Can my child have Asperger’s syndrome and still have a severe speech delay?
hiti asked:
Can my child have Asperger’s syndrome and still have a severe speech problem?
I’m currently undergoing evaluations for Autism, and Asperger’s Syndrome has been suggested. But everything I’ve researched suggests that children with Aspbergers have high language skills. Well, that’s not the case with my 4 year old. He has a severe/moderate speech delay. My question is.. can a child have Aspberger’s Syndrome and still have a speech delay?
January 31st, 2009 at 11:11 am
Asparagus Syndrome? Oh dear…you know those malformed children rarely turn out right.
January 31st, 2009 at 8:30 pm
consult a medical specialist, ask the Mayo clinic or john hopkins medical school
February 1st, 2009 at 2:22 am
Yes, that is a possibility.
~Dr. B.~
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 pm
The hey?
Asperger’s (there is no “b”) syndrome is not synonymous with advanced linguistic skills, even if there has been shown to be some minor correlation.
Throw that idea out the window — it’s not a reasonable expectation to have, with any form of autism.
February 7th, 2009 at 5:12 am
As a rule, kids with Asperger’s don’t have speech delays, although their behaviors are still “different” from other children. That is one of the primary factors that distinguishes Asperger’s from autism, although both are one the same spectrum.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I don’t think so, but the spectrum in diagnosis is so complicated, it takes a professional to identify the classification, and sometimes they miss the mark. My grandson wasn’t speaking until he turned almost 5. He was classified as Autistic, but he didn’t fit all the criteria for that, either. Asperger’s generally develop good language skills, you’re right…I guess you’ll have to wait and see what the official diagnosis is.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Aspergers is not generally accepted as being linked with speech delay by the powers that be, however, there have been recent studies which have shown that speech delay can be a part of aspergers as much as it is of autism.
See:
Wait for an official diagnosis.
February 11th, 2009 at 11:15 am
My understanding is that a speech delay could indicate a more severe autistic spectrum disorder than Aspergers, but I would strongly recommend getting a professional opinion on this.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Yes, he can have 2 different disorders the asperger’s and an unrelated speech language disorder. The DSM-IV is outdated and only recently added asperger’s in it in 1994 despite Hans Asperger describing this disorder in the 1940’s.
I answered this in another category but wanted to add that a person’s place on the spectrum is not static. Therefore you can receive a HFA or PDD.NOS dx today and have it be changed to asperger’s down the road.