Asperger Children, Diagnosing a Child with Aspergers Syndrome and Where to Get Help and Information

Certain diagnostic criteria have to be met before diagnosing Aspergers Syndrome (AS). Compulsive interests and actions, atypical behavior and impaired social interaction are some of these criteria, although the child may not directly exhibit significant delay in language or cognitive development. Since the diagnosis is tricky, a specialist makes an assessment of the child together with the observations made by the child’s parents, educators and sitters.

A specialist will examine the child’s autism behavior and other unusual activities that are observable. It will also involve assessing the child’s motor skills, verbal communication development, expressed unusual interests and social dealings. The mother’s gestational history, familial medical history and other pertinent health information are some of the other things a specialist may look into.

These and other diagnostic examination procedures will reveal if the child is indeed afflicted with AS.

Medical personnel specializing in this field will monitor signs matching that of characteristic AS set of criteria. This is used as a model for pointing out AS and others involving mental disorders, such as in diagnosing autism. Some of the examinations done in identifying if the child has AS include:

1. A psychological evaluation which will examine the child’s intellectual function and capability, as well as the aptitude. This includes his or her manner of learning and the intelligence quotient or IQ.

2. Tests that will evaluate the personality, behavior and psychomotor abilities, revealing the presence of child and adult autism.

3. Assessment of the child’s communication skills including both verbal and non-verbal aspects, how well they can convey ideas and understand the use of language, as well as their ability to speak. This may also include how well the child is able to interpret indirect communication tools.

4. A psychiatric examination which include the child’s relationship with others (family, friends and others), the manner of response to various social circumstances, and the coping mechanism of the child himself.

5. Presence of signs of anxiousness such as when he or she interacts with family members at home, and with classmates and teachers at school.

As with diagnosing other disorders, it is important for the specialist to rule out any other conditions that may interfere with coming up with the appropriate diagnosis for the exhibited signs and symptoms. In some cases, a child with AS is often wrongly diagnosed with other disorders. The diagnosis of this disorder is a collaborative effort among specialists, parents, educators and others who have directly seen the child suspected of having the disorder.

Where to get support for Aspergers Syndrome

The following are some of the resources which provide information pertaining to AS:

Facts on AS may be found by visiting aspergerinfo.com. There is also the Online Asperger Syndrome Information & Support Site:

udel.edu/bkirby/asperger

There’s also available information about the disorder from groups such as:

Global and Regional Aspergers Syndrome Partnership (New York, USA). Visit them online at: grasp.org

Families of Adults Afflicted with Aspergers Syndrome - FAAAS (Centerville, Massachusetts, USA). The group’s online at: faaas.org

Autism and AS MAAP Services (Crown Point, Indiana, USA). You may visit them at: maapservices.org