Early identification of Asperger syndrome in young children

This study was designed to identify items of the ADI-R that allow an early and sensitive identification of children with possible Asperger syndrome (AS). The aim was to obtain an economic short interview suitable for screening purposes. The study was based on data from a clinical sample of 5–18-year-old children and adolescents (mean age 10.9 years) with either Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; n = 43) or AS (n = 62). The introductory questions and 36 items, which contribute to the diagnostic algorithm of the ADI-R, were subjected to content analysis and stepwise discriminant function analysis. Eight meaningful items were found, which were shown to be good predictors of AS and to discriminate between the children with AS and those with ADHD. The short interview was especially useful for the assessment and screening of children up to 11 years in our sample, because in this subgroup, sensitivity was even higher (.92) and specificity was also excellent (.90). Eight items with high discriminatory power allowed sensitive and economic screening for young children with suspected AS.