Abstract
Little is known in Switzerland regarding the profile of the adult population living with Asperger's Syndrome. This is why we conducted a descriptive study on a population in French-speaking Switzerland (n=91) having received an Asperger's diagnosis as an adult and who were treated in a department of Psychiatry of Mental Development. The results of this study show that 68.5% of the men and 70.2% of the women are single. There were more married men (22.2%) than women (8.1%), however there were more divorced women (21.6%) than men (9.2%). We report that more men (37%) than women (18.9%) completed their mandatory schooling and more women (62.2%) than men (44.4%) completed post-mandatory schooling (apprenticeship or cantonal aptitude degree). In terms of those with a university degree, there was a parity between men and women (18%). Half of our study sample was employed; the other half received a disability income. The Global Assessment of Functioning scale is estimated to be on average 68.9 (±12.87). This scale was correlated with civil status, level of education completed as well as professional situation.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neuro-developmental disorders and affect men four times more than women
Until now the group belonging to Pervasive Developmental Disorders" (PDD) contained five different diagnoses, but going forward all Autism Spectrum Disorders" (ASD) will be kept within a single diagnosis
This means that Asperger's Syndrome is no longer differentiated as a specific category of autism, it is included beneath the larger designation of autism spectrum disorders without mental retardation whose symptoms lie on the same continuum
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neuro-developmental disorders and affect men four times more than women. Until now the group belonging to PDD contained five different diagnoses, but going forward all ASDs will be kept within a single diagnosis This means that Asperger's Syndrome is no longer differentiated as a specific category of autism, it is included beneath the larger designation of autism spectrum disorders without mental retardation whose symptoms lie on the same continuum. The main difference resides in the absence of a language delay for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome as well as the absence of any criteria for another developmental disorder like schizophrenia. Because it wasn't possible to scientifically demonstrate this difference between the two diagnoses, it was decided that Asperger's be considered a sign of ASD
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