I also believed that by its definition in the DSM IV a child with a speech delay could not be diagnosed with Asperger's. But, then I cam across this,
Asperger's and delayed speech which claims 50% of kids with Asperger's were speech delayed. So, now I'm just confused. I really thought Asperger's was characterized by advanced early speech.
Different doctors behave differently with regard to this issue, which is one reason why autism, PDD-NOS, and Asperger's are all going to be called autism in the next DSM.
FWIW, the definition of Asperger's that seems to be most consistent across doctors is "autism without impairment in IQ." That is, autism without comorbid mental retardation.
DeeDee
