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How Aspergers is Diagnosed?

Question

How can professionals tell if someone has Aspergers …and is it possible to have something in addition to Aspergers?

Answer

Aspergers (high functioning autism) is usually diagnosed when all other disorders have been ruled out. Individuals who have, or suspect they have, Aspergers may have been previously diagnosed with:

• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Autistic Disorder, High Functioning
• Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Nonverbal Learning Disorder
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified
• Right Hemisphere Learning Disorder
• Schizoid Personality Disorder
• Semantic Pragmatic Language Disorder
• Traumatic Brain Injury (if one has a medical history that includes a past head injury)

There are several disorders that are frequently co-morbid with Aspergers (i.e., occurs along with Aspergers). These include:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
• Depressive Disorder
• Dysthymia Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Seizure Disorder/Epilepsy
• Sensory Integration Dysfunction
• Tourette’s Syndrome

The diagnosis of Aspergers is usually the result of a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. In most cases, the evaluation will involve the following components:
  • communication and psychiatric assessments
  • history
  • parental conferences
  • psychological assessment
  • recommendations
  • further consultation if needed

Aspergers involves delays and deviant patterns of behavior in multiple areas of functioning that often require the input of therapists with different areas of expertise, especially overall developmental functioning, neuropsychological features, and behavioral status. Thus, the clinical assessment of people with Aspergers should be conducted by an experienced interdisciplinary team.

It is very important that parents participate in the psychiatric evaluation. Evaluation findings should be translated into a single coherent view of the child. Recommendations should be easily understood, detailed, concrete, and realistic. When writing reports, therapists should express the implications of their findings to the client’s day-to-day adaptation, learning, and vocational training.

As Aspergers (high functioning autism) becomes a more well-known diagnostic label, it is possible that it is becoming a trendy concept used in a needless manner by therapists who intend to convey only that their patient is currently experiencing difficulties in social interaction and in peer relationships. The label “Aspergers” is meant as a serious and debilitating developmental disorder impairing the individual’s capacity for socialization – not a temporary or mild condition. Thus, moms and dads should be briefed about the current knowledge-base of Aspergers and the common confusions around this disorder that currently exist in the mental health field. Clinicians should clarify any misconceptions and establish a consensus about the client’s abilities and disabilities, which should not be simply assumed under the use of the diagnostic label.

Specific areas of evaluation include the following:

1. A careful history should be obtained, including information related to pregnancy and neonatal period, early development and characteristics of development, and medical and family history.

2. A review of previous records including previous evaluations should be performed and the information incorporated and results compared in order to obtain a sense of course of development.

3. Several other specific areas should be directly examined (e.g., a careful history of onset/recognition of the problems, development of motor skills, language patterns, and areas of special interest).

4. Particular emphasis should be placed on social development, including past and present problems in social interaction, patterns of attachment of family members, development of friendships, self-concept, emotional development, and mood presentation.

5. Other specific areas should be examined and measured including:
  • academic achievement (i.e., performance in school-like subjects)
  • adaptive functioning (i.e., degree of self-sufficiency in real-life situations)
  • neuropsychological functioning (i.e., motor and psychomotor skills, memory, executive functions, problem-solving, concept formation, visual-perceptual skills)
  • personality assessment (i.e., common preoccupations, compensatory strategies of adaptation, mood presentation)

6. A fairly comprehensive neuropsychological assessment should be conducted, including:
  • concept formation (both verbal and nonverbal)
  • executive functions
  • facial recognition
  • gestalt perception
  • measures of motor skills (i.e., coordination of the large muscles as well as manipulative skills and visual-motor coordination, visual-perceptual skills)
  • parts-whole relationships
  • spatial orientation
  • visual memory

7. Particular attention should be given to demonstrated or potential compensatory strategies (e.g., individuals with significant visual-spatial deficits may translate the task or mediate their responses by means of verbal strategies or verbal guidance). Such strategies may be important for educational programming.

8. A communication assessment to obtain both quantitative and qualitative information regarding the various aspects of the client’s communication skills should be performed. The assessment should examine:
  • content, coherence, and contingency of conversation
  • non-literal language (e.g., metaphor, irony, absurdities, and humor)
  • nonverbal forms of communication (e.g., gaze, gestures)
  • pragmatics (e.g., turn-taking, sensitivity to cues provided by the interlocutor, adherence to typical rules of conversation)
  • prosody of speech (melody, volume, stress and pitch)

This assessment should go beyond the testing of speech and formal language (e.g., articulation, vocabulary, sentence construction and comprehension), which are often areas of strength.

9. Lastly, the psychiatric evaluation should include observations of the client during more and less structured periods (e.g., while interacting with parents and while engaged in assessment by members of the assessment team). Specific areas for observation and inquiry should include:
  • ability to infer other’s intentions and beliefs
  • ability to intuit other’s feelings
  • ability to understand ambiguous non-literal communications (e.g., teasing and sarcasm)
  • anxiety
  • capacities for self-awareness
  • coherence of thought
  • depression
  • development of peer relationships and friendships
  • level of insight into social and behavioral problems
  • panic attacks
  • perspective-taking
  • problem behaviors that are likely to interfere with treatment should be noted (e.g., aggression).
  • quality of attachment to family members
  • social and affective presentation
  • the client’s patterns of special interest and leisure time
  • the presence of obsessions or compulsions
  • typical reactions in novel situations

It is possible for some individuals to have some Asperger tendencies, but not have full-blown Aspergers per say. A diagnosis of Aspergers simply reflects the severity of the differences between those with the diagnosis and those without. Current research suggests that there are 10-15 genes related to Aspergers. The severity of differences may relate to how many genes are affected and/or other inherited traits, environmental exposures, and life experiences.

The inability to clearly define the difference between Autism and Aspergers is why researchers consider both to be part of an “Autism Spectrum” (Aspergers representing the higher-functioning of the spectrum). Those with Aspergers have normal to above normal intelligence and fewer limitations in their use of speech and ability to communicate than those diagnosed with Autism. Significant delays in the development of speech and communication, beyond the age of 2 years, are considered characteristic of Autism.

People that do develop speech but continue to have difficulties in communication and/or performing daily living activities are often classified as having “high functioning autism.” This is a description that many grown-ups on the Autism Spectrum dislike because it suggests that people with more severe difficulties in communicating and performing daily living activities are “low functioning.” The false assumption is that Autistics are mentally retarded, and as a result, they are not given the mental and academic stimulation they need to achieve their full potential. Yet many “low functioning” Autistic people are very intelligent once the environmental and/or biochemical stresses interfering with their ability to communicate or perform daily living activities are lessened.

Because of high verbal skills, the expectations are often just the opposite for Aspies. The assumption is that Aspies are intelligent enough to do more than they demonstrate and are just not trying hard enough. But the truth is that they are “passing” for close to “normal” only because they are trying so hard, and in most cases, can’t function better than they do. Therefore, it is important for the Aspie to develop some “self-advocacy skills” to clearly communicate to others just what he/she can and cannot do.

The Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am pleased to see you point out that such a label has become "trendy" and is often over-diagnosed. As a special education teacher, I know that both Aspergers and Autism are real conditions, but I cannot tell you how many times I've seen it diagnosed in children who clearly had something else going on (personality disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.)

Anonymous said...

Couple of things. 1) I've never heard of Clumsy Child Disorder.

2). You'll be surprised how often Aspergers is diagnosed in order to get an IEP or for medical insurance reasons.

In my County, you can't get an IEP for ADHD. They consider it a medical disorder that can be treated by medicine.

The insurance get's upset if Physician or Counselor continue to see a patent and don't put down a diagnosis. I've heard mothers talk about how the doctor isn't sure what the disorder is, but until he does, he puts down Aspergers.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I was wondering if it is possible that a child would be wrongly assessed. For example that the child has aspergers (teachers & parents & other caregivers see the signs) but the person doing the assessement doesn't see it. How can an accurate assessment be done in just 1 hour when the child is having a "good day"??? I would appreciate any feedback. thanks

Anonymous said...

Wendy Layne Windrich My childs dr. spent about an hour and a half with us alone, then an hour and maybe a half with our daughter and from the forms and questionnaires, and her observance and interview with Evie, it was very clear to her that Evie's diagnosis was Aspergers. She is however a specialist in the field and so we really trust her diagnosis. I don't think that the person doing the assessment should rely solely on the one interview with the child but should use a combination of many studies and interviews before coming to the conclusion. If you feel you got a wrong diagnosis, I would consider a second opinion and make sure and research so you know what specialties your doctor has. I didn't have to suggest or convince my doctor of anything... it was very clear to her. I think it will be harder convincing teachers and other people that she has Aspergers because they only see what she wants them to see.
19 hours ago · Like · 1 person

Anonymous said...

Dina Mulder We had a form to fill in and her teacher as well, but there is no option to give answers to the questions. only strongly agree, agree, etc... which makes no sense to me. We had a 2 hrs interview prior my daughter having her 1 hours play/interview done by professionals in an Autism center. I trusted the team, but was worried they would not see her as she really is as she happened to have a good day that day of her play/interview. SHe has 2 "personalities/modes". The sweet girl who cooperates, understands things and the other one who doesn't get anything, even if she understood them a day before, gets frustrated, tantrums, doesn't get along with anyone, etc... she doesn't do well with transitions, always covers her ears for noise, doesn't do well in group activities, etc.... but they never saw her in those situations. I was told they would observe her at school and at home, but they never did. not enough time and rushed things up. They are the only center where they do those assessements and it took a year before my daughter got her turn to be assessed. Cannot afford a private assessment, but will keep waiting on the other waiting list where she has been waiting for near 3 years now. She has ADHD for sure as it was confirmed, but there is no help/support offered for that. THey just tell us to drug her up to have peace, which I am against. I will never do that to my child.
18 hours ago · Like

Anonymous said...

Dina Mulder It is just so hard that I know that my child has a need and nobody sees it. they just say she's a bad kid and dispise her. She can't help it. She doesn't understand what is going on and feels so missunderstood. I try to understand her the best I can, but don't know how to help her as there is no help available.
18 hours ago · Like

Sherry Boulter Keep in mind that they must meet every part of the criteria to be Aspergers. Is it possible that your child has most of the symptoms, but does not have all? Did they diagnose your child as somewhere else ont eh Spectrum?
17 hours ago · Like

Anonymous said...

Dina Mulder The first child psychiatrist she saw said she had autism (we had a 2-3 hrs interview with her and my daughter was there as well, beeing observed by play), which surprised me. SHe wanted her to be assessed to determine the severity, but was put on very long waiting list. Now she has been assessed and she has no autism. But that psychiatrist said my daughter was abnoxious so we never wanted to see her again as we didn't find that apropriate from her. my daughter was only 3 yrs old then. now she's 6 1/2. My daughter was on a bad day that day, so she was able to see that side of her and not the good side of her, and it was the opposite for the assessment. Yes, it is possible she has most signs but not all. Every child is unique, which makes it more complicated to get an accurate diagnosis/assessement and wich means no help in any way until we get a turn on the list and we find out what is the problem. She really struggles at school, especially in groups and transitions. I want her to get help needed for this new school year... so badly. I love her so much!

Anonymous said...

Sherry Boulter Dina, I'm sorry that you are having to go through this. My daughter at last got her dx this spring when she was 9 1/2. We didn't notice anything until she entered school. We thought she was bright, but shy. Hopefully someone in your area will read this and have some advice on how you can get a good doctor. Best of luck to your family. :)
12 hours ago · Like

Anonymous said...

Parenting Aspergers Children - Support Group Clearly, the work on Aspergers, in regard to scientific research as well as in regard to service provision, is only beginning. Parents are urged to use a great deal of caution and to adopt a critical approach toward information given to them.

katydid said...

It seems that an ASD diagnosis has become a must-have accessory, like the Birkin bag that A-list starlets carry around.

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

Click here to read the full article…

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

Click here to read the full article…

Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

Click here to read the full article…

Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

Click here
to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

Click here for the full article...