The only real difference between asperger's and high functioning autism was whether or not there had been a language delay in learning to talk. A lot of kids with autism grow up to be just like people with asperger's syndrome, and some had their diagnoses changed as adults, which I think was questionable under the old criteria. It makes sense to me to include asperger's and PDDNOS under Autistic Spectrum Disorders, as that was always what they were. My brother was diagnosed PDDNOS because he also had a schizophrenia diagnosis and the old criteria made that a disqualification from Asperger's or autism. Under the new criteria he would be ASD. People previously diagnosed with any of these are by definition included in the new ASD criteria. I don't think that the criteria were meant to make it harder to qualify for the diagnosis, but to be more inclusive. As a therapist, I interpret the new criteria that way. If someone would have met the old criteria for Asperger's, I would diagnose ASD. It doesn't change anything IMO if the person had actually been evaluated and recognized as having one of these disorders prior to the publication of the DSM-V or not.