In light of Elon Musk’s revelation, it’s important for people to know that the terms “Asperger Syndrome” and “Asperger’s” are no longer commonly used.

There are three interrelated reasons for this change.

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1) The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM 5) removed the Asperger’s diagnosis and brought those who would have previously met its criteria under the expanded umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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1) (cont.)
ASD diagnoses include support needs specifiers ranging from 1-3, with 3 requiring the most support.

ASD diagnoses also include specifiers for:
• “with or without accompanying intellectual impairment”
and
• “with or without accompanying language impairment”

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2) Johann Friedrich Karl (Hans) Asperger—the person after whom the syndrome is named—was an Austrian pediatrician who is now known to have sent patients to Nazi eugenics programs where disabled children were reportedly experimented upon and euthanized.

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3) Because of eugenics history and a related dynamic often called “Aspie supremacy” (when those without co-occurring intellectual disabilities or language impairment use the term to try to separate themselves from the stigma of autism), autistic activists discourage its use.

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Nonetheless, the “Asperger Syndrome” diagnosis is still used in some parts of the world and by some clinicians in the US.

There are also autistic people who were originally diagnosed with Asperger’s, retain a sense of identity related to the term, and use it for that reason.
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