Asperger’s syndrome and high-functioning autism

Page summary

Asperger’s syndrome is an older name for a profile of autism that’s no longer diagnosed. The profile now sits within autism spectrum disorder, one diagnosis for the whole spectrum. “High-functioning autism” is an informal label people meet, and it has never been a diagnosis. Some people still use the word Asperger’s to describe themselves. The profile can go unrecognised until adulthood, often because people learned to adapt. The name was retired in 2013, and some people now avoid it because of its namesake’s past. AuDHD Psychiatry assesses adults for autism, with every appointment online.

Reviewed by Dr Darren O’Reilly. Dr Darren O’Reilly is a Chartered Psychologist and Clinical Director.

Published date: 19 March 2026

Review and publication details

Clinically reviewed by Dr Darren O’Reilly, DPsych, Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol), HCPC registered practitioner psychologist, registration number PYL041661 (check the HCPC register).

AuDHD Psychiatry is the trading name of ADHDdegree Ltd, a company registered in Scotland, company number SC822923. Registered office: 3f1 Third Floor, Hill Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3JP. Registered with the ICO, number ZB823033.

Many adults first met the word “Asperger’s” in a magazine, on a forum or in a report written years ago. For some, it was the first word that seemed to fit. Finding out it’s no longer used, or that the man it was named after has a troubling past, can be confusing. At AuDHD Psychiatry, we won’t ask anyone to give up a word they use for themselves.

At a glance

  • What it was: a diagnosis once given to some autistic people who didn’t have a learning disability.
  • What it is now: part of autism spectrum disorder in both main diagnostic manuals.
  • “High-functioning autism”: an informal term, and never a diagnosis in either manual.
  • How autism is identified today: a full assessment by a trained team of professionals.

➨ Table of Contents

What was Asperger’s syndrome?

Asperger syndrome was a diagnosis given to some autistic people who didn’t also have a learning disability [1]. Most people knew it by its short form, Asperger’s. The British psychiatrist Lorna Wing, a cofounder of the National Autistic Society, brought the term into autism research in the 1980s [1]. In a clinical account she published, she linked this profile with early childhood autism [2]. She saw both as sharing differences in social interaction, communication and imagination. In her view, both belonged to one wider group of conditions [2]. Her work gave rise to the idea of autism as a spectrum [1]. Our guide to what autism is explains the spectrum as it’s understood now.

The name honoured Hans Asperger, an Austrian doctor who wrote about a group of children in 1938 [3]. He published a fuller study in 1944, though it only drew wide notice in the 1980s [3].

Why was the name Asperger’s syndrome retired?

The name was dropped when the two main diagnostic manuals were rewritten. It had become an official diagnosis in 1992, in ICD-10, and in 1994, in DSM-IV [1]. DSM-5 retired it in 2013 and ICD-11 in 2019, folding it into autism spectrum disorder [1]. The profile itself didn’t change, only its name and its place in the manuals.

Under DSM-IV, there were four separate diagnoses, and clinics didn’t apply them consistently [4]. DSM-5 replaced all four with one diagnosis [4]. As a result, Asperger syndrome should no longer be given as a diagnosis [1]. In the UK, a diagnosis should rest on DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria, following NICE guidance [5]. Our guide to how autism is diagnosed explains what clinicians look for.

Who was Hans Asperger, and why does his history matter?

Hans Asperger was once seen as a doctor who protected the children in his care. A historian later went through the archive records, including his personnel files and his notes on patients. The study found he publicly backed Nazi race hygiene policies, including forced sterilisation [3]. On several occasions, he also cooperated with the regime’s child “euthanasia” programme [3]. The story of Asperger as a defender of his patients doesn’t hold up against that evidence.

The harm went beyond what he said in public. His descriptions of some children as less “worthwhile” led to dozens being sent to a Nazi clinic, where they were murdered [1]. Some people now avoid the name for that reason, and because it’s no longer an official term [1]. If you’ve identified with the diagnosis all your life, learning this can be upsetting [1].

What does “high-functioning autism” mean?

“High-functioning autism” is an informal label, never a diagnosis in DSM or ICD. The phrase usually describes autistic people without an intellectual disability [6]. Many people take it to mean someone needs less support, and that’s where it misleads.

A study of 2,225 children at the point of diagnosis found IQ was a weak guide to everyday coping [6]. Children without an intellectual disability often scored well below their IQ on everyday living skills [6]. The study’s authors argued the term is inaccurate and should be dropped in clinical practice [6].

Someone called “high-functioning” can still find work, relationships or daily life very hard, and the phrase can hide that. DSM-5 describes levels of support as a separate idea, and our page on the types of autism covers them.

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What Asperger’s syndrome can look like in adults

The profile once called Asperger’s shows in adults through the same signs as autism [7]. You might recognise some of these:

  • finding facial expressions, gestures or tone of voice hard to read.
  • having fixed ways of doing things, and feeling distressed when routines change.
  • being very sensitive to light, sounds, smells, tastes or textures, or barely noticing them.

Adapting to fit in is known as autistic masking. It can hide these signs, and keeping it up can make social situations exhausting [7]. No single sign on this list means you’re autistic. Our guide to signs of autism in adults sets out the wider picture.

Why were so many adults missed?

Many adults were missed because autism was once recognised far more narrowly [8]. If you coped quietly at school, nobody may have thought to look closer.

A 2015 research review described a “lost generation” of adults left out when only classic autism was diagnosed [8]. The spectrum idea and broader criteria arrived after many of them had grown up. Diagnosing autism for the first time in adulthood can be harder, for three reasons the review set out [8]:

  • many adults have learned to camouflage their differences.
  • there may be no one left who can describe their early childhood.
  • other conditions, such as anxiety or depression, can be part of the picture.

The review also flagged possible misdiagnosis, especially in women [8]. Our page on how autism can show in women covers this in more depth.

What if you were diagnosed with Asperger’s years ago?

Your diagnosis wasn’t erased when the name changed. The American manual’s authors expected people with an older Asperger’s diagnosis to still meet its autism criteria [4]. For some, another DSM-5 diagnosis would fit better [4].

Some people keep the word for themselves, usually because it’s part of who they are [1]. Others prefer different words. A UK survey of 3,470 people found no single way of describing autism that everyone accepted [9].

Whether you say Asperger’s, autistic or on the spectrum is up to you. If you’d like your records to use current terms, ask your GP or the service that assessed you.

Think the old label describes you? How to find out

A full autism assessment by a trained team is how to find out [10]. On the NHS, a GP can often refer adults to a local autism team [11].

An assessment may help if:

  • social situations, change or routine have always felt hard.
  • it affects your work, study or home life.
  • you’ve long wondered whether “Asperger’s” fits you.

It might not be right today if:

  • you need urgent help now. Call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or in Northern Ireland call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, any time. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E [12].
  • you’re asking about a child: our child assessment covers ages 6 to 17, and a parent can be present.

AuDHD Psychiatry runs a private autism assessment in two online appointments, one with someone who knows you well. If no one can take part, we can still assess you. Our assessment for ADHD and autism together has three appointments. Or try the free autism test, a screen rather than a diagnosis, or a free 15-minute call.

Talk to our qualified, compassionate team.

☎ Call us at 0131 516 1656
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Go Beyond the “High-Functioning” Label

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The term can overlook real challenges. A structured assessment provides a more accurate picture of strengths, differences, and support needs.

Questions people ask

Yes, in today’s terms, because what was called Asperger syndrome is now agreed to be part of the autism spectrum [1]. The older name picked out one group of autistic people. If you were told years ago that you had Asperger’s, current language would simply call that autism.

No, Asperger syndrome shouldn’t be given as a diagnosis any more [1]. In the UK, clinicians work from DSM-5 or ICD-11 today [5]. If autism is identified, the diagnosis given is autism spectrum disorder. The traits are still recognised under that one diagnosis.

No, it’s an informal term, usually used for autistic people who don’t have an intellectual disability [6]. It says nothing reliable about how much support someone needs day to day. For that reason, a clinician won’t give it as a diagnosis. If you’ve been called “high-functioning”, that doesn’t mean your difficulties are small or that they don’t count.

Many people diagnosed with Asperger syndrome keep the word because it’s become part of their identity [1]. Others have dropped it, both because it’s no longer an official term and because of Hans Asperger’s past [1]. If someone describes themselves with the older word, the respectful thing is to follow their lead.

No, autism isn’t a disease, and that includes the profile once called Asperger’s [5]. Most autistic people don’t see autism as a disorder either [5]. The manuals use the word “disorder” because they’re the standard systems clinicians use to classify conditions. Autism is described by the National Autistic Society as a lifelong neurodivergence and disability [13].

Lorna Wing, a British psychiatrist, brought the name into autism research in the 1980s [1]. She chose it in recognition of Hans Asperger’s much earlier work with children. Wing used the term to argue that autism is a spectrum, and that idea is still in use today [1].

In short

Asperger’s syndrome was a diagnosis for one group of autistic people, and that profile now sits within autism spectrum disorder. The name is contested, partly because of what archive research showed about Hans Asperger. “High-functioning” is a description people meet, not something a clinician diagnoses. The traits behind the word can be recognised today. If this profile sounds familiar, AuDHD Psychiatry can look at the whole picture with you, online.

Related

Sources

  1. National Autistic Society, Asperger syndrome (Asperger’s), last reviewed June 2023, https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/the-history-of-autism/asperger-syndrome (read 01/10/2026)
  2. Wing L, “Asperger’s syndrome: a clinical account”, Psychological Medicine, 1981, 11(1):115-129, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7208735/ (abstract read 01/10/2026)
  3. Czech H, “Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and ‘race hygiene’ in Nazi-era Vienna”, Molecular Autism, 2018, 9:29, https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6 (read 01/10/2026)
  4. American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder fact sheet, 2013, https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder.pdf (read 01/10/2026)
  5. National Autistic Society, Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment, https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/diagnosis/assessment-and-diagnosis/criteria-and-tools-used-in-an-autism-assessment (read 01/10/2026)
  6. Alvares GA, Bebbington K, Cleary D and others, “The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis”, Autism, 2020, 24(1):221-232, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31215791/ (abstract read 01/10/2026)
  7. NHS, Signs of autism in adults, page last reviewed 6 May 2026, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/signs-in-adults/ (read 01/10/2026)
  8. Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S, “Identifying the lost generation of adults with autism spectrum conditions”, The Lancet Psychiatry, 2015, 2(11):1013-1027, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26544750/ (abstract read 01/10/2026)
  9. Kenny L, Hattersley C, Molins B, Buckley C, Povey C, Pellicano E, “Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community”, Autism, 2016, 20(4):442-462, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26134030/ (abstract read 01/10/2026)
  10. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (CG142), published 27 June 2012, last updated 14 June 2021, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142 (read 01/10/2026)
  11. NHS, Autism assessments, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/getting-diagnosed/how-to-get-diagnosed/ (read 01/10/2026)
  12. nidirect, Mental health emergency: if you’re in crisis or despair, https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/mental-health-emergency-if-youre-crisis-or-despair (read 01/10/2026)
  13. National Autistic Society, What is autism?, https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism (read 01/10/2026)

About AuDHD Psychiatry

AuDHD Psychiatry is the trading name of ADHDdegree Ltd, a company registered in Scotland. The company number is SC822923. Our registered office is 3f1 Third Floor, Hill Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3JP.

Registered with the ICO, number ZB823033.

Last updated: 13 October 2026

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