When is aspergers misdiagnosed

They have trouble using language in a social context. There may be no obvious delay in their cognitive development. Genetics and brain abnormalities may be involved. It is part of the range of conditions included in Autism Spectrum Disorder. The pediatrician can determine if the child should be seen by a specialist, such as a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, or other clinician who is familiar with ASD.

Testing and assessment usually involve a team of medical and psychological professionals. They will also interact with the child and conduct assessments to evaluate what symptoms the child shows when interacting with others.

If you believe you may have ASD, talk with your doctor or ask for a referral to a specialist in your area. You must be logged in to post a comment. It appears JavaScript is disabled in your browser.

Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page in order to complete this form. The following are symptoms or characteristics of ASD commonly and mistakenly attributed to other conditions: Difficulty with social interactions, which is one hallmark symptom of ASD, may be attributed to shyness, social anxiety disorder , or avoidant personality disorder.

Difficulty with self-expression , both verbal and non-verbal, or with quickly processing what other people are saying can be misdiagnosed as a language-based learning disability. People with autism are five times more likely to be picky eaters with narrow food choices and ritualistic eating behaviors, according to a study completed in This may sometimes be attributed to an eating disorder.

Adults with ASD commonly exhibit repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, for example rocking back and forth and eating only certain foods, according to a study published in We interviewed three women and nine men, aged 22 to 69 years. Six were employed; two were self-employed; one was seeking work; and one was student. Two received a disability support pension from the Australian government. Five had been diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, and seven as adults.

We analyzed our interview transcripts in the context of disability identity theory. Disability identity is a specific form of identity thought to alleviate some of the stress associated with minority-group membership and discrimination, and to provide a sense of belonging and validation 2 , 3. Half of our participants expressed mixed feelings about the change in diagnostic categories.

The three young men diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in childhood felt that the change was positive. To them, the autism spectrum has always included Aspies, and the change is a recognition of the diversity of autistic people. The sixth, a man diagnosed in adulthood, was ambivalent about the change but skeptical about the motivation. All six people were concerned, however, that the change could have an impact on access to services — for example, they questioned whether people who would have met the diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome but not for autism would lose valuable supports.

They also felt, as did everyone interviewed, that there is more stigma attached to an autism diagnosis than to an Asperger syndrome diagnosis:.

Yet despite this figure, there is no national register or exact count on how many people actually have this condition. As such, the growing number of autism misdiagnosis cases is becoming a cause for concern.

Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD can be very complex to understand, which can unfortunately result in high levels of autism misdiagnosis in adults.

This is often the result of a widespread unfamiliarity with the symptoms, especially in cases where they were never evaluated during childhood. Diagnosing autism can be challenging, as there is no recognised medical test to diagnose the condition. Instead, doctors tend to focus on behaviour — particularly in the case of children — and assess their development thereafter. Diagnosing autism can be challenging, with no recognised medical test.