Asperger Syndrome in Children

Purpose To review Asperger syndrome characteristics, assessment tools, interventions, outcomes, and the role of the nurse practitioner in diagnosing and caring for children with Asperger syndrome. Data sources Review of published literature on and diagnostic criteria of the condition. Conclusions Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder or an autism spectrum disorder that is thought to have an incidence higher than that of autism. Asperger syndrome is different from autism, with a lack of delayed language as the most distinct difference between Asperger syndrome and autism. Implications for practice Because of the importance of early diagnosis of Asperger syndrome for outcome improvement, screening at all well-child visits from infancy on is of utmost importance to primary care pediatric nurse practitioners. With early diagnosis, timely intervention is possible, which is proven to show improvement in outcomes.