re: HFA

[Guest guest]

Here the dx HFA is now being given to children who have aspergers because it is

often the only way that they can access services. in some states there are no

supports or provisions at all for aspergers. however, hfa dx used to be made on

iq. over 70 was the cutoff point. hfa people do not necessarily have the

capacity for independent living or work. and many either choose not to have

relationships or have some impediment to forming relationships. actually, not

everyone who has aspergers can do these things either. there are a lot of

factors involved, not just the ability of the person.

Message: 11

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 08:15:22 -0700 (PDT)

From: Donelle <ecasn@...>

Subject: Re: Digest Number 993

I don't know if there are any set guidelines, but I consider one to be HFA if

they are average to above average IQ, verbal (conversational), social. If you

were to look at the CARS or GARS scores, they would be right on the border of

the autism spectrum based on scores. One who is HFA would have every expectation

of being successful in school, going on to college, holding down a job,

marrying, and raising children. Most people would not consider this person to be

disabled, just a little eccentric/quirky. I believe one can work from a moderate

diagnosis to a mild (HFA) diagnosis with the proper treatments/therapies. For

example, a child that has not acquired speech yet may be considered moderately

affected. Once the language comes, he/she may progress well and learn to

overcome many of the disabling affects and be recategorized as mild (HFA). Just

my opinion.

Donelle

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[Guest guest]

When my son was evaluated the dev. pediatrician asked me tons of

questions, played with him, etc. Then she asked me what I thought. I

told her I thought he was probably somewhere on the spectrum but on

the edge and I didn't think that " Autistic " accurately described him.

She told me I was totally right--that he was very high functioning and

we needed to think along the lines of Asperger's when we worked with

him. I told her I'd heard some people debate if there was really a

difference between HFA and Asperger's. She told me that she felt

there was--just based on things like a complex puzzle that she tested

him with. He had no problems with it where she felt kids with a more

typical Asperger's diagnosis would--something to do with spacial

planing. She did say it was a generalization but with his language

delays she said calling him high functioning Autistic would probably

be a better description right NOW, though in a year or two an

Asperger's diagnosis would probably be more accurate. I have to

wonder too how much of his diagnosis had to do with the fact that I

told her the main reason I was there was because I'd heard that my

insurance would pay for Sensory Integration therapy for kids on the

spectrum. I wonder if you have to have the official Autism diagnosis

to get that rather than Asperger's or if they consider it one in the

same insurance wise. She also told me we can fully expect him to be

indistiguishable from his peers at some point, the language will work

itself out fully probably soon, etc. She said he may have continued

social difficulties but then again, maybe not since he's already doing

well. I think the main reason he got the diagnosis at all was due to

inflexibility/transitions, pronoun reversal and the fact that his

imaginary play wasn't as complex as the average 3.5 year old.

In the end everyone is right--it doesn't really matter as long as your

child gets services. My son's services didn't really change at all

after the diagnosis, but I think it took some pressure off of all of

us to have it be " official " which in turn made him feel more relaxed

as well. My son really feeds off the emotions of others around him.

Obviously it also doesn't matter what the diagnosis is in terms of

it's hard for parents one way or another and although I feel really

lucky that my son's problems on the grand scale of things aren't as

bad as they could be, it's still hard just the same, I'm still often

exhausted by it all, the appointments, meetings, etc. I often wonder

how people with NT kids can even claim it's hard. I think to myself

that if my son was NT it would be almost effortless compared to what

we go through!!!!