What is Asperger's syndrome and is it still a diagnosis?
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Learn more about the condition that techpreneur Elon Musk claims he has.
Tesla's chief executive officer (CEO) and SpaceX founder Elon Musk first made headlines this year when Bloomberg News reported in January that he has surpassed Jeff Bezos as the richest person in the world.
He is once again in the news after his hosting stint on Saturday Night Live (SNL) on May 9, where he revealed that he has Asperger's syndrome.
It is believed to be the first time that the world-famous techpreneur spoke about his condition.
"I don't always have a lot of intonation or variation in how I speak... which I'm told makes for great comedy," Elon joked during his opening monologue. "I'm actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL."
Although this revelation prompted the studio audience to give Elon a round of applause, many people on social media questioned the accuracy of his claim.
Many pointed out that comedian Dan Aykroyd, who previously hosted SNL, had also spoken publicly in the past about his Tourette's and Asperger's syndrome.
Moreover, a lot of people also pointed out on Twitter that Asperger's syndrome is actually an outdated diagnosis.
So below, we break down what exactly is Asperger's syndrome and why it is no longer a diagnosis.
What is Asperger's syndrome?
According to the Autism Society in Maryland, U.S.A, Asperger's syndrome was considered as a mild form of autism.
It is characterized by autism-like behavior and difficulties in social and communication skills
It was also referred to as “high-functioning autism” and was first diagnosed in boys who had normal intelligence and language development by Viennese pediatrician Hans Asperger. Hence, the name.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), these are the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome:
- Obsessive interest in a single object or topic
- Repetitive routines
- Peculiarities in speech and language
- Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior
- Inability to successfully interact with peers
- Problems with nonverbal communication
- Clumsiness and uncoordinated motor movements
Why is it no longer a diagnosis?
In 1994, Asperger's syndrome was added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as a separate disorder from autism.
However, in 2013, the DSM-5 filed Asperger's Disorder, Autistic Disorder, and other developmental disorders under the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
There are a few reasons for this, cited in an article published by Health.com.
The first reason was discussed to Health.com by David Mandell, a p psychiatry professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Director of the Penn Center for Mental Health.
He revealed that "even highly experienced and skilled clinicians were unable to agree on cases" and that “clinicians were not reliable in differentiating between Asperger's and autism.
He also said, “Part of the reason for this is that the presentation of autistic people can change dramatically with age and over time."
Meanwhile, according to Christopher Hanks, an internal medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Asperger's was removed as a diagnosis to elucidate that autism is a broad spectrum, and that it can manifest in different ways in individuals."
And finally, Mandell said that “increasing evidence” of Hans Asperger's association with the Nazi Party was another reason why the condition was removed as a diagnosis.
He told Health.com that "researchers and clinicians in the field were justifiably eager to distance themselves from his horrible legacy."
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You might also want to read about the struggles that celebrity mom Candy Pangilinan went through in raising her son, Quentin, who has ASD and ADHD.
