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Since Asperger's disorder (often called Asperger syndrome [AS]) first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), there has been debate and controversy with regard to whether it is indeed a separate condition or whether it is high-functioning autism (HFA; Howlin, 2003; Young & Rodi, 2014). The term HFA is often used interchangeably with AS, and has been used to refer to individuals who initially showed indicators of autistic disorder (AD), but as they developed, were found to have greater intellectual ability and social and communication skills than would be expected for an individual with AD (Attwood, 2007). Ozonoff, South, and Miller (2000) have suggested that the difference between AS and HFA may be the developmental course, and that by adolescence, any differences are no longer apparent. Moreover, Kaland (2011) reported that the majority of research to date has been unable to conclusively establish that AS and HFA are separate conditions.
The recent publication of the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) has brought with it the removal of AS, along with the other autism spectrum disorder (ASD) subtypes. The revised diagnosis is ASD, and individuals will be classified in terms of the severity of their symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The rationale for the introduction of the single diagnosis of ASD in DSM-5 is the lack of evidence that AS is a distinct condition from AD (Tsai & Ghaziuddin, 2014; Young &
Rodi, 2014). However, from their analysis of studies comparing the various types of autism-related disorders in DSM-IV, Tsai and Ghaziuddin (2014) reported that their findings do not support these conditions being combined as a single category, and suggest the diagnostic label of AS has been removed prematurely.
Despite these recent diagnostic changes, it is still valuable to research and discuss AS. It has been reported that almost two thirds of individuals with an ASD are in the high-functioning range (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012), with IQs ranging from borderline to above average and without impairments or delays in language and cognitive development (O'Reilly & Wicks, 2013). Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that findings from research carried out in relation to individuals diagnosed with AS according to