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Asperger's Syndrome and Autism: The Case for a Connection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Eimer Philbin Bowman
Eimer Philbin Bowman*
Affiliation:
Eastern Health Board, Dublin
*
∗Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Eastern Health Board, I James's St, Dublin 8
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Abstract

There is considerable disagreement on the classification of Asperger's syndrome and its relationship to autism. Unlike autism, Asperger's is not usually recognised before 30 months of age, and speech delay is not typical. However, if a child exhibits all the symptoms of autism apart from these two features, are these sufficient grounds for withholding a diagnosis of autism? This paper describes four boys and their father who, by presenting at various points on the autistic/Asperger spectrum, embody this dilemma for the diagnostician. The implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Type
Annotation
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 3 , March 1988 , pp. 377 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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