Asperger’s syndrome is now diagnosed as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specifically ASD Level 1. The change happened in 2013 when the American Psychiatric Association published the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), folding Asperger’s and several related conditions into one unified diagnosis. If you or someone you know was previously diagnosed with Asperger’s, that diagnosis is still valid and doesn’t require re-evaluation.
Why the Name Changed
Before 2013, clinicians had to choose between several separate diagnoses: autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and a catch-all category called PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified). All three shared overlapping symptoms, and the boundaries between them were often blurry. A child who received an Asperger’s diagnosis from one clinician might get an autism diagnosis from another. The DSM-5 eliminated that inconsistency by merging all of these into a single diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder, with a severity rating attached.
The core idea behind the change was that autism exists on a spectrum rather than as a set of discrete conditions. Instead of drawing hard lines between categories that didn’t hold up reliably in practice, the new framework uses three severity levels to describe how much support a person needs.
What ASD Level 1 Looks Like
Level 1, labeled “requiring support,” is the closest match to what was once called Asperger’s. People at this level typically have average or above-average intelligence and no significant language delay, two features that distinguished the old Asperger’s diagnosis from classic autism. They can hold conversations and function independently in many areas of life, but social interaction takes more effort.
Common traits at this level include difficulty initiating conversations or responding to social cues in expected ways, trouble adjusting behavior across different social settings, and challenges with making or keeping friendships. Repetitive behaviors or intense, narrowly focused interests are present but may be subtle enough that they don’t immediately stand out. Someone might, for example, talk at length about a very specific topic without picking up on the listener’s cues, or become noticeably distressed when a routine changes unexpectedly.
Level 2 (“requiring substantial support”) and Level 3 (“requiring very substantial support”) describe people with more pronounced difficulties in communication and daily functioning.
The Full Diagnostic Criteria
To receive an ASD diagnosis at any level, a person needs to show persistent difficulties in two areas. The first is social communication: things like reduced back-and-forth conversation, limited eye contact or unusual body language, and trouble understanding or building relationships. The second area is restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. A diagnosis requires at least two of the following:
- Repetitive movements, speech, or use of objects (lining things up, echoing words or phrases, repeating scripted lines from movies or books)
- Rigid adherence to routines (extreme distress over small changes, inflexible thinking, needing to take the same route every day)
- Intensely focused interests (deep preoccupation with specific topics or objects, whether common subjects like dinosaurs or less typical ones like ceiling fans)
- Unusual sensory responses (strong reactions to certain sounds or textures, seeming indifferent to pain, being fascinated by lights or movement)
This second requirement is one key reason the old Asperger’s diagnosis was absorbed rather than simply renamed. Under the previous system, Asperger’s didn’t require repetitive behaviors as strictly. The new criteria apply the same behavioral checklist across the entire spectrum, with severity levels capturing the differences in how much those traits affect daily life.
A Related but Separate Diagnosis: SCD
When the DSM-5 merged Asperger’s into ASD, it also created a new diagnosis called social communication disorder (SCD). This applies to people who have persistent trouble with the social use of language, things like reading conversational cues, adjusting tone for different settings, or understanding implied meaning, but who do not show the repetitive behaviors or restricted interests required for an ASD diagnosis. SCD cannot be diagnosed alongside ASD; clinicians are expected to rule out autism first before considering it.
Some people who might have received an Asperger’s diagnosis under the old system, particularly those whose repetitive behaviors are very subtle, could potentially fall into this category instead. For older children and adults, clinicians look carefully for less obvious repetitive patterns, like compulsive speech habits or rigid routines that aren’t immediately apparent.
If You Already Have an Asperger’s Diagnosis
A previous Asperger’s diagnosis was automatically grandfathered into the new ASD framework. You don’t need to be re-evaluated, and you don’t lose access to services or accommodations. In practical terms, many clinicians, educators, and insurance systems now treat a legacy Asperger’s diagnosis as equivalent to ASD Level 1, though the specific level wasn’t necessarily assigned retroactively.
That said, some people still use “Asperger’s” to describe themselves, and many clinicians understand what it means even though it’s no longer an official diagnostic term. Whether to keep using it is a personal choice, though it’s worth knowing that in medical and educational settings, the recognized language is now autism spectrum disorder.
Language the Autistic Community Prefers
Beyond the clinical terminology, there’s an ongoing conversation about how to talk about autism in everyday language. The two main options are identity-first language (“autistic person”) and person-first language (“person with autism”). A systematic review covering 19 studies and over 6,300 autistic adults found that in 10 of 14 studies examining preferences, more participants preferred identity-first language. Still, person-first language had meaningful support in every study, chosen by 4 to 39 percent of participants. When given the option to say “no preference,” 4 to 37 percent of people took it.
The phrase “on the spectrum” was endorsed as acceptable by 8 to 45 percent of participants across studies. Preferences also varied by culture and language. In Dutch-speaking populations, for instance, person-first language was more popular. The takeaway is that there’s no single right answer. When in doubt, ask the person how they’d like to be described, or follow the lead of whichever community you’re engaging with.