Asperger's syndrome
Asperger's syndrome was a diagnosis that doctors used to give. It is now part of the autism diagnosis, and a diagnosis given at the time was a real diagnosis.
Applies across the UK
Asperger's syndrome was one of the names in the manuals that clinicians diagnose from. It was used for autistic people who did not have a delay in learning to speak. The manuals changed. The National Autistic Society records that the diagnosis was retired in DSM-5 in 2013 and in ICD-11 in 2019, when it was folded into the diagnosis of autism Autism Autism is a difference in how the brain develops. It shapes how an autistic child sees and experiences the world, how they communicate, and how they respond to things like noise, light and touch. Read the full definition of Autism spectrum disorder.
So an assessment today will not give Asperger's syndrome as a separate diagnosis. It will look at whether your child is autistic. NICE guidance NICE guidelines Expert advice that tells the NHS how to assess and treat health conditions. It is used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland. Read the full definition of NICE guidelines for the NHS already treats Asperger's syndrome as part of autism, so services in the UK read the two together.
If your child was given an Asperger's diagnosis before the change, you are stating a fact about a real assessment. Plenty of people still use the word about themselves because it is part of who they are. That is their choice to make. In our own writing we say autistic, because that is the word most autistic people and UK autistic-led organisations prefer.
One thing worth knowing: Asperger's is sometimes described as a mild form of autism. We do not describe it that way, and nor does the National Autistic Society.
Other words for this
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You might have heard autism
Asperger's syndrome was folded into the autism diagnosis when the diagnostic manuals were updated, in DSM-5 in 2013 and in ICD-11 in 2019. Assessments today do not give it as a separate diagnosis. If your child was diagnosed with Asperger's before then, that was a real diagnosis from a real assessment, and saying so is accurate.
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You might hear mild-severe-autism
You may hear Asperger's called a mild form of autism. We avoid putting it that way, because it suggests autistic people can be lined up from mild to severe. That hides how much a person's needs change from one day and one place to the next.
Where this comes from
- Asperger syndrome (Asperger's) , National Autistic Society. Checked 2026-08-09.
- How to talk and write about autism guide, June 2025 , National Autistic Society. Checked 2026-08-09.
- Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management (NICE guideline CG170), Introduction , National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, via NCBI Bookshelf. Checked 2026-08-09.
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