The label for Asperger's Syndrome was officially changed to Autism Spectrum Disorder (Level 1) in 2013.

This change occurred with the publication of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition), which is the standard classification used by mental health professionals in North America.

Key Details of the Change:

• The Year: 2013

  
  

• The Manual: DSM-5 (published by the American Psychiatric Association)

  
  

• What Changed: The separate diagnosis of "Asperger’s Syndrome" was removed. It was merged into a single umbrella diagnosis called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

  
  

• The "Level" System: To distinguish between different needs, the DSM-5 introduced three levels of severity based on how much support a person requires.

  
  

  • Level 1 (Requiring Support): This is where most people previously diagnosed with Asperger’s now fit. It indicates a need for some support but generally without significant intellectual or language impairment.

    
    

  • Level 2: Requiring substantial support.

    
    

  • Level 3: Requiring very substantial support.

    
    

Note on International Diagnoses

While the US and Canada use the DSM-5, the World Health Organization uses a different manual called the ICD(International Classification of Diseases). The ICD-11 (which came into full effect in 2022) also removed the Asperger's label, but instead of "Level 1," it uses descriptive terms like "Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language."