDcan present as soon as the child can walk, and it is importantto consider that impulsivity can interfere with social relationships,making children appear unempathic. Indeed, children with ADHDcan be so easily distracted that they appear to be in a worldof their own and therefore seem socially disconnected. It isnot surprising, therefore, that children with Asperger syndromeare not uncommonly misdiagnosed as having ADHD, since it isoften the attention and hyperactive problems that parents firstobserve."

On the topic of an ADHD/autism link...here is an abstract that I found on the net..

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/7/1239
The Impact of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders on Temperament, Character, and Personality Development

<nobr>Henrik Anckarsäter, M.D., Ph.D.</nobr>, <nobr>Ola Stahlberg, Psychol., M.Sc.</nobr>, <nobr>Tomas Larson, B.A.</nobr>, <nobr>Catrin Hakansson, B.A.</nobr>, <nobr>Sig-Britt Jutblad, Psychol., M.Sc.</nobr>, <nobr>Lena Niklasson, Psychol., M.Sc.</nobr>, <nobr>Agneta Nydén, Psychol., Ph.D.</nobr>, <nobr>Elisabet Wentz, M.D., Ph.D.</nobr>, <nobr>Stefan Westergren, M.D.</nobr>, <nobr>C. Robert Cloninger, M.D.</nobr>, <nobr>Christopher Gillberg, M.D., Ph.D.</nobr> and <nobr>Maria Rastam, M.D., Ph.D.</nobr> <!-- ABS --> OBJECTIVE: The authors describe personality development anddisorders in relation to symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. METHOD: Consecutiveadults referred for neuropsychiatric investigation (N=240) wereassessed for current and lifetime ADHD and autism spectrum disordersand completed the Temperament and Character Inventory. In asubgroup of subjects (N=174), presence of axis II personalitydisorders was also assessed with the Structured Clinical Interviewfor DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II). RESULTS: Patientswith ADHD reported high novelty seeking and high harm avoidance.Patients with autism spectrum disorders reported low noveltyseeking, low reward dependence, and high harm avoidance. Characterscores (self-directedness and cooperativeness) were extremelylow among subjects with neuropsychiatric disorders, indicatinga high overall prevalence of personality disorders, which wasconfirmed with the SCID-II. Cluster B personality disorderswere more common in subjects with ADHD, while cluster A andC disorders were more common in those with autism spectrum disorders.The overlap between DSM-IV personality disorder categories washigh, and they seem less clinically useful in this context.CONCLUSIONS: ADHD and autism spectrum disorders are associatedwith specific temperament configurations and an increased riskof personality disorders and deficits in character maturation.

Here is an article citing a gene that may be implicated in both adhd and childhood onset autism.

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/geneticists_find_location_of_major_gene_in_adhd_al so_linked_to_autism

Researchers in Los Angeles have localized a region on chromosome 16 that is likely to contain a risk gene for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the most prevalent childhood-onset psychiatric disorder. The scientists say their finding suggest that the suspected risk gene may contribute as much as 30 percent of the underlying genetic cause of ADHD and may also be involved in a separate childhood onset disorder, autism.From the University of California at Los Angeles (http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?id=3612):UCLA Geneticists Find Location of Major Gene in ADHD; Targeted Region Also Linked to Autism

October 22, 2002

UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute researchers have localized a region on chromosome 16 that is likely to contain a risk gene for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the most prevalent childhood-onset psychiatric disorder.

Their research, published in the October edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics, suggests that the suspected risk gene may contribute as much as 30 percent of the underlying genetic cause of ADHD and may also be involved in a separate childhood onset disorder, autism.

Pinpointing a gene with a major role in ADHD will help researchers and clinicians better understand the biology of this disorder and likely lead to the development of improved diagnosis, treatment and early intervention.

"We know there are about 35,000 genes in the human genome. By highlighting this region on chromosome 16, we have narrowed our search for a risk gene underlying ADHD to some 100 to 150 genes," said Susan Smalley, principal investigator of the study and co-director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.

"Still, we must wait for independent replication of our results to confirm these findings," said Smalley, also a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Ultimately, we must identify the specific risk gene from among the 100 to 150 genes in this region before we can move to the next level of using such findings to help individuals with ADHD."

By studying families in which there are two or more ADHD siblings, the investigators were able to "scan" the entire human genome, containing some 35,000 genes, to focus in on specific regions likely to contain a gene contributing to ADHD.

In their initial scan, several regions showed modest support for a risk gene; however, in a follow-up study of one region on chromosome 16, evidence of a risk gene was striking � with favorable odds of 10,000 to 1. Surprisingly, independent studies have implicated the same region as harboring a risk gene for autism, suggesting that ADHD and autism may have some common genetic underpinnings. Whether a common gene contributes to both remains to be determined.

ADHD and autism are very distinct clinical conditions. Although certain features are shared, the underlying biological mechanisms are thought to be distinct. If a common risk gene on chromosome 16 were found to underlie ADHD and autism, Smalley said, the finding would illustrate that genes affecting neurobiological mechanisms can cut across clinical boundaries, as most geneticists suspect.

"This study provides compelling evidence that ADHD and autism may have a lot more in common than we ever thought, with implications for both diagnosis and treatment," Smalley said. "However, further investigation is required to determine the significance of this finding, as it is also quite feasible that distinct risk genes underlying each condition just happen to be in close proximity on chromosome 16."

UCLA researchers spent five years collecting clinical, cognitive and genetic data from 203 families with multiple ADHD children. Their initial search for shared DNA markers suggested regions on chromosomes 16, 10 and 12. Focusing their attention on chromosome 16, researchers found a series of molecular "markers" shared among sibling pairs at a rate higher than the 50 percent sharing expected due to their degree of relationship.

Based on the observed degree of DNA sharing among ADHD siblings, the researchers estimate that the risk gene � if replicated by other scientists studying ADHD � might account for as much as 30 percent of the genetic cause of ADHD. As with any initial finding, however, the investigators caution that replication is necessary and that significant work with more families will be needed to find a specific risk gene in that location.

Previous investigations into a genetic cause for ADHD have focused on specific candidate genes, such as those involved in regulation of dopamine, a chemical in the brain implicated in ADHD. Previous studies of dopamine receptor genes (whose products are important in releasing dopamine in the cells) and dopamine transporter genes (whose products are involved in moving dopamine between cells) suggest they may also be involved in ADHD. The risk for ADHD in individuals carrying these genes, however, is very small, maybe 1.2 to 1.5 times the risk of those without such genes.

ADHD is the most common childhood-onset behavioral disorder, affecting as many as one in 10 children and three times as many boys as girls. Symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity, which can last into adulthood, can affect school and work performance as well as social skills. Researchers estimate that the cause of ADHD is 70 percent to 80 percent genetic, and the remainder largely environmental.

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects perhaps as many as one in 500 children and usually appears within the first three years of a child's life. It affects the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication. Autism, like ADHD, is thought to be due to multiple genetic and environmental factors, although genetics seems to dominate, with more than 60 percent to 70 percent of the underlying cause of autism thought to be genetic.

The National Institute of Mental Health, a University of California BioStar grant and the Wellcome Trust, through the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford, England, provided financial support for the research.

A team of investigators at UCLA and the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics in Oxford conducted the research. The UCLA team includes Stanley F. Nelson and members of his lab, Vlad Kustanovich, Jennifer Stone and Matthew Ogdie of the UCLA Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics and Department of Human Genetics; James J. McGough and James T. McCracken of the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences; Rita M. Cantor of the UCLA Department of Human Genetics; and Sonia L. Minassian of the UCLA Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics and Department of Biostatistics. The team from Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, led by Anthony P. Monaco, includes Simon E. Fisher, Laurence MacPhie and Clyde Francks.

The UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute is an interdisciplinary research and education institute devoted to the understanding of complex human behavior, including the genetic, biological, behavioral and sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior, and the causes and consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Research at the Institute's Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics focuses on the discovery of the genetic basis of major neurobehavioral disorders, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dementias, depression, manic-depressive illness (bipolar disorder) and schizophrenia.
Contact: Dan Page ( dpage@support.ucla.edu )
Phone: 310-794-2265

Here is a short blurb from ADDitude magazine citing
a link between ADHD, autism and tourette's syndrome (I believe that I have pointed this out in earlier postings).

http://www.additudemag.com/addnews/38/2296.html

April 2007:

Study Links ADHD to Autism, Tourette's

A new study has uncovered an apparent link between ADHD, autism, and Tourette's Syndrome.


A new study has uncovered an apparent link between ADHD, autism, and Tourette's Syndrome. Conducted by researchers at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, the study tracked the health of nearly 670,000 Danish children born between 1990 and 1999. It found a significant increase in the incidence of the three disorders, but no significant rise in the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The study was published last February in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

I just completed the book "An Anthropologist from Mars" by Oliver Sacks (the author of the famous "Awakenings") and he has several case studies of autistic/Asperger-like folks in there, as well as a man with severe Tourette's.

I think there is some sort of link with ADHD, but I definitely think there are enough dissimilarities to cause one to pause. For example, I have two parents with Asperger-like symptoms, and both have ADD as well (mom, non-hyper, dad, hyper), and both have definite impairments in social functioning, perceiving emotions and feeling-states in others, social inhibition, and simply "fitting in." My younger brother has some sort of Asperger's/PDD thing going on, and many of the symptoms on the Aspie quiz, which was fascinating as well, fit my parents and my younger brother.

ON THE other HAND, although I have ADD, I have an extremely finely tuned "emotional tuner," and am intuitive about emotions and feeling-states to an almost uncomfortable degree. I felt sort of like an alien outcast in my family -- no one could in the least understand my emotional states or the world I lived in. It was almost like the reverse of what an autistic/Asperger's person must feel in a "normal" family. (For the Trekkies, which I am not but many have I known, it was kind of like being a Betazoid in a family of emotionally dysregulated Spocks).

I do, however, have the classic executive functioning impairments in ADD. I also, funny enough, experience a lot of discomfort in social settings because I never learned a lot of the interactive skills that most children do from their parents because mine were so impaired. So I still have questions about what I am supposed to do, how to react, and I hate chitchat -- although I can make anyone feel very comfortable telling me their life story because my empathy level is extremely (almost uncomfortably) high.

Yeah, sure there are differences but there's also a hell of a lot more similarities. Maybe there's even differences within the ADHD population concerning social issues? For example, in my family I'm extremely introverted but have some of the basic social sense that my much more extroverted father just seems to lack. Something ADHD really can't explain for me is how I did have a few sort of obsessive interests in my early years... but after all I was deprived of everything an ADHDer craves (video games and free play), so my mind needed something to focus on and it found them. It doesn't seem very uncommon that the INFP personality type would do that either.

My empathy level was almost abnormally high and still is I guess, but it never really shows due to what I'm faced with. I was always the one who just couldn't pick on anyone or kill the bugs... although I would share a laugh behind their backs once and a while...

Imnapl: I beg to differ on your comment where you say that Aspegers is not a milder form of Autism...as far as the professionals and some Aspies are concerned it IS a milder form of Autism.

SpaceTraveller: I agree 100% on your last post where you say that there are a lot of similarities and a hell of a lot of differences between AS and ADD/ADHD, I as an ADDer can see the difference between myself and an Aspie and I can also see mild similarities between myself and an Aspie (I'm actually SID as well as ADHD) and like you my empathy level is also reasonably high.

Selena

Imnapl: I beg to differ on your comment where you say that Aspegers is not a milder form of Autism...as far as the professionals and some Aspies are concerned it IS a milder form of Autism.I wonder if they've read the diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome? :D

From: http://www.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/asdiagnosis.html#definition

A final criterion involves the necessary exclusion of other conditions, most importantly autism or a sub threshold (or "autistic-like") form of autism (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). Interestingly, the DSM-IV definition of AS is offered having autism as its point of reference; hence some of the criteria actually involve the absence of abnormalities in some areas of functioning that are affected in autism.

There is an ongoing debate in the medical world about weither Asperger's should be in the autistic spectrium at all, since the one major difference between the two is if there was language delay in early childhood or not. Curently AS is in the ASD as a "high functioning" autism, but that may very well change.

There was once something where they thought Aspergers is of a different entity to Autism but they decided to put it in the Autistic Spectrum because some of the symptoms were very similar to Autism itself, like Autism Aspergers does affect the social, emotional and communication areas of functioning so I guess that's why some professionals think of Aspergers as a milder form of Autism.

Selena

I wonder if they've read the diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome? :D

From: http://www.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/asdiagnosis.html#definition

A final criterion involves the necessary exclusion of other conditions, most importantly autism or a sub threshold (or "autistic-like") form of autism (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). Interestingly, the DSM-IV definition of AS is offered having autism as its point of reference; hence some of the criteria actually involve the absence of abnormalities in some areas of functioning that are affected in autism.

ive worked with someone with some form of autism, i think mabye aspergers syndrome whatever, i noticed that we did in fact have some similarities. Like we both thought systematically, we both thought of the bigger picture, and we both had a habit of breaking things down to there basic principles and units.

Honestly id rather work with someone with autism who is trying to cope with it than with someone who is neurotypical, cause honestly with alot of things the autistic guy and i were on the same page about alot of things.

All you have to do is to visit an asperger's chat room to discover that many adders click with aspies and share a lot of the same problems. Beyond that I think that many adders are too hyper for some people with autism to feel comfy with. It's been my experience that a lot of ADDers tend to generate a lot of scrolling in the chat rooms and tend to switch topics a lot. This is something that can be difficult or uncomfortable for some autistic people online. The aspies typically are not bothered by it so much and mostly just join in on the chats anyway.

Me :D

We all can agree that they are similar, but definitely not the same, right? The thing about aspies and ADDers clicking is interesting because I've chatted on Wrongplanet before as well as had an aspie friend (well while it is only one person, only .3 -.4 % of people are aspies, and they generally aren't the best at making friends)

From what I've noticed, one of the best ways to tell the difference between ADD and AS is that both will have strong interests and will hyper focus on them. However, the ADDer will have a desire to move onto something else after less than a half hour and also will be paying attention to the outside environment more. He also may squirm around a bit or get a drink. The aspie on the other hand will only shift attention if they have to and will be quite oblivious to the environment around them.

Yes, the way the topic flows on #wrongplanet and the way everyone hyperfocuses on the same thing in unison is remarkable. I agree, the ADDers tend to skip around more and are probably more likely to be responsive to their external environment. Notwithstanding that, I often drit off into the "zone" but I'm an ADDer. It was reassuring to find that some aspies do that too. LOL, I thought I was the only person on the planet who lived in the zone until I met these people.

ME :D


We all can agree that they are similar, but definitely not the same, right? The thing about aspies and ADDers clicking is interesting because I've chatted on Wrongplanet before as well as had an aspie friend (well while it is only one person, only .3 -.4 % of people are aspies, and they generally aren't the best at making friends)

From what I've noticed, one of the best ways to tell the difference between ADD and AS is that both will have strong interests and will hyper focus on them. However, the ADDer will have a desire to move onto something else after less than a half hour and also will be paying attention to the outside environment more. He also may squirm around a bit or get a drink. The aspie on the other hand will only shift attention if they have to and will be quite oblivious to the environment around them.

I agree that ADDer's and Aspies are similar in a lot of ways but I also agree that whilst we ADDer's click with the Aspies....it's hard to keep a friendship with them as their thought process is little more narrower than ours and they tend to be more literal as well which makes having a joke with them a little hard at times as well, I've chatted on Aspie forums before and whilst they were great people (I've found most Aspies to be really nice and they mean well) I could see the difference between myself and them and I felt I didn't always fit in so I stopped going on that forum (I joined that forum to find out info about my step-grandfather who we all suspect has AS and I also wondered if I had it as well and it turned out I didn't even though I was once dxd incorrectly with it at age 13...however it's ironic how I found out about my true condition...SID it was THIS forum that made me aware of it....ok I'm going off subject now and I'm going to stop raving!!)

Selena:)

We all can agree that they are similar, but definitely not the same, right? The thing about aspies and ADDers clicking is interesting because I've chatted on Wrongplanet before as well as had an aspie friend (well while it is only one person, only .3 -.4 % of people are aspies, and they generally aren't the best at making friends)

From what I've noticed, one of the best ways to tell the difference between ADD and AS is that both will have strong interests and will hyper focus on them. However, the ADDer will have a desire to move onto something else after less than a half hour and also will be paying attention to the outside environment more. He also may squirm around a bit or get a drink. The aspie on the other hand will only shift attention if they have to and will be quite oblivious to the environment around them.

Interesting article, while I don't agree with some of the things the author is hypothesizing, it is a fresh perspective...

http://theemergencesite.com/Tech/TechIssues-Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD.htm

One wonders how this idea would account for Tourrets syndrome since it embodies both ADHD and ocd aspects.

ME :D

Lol, it's really just a load of BS when you actually read what the guy is trying to say, so I wouldn't take it too seriously. There is no science to back any of that stuff up, but I do like this:
http://theemergencesite.com/Images/Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD-Spectrum.jpg (http://theemergencesite.com/Images/Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD-Spectrum.jpg)

Yes, It at least puts sensory issues into perspective.
It does make me wonder if sensory issues can be classified and differentiated across various disorders.

Using that as a diagnostic, I am supposed to have Kanners syndrome. My big distractor is sensory input. Sensory input jams my ability to process other things.
Someone in the room talking to me when I'm typing is sufficient input that I can't type.

LOL, I was hyperlexic as a kid. I think that in itself rules out kanners. I'm pretty social too.

From what I've experienced personally as compared to what I've read, and what I've learned from ADDers and people on the spectrum, I've come to view my sensory issues as being fundamentally the same as those that people with autism experience, but at a different magnitude. A sensory overload can annoy me or agitate me enough to make me a bit hyper,or make me slow to process things, but I'm probably not going to throw a fit or shutdown completely when someone starts a vacum cleaner...

One of my pet peeves is that doctors barely acknowledge sensory issues. I get the sense that they don't know what to do with it so they just pretend it is not there... I had one doctor say: "I can't even measure it, let alone do anything about it".

My present doctor is great and asks me how the sensory issues have been when I see her. She even helps by suggesting coping strategies and medication management, etc. It's no cure, but the fact that my doc cares enough to offer some concern and advice matters a lot to me.


oops.. I digress....

ME :D

Lol, it's really just a load of BS when you actually read what the guy is trying to say, so I wouldn't take it too seriously. There is no science to back any of that stuff up, but I do like this:
http://theemergencesite.com/Images/Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD-Spectrum.jpg

Hey SpaceTraveler,

Just curious what made you post the following:

Lol, it's really just a load of BS when you actually read what the guy is trying to say, so I wouldn't take it too seriously. There is no science to back any of that stuff up . . .

Did you look for any science?

I wasn't able to load the whole page from the link provided, SpaceTraveler. This one worked better for me.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:RfOe9ooCp00J:theemergencesite.com/Tech/TechIssues-Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD.htm+theemergencesite.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca

If I may recap;
The questions this thread seems to raise are:

Is ADHD and autism connected?

If so, what is that connection?

Is ADHD just a mild for of some PDD, like Asperger's syndrome ?

How are ADHD and AS the same?

How are they different ?

Since mild Asperger's syndrome (and mild PDD in general) is so often mistaken for ADHD, how can someone tell the difference between the two?

From the standpoint of someone who has these syndromes, how can they tell the difference so that they can seek proper treatment and adjust their strategy for overcoming the problems involved ?

I mean, it may be easy for someone on the outside looking at a person to observe some charachteristic or behavior, but from the patient's perspective it is all "inside and looking out", and without some frame of reference one can hardly see themselves as they really are.

I think that there are a lot of people who are struggling to identify whatever it is that is causing them difficulty in life.
Some people just have questions and a strong emotional need to just have an answer.

(rant begins here)
There are a LOT of people out in the world who have some kind of PDD and have had no help whatsoever from the medical establishment because their symptoms are not compellingly autistic. Nonetheless, many of these people are struggling and sure could use a little help from time to time. I think that the current state of denial by society and by the medical establishment is nothing short of shocking. (end rant).

ME :D

(rant begins here)
There are a LOT of people out in the world who have some kind of PDD and have had no help whatsoever from the medical establishment because their symptoms are not compellingly autistic. Nonetheless, many of these people are struggling and sure could use a little help from time to time. I think that the current state of denial by society and by the medical establishment is nothing short of shocking. (end rant).

ME :DSpeedo, you are not ranting. I have attended lengthy workshops on Autism / PDD and the same thought always comes up: but, everyone has an eccentric Uncle George in the family. In the past, social assistance for persons with PDD had to meet an IQ requirement. Above the cut-off meant less assistance.

lol, I *AM* the eccentric uncle George...

Me :D

I just stumbled across a study that characterizes autism across age groups.

http://www.uic.edu/orgs/rrtcamr/autismreport2.pdf

Unfortunately it has charts in it so I can not paste the text in here.

It is worth reading

ME :D

That is interesting. Thanks, Speedo.