Asperger's syndrome: what it meant and where the term went

If you were diagnosed before 2013, or you grew up hearing the word, "Asperger's" may still be the term that feels most familiar. This page explains what it meant, what happened to it, and why many people and organizations no longer use it, while respecting those who still do.

Aspergers meaning: what the diagnosis described

In its official form, Asperger's syndrome described people who had the social communication differences and restricted, repetitive patterns associated with autism, but no clinically significant delay in early language or general cognitive development. In practice, it was often given to children and adults who spoke fluently, did reasonably well academically, and struggled most with social expectations, change and sensory load.

Asperger syndrome symptoms, as they were described in adults

The traits once grouped under the label are now described simply as autistic traits. In adults, people diagnosed with Asperger's commonly reported:

• Finding small talk and unwritten social rules confusing or draining, while enjoying conversation about a shared interest.
• Very deep, long-lasting interests, sometimes in technical subjects, sometimes in people, fiction, animals or history.
• A strong preference for routine and predictability, and distress at sudden changes.
• Literal interpretation of language, and frustration with vague instructions.
• Sensory sensitivities to sound, light, touch, smell or taste.
• Formal or precise speech, sometimes described by others as blunt.
• Motor clumsiness or unusual coordination, which Asperger and later clinicians noted in some people.

These are not a test, and many people have some of them without being autistic. Only a qualified clinician can diagnose autism.

A short history of the term

Why it was folded into autism spectrum disorder

Over time, researchers and clinicians found that the line between Asperger's and other autism diagnoses was not drawn consistently. Different clinics gave different labels to people with similar profiles, and the labels did not reliably predict how someone would do or what support they needed. A single spectrum diagnosis, with a description of support needs, was seen as more accurate.

• Asperger's vs Autism: What ChangedAsperger syndrome was folded into autism spectrum disorder in DSM-5 (2013) and ICD-11. The history, Hans Asperger's record, and why some keep the term.
• DSM-5 autism criteria in plain languageThe DSM-5-TR autism criteria in plain language for adults: the two core areas, early onset and masking, impairment, ICD-11 6A02, with adult examples.
• Autism levels 1, 2 and 3 explainedAutism levels 1, 2 and 3 explained: what DSM-5 support levels describe, how clinicians assign them, why they are criticized, and why no quiz gives one.

The Hans Asperger history

For years, Hans Asperger was portrayed as someone who protected the children in his care from the Nazi regime. Archival research published in 2018 changed that picture. It is a painful history for many people who grew up with the term, and it is one reason some organizations now avoid the eponym.

Asperger's syndrome in adults today

Adults assessed now will receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, not Asperger's. People diagnosed under the old system do not need to be reassessed; their diagnosis is generally treated as an autism diagnosis for services and legal protections. Some keep the old word because it is the one on their paperwork and in their memory.

Should you use the word?

For your own identity, that is your decision. When talking about someone else, follow their lead. In general writing and in services, "autistic" or "autism spectrum disorder" is clearer, because it reflects current diagnostic language. SpectrumFox uses "Asperger's" only when discussing its history and the people who still identify with it.

• Looking for an Asperger’s test as an adult?Asperger’s is no longer a diagnosis, so there is no current Asperger test. Here is what replaced it, what older tools measure, and a free adult self-check.
• Why "high functioning autism" is a contested labelWhat "high functioning autism" usually means, why many autistic adults and researchers reject the label, what research shows, and clearer terms to use.