[Diagnosis of Asperger syndrome in infancy and childhood]

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Pediatric neurology
• Clinical diagnostics

Context:

• Early detection of neurodevelopmental conditions is crucial for timely intervention.
• Asperger syndrome (AS) diagnosis in infancy and early childhood presents unique challenges.
• Current diagnostic criteria may not fully capture early manifestations.

Purpose:

• To explore the possibilities and limitations of diagnosing Asperger syndrome in infancy and early childhood.
• To identify key early indicators for potential AS diagnosis.
• To suggest directions for future research in early AS detection.

Summary:

• Clinical diagnosis of Asperger syndrome (AS) in infancy and early childhood is possible but limited.
• Early identification relies on recognizing auxiliary conditions like motor dysfunction and sensory/sleep disturbances.
• Incipient symptoms such as atypical social interaction and joint attention are important indicators.
• Prospective studies and novel cognitive evaluation methods for infants are needed for sensitive AS diagnostic tools.

Impact:

• Highlights the importance of early recognition of subtle developmental differences.
• Informs clinicians about key areas to assess for potential AS in very young children.
• Guides future research towards developing more effective early diagnostic methods for AS.