Expert: James Michael Roan - 6/30/2006

Question
My six year old daughter has always been more difficult than my other children.  She would cry for nothing.  She is very clumbsy and would hurt herself often to the point where I was afraid someone would think i was abusing my child.  She is still very clumbsy and she ask me one day why she keeps hurting herself and I told her that she has a floppyness about her that she flopps her body around instead of just sitting or standing.  She doesnt get along with other children very well.  She thinks she is the center of all things.  She has trouble undertanding my questions or instructions that I give her.  She is extremely sensative to pain and very emotional.  I have gotten to the point where I refuse to take her off her schedule because she dosnt handle change very well.  If her pattern is off even by a little bit she gets emotional and will throw a tantram.  This is a long statement but my question is,  Do you think she may have aspergers?  I chose to use Aspergers instead of Autism because she is smart and she performs well in class as her work is concerned.  But she is strange and I just need to know how to get her diagnosed.  Should I take her to her primary care provider or should I take her to a psyciatrist?  

Answer
Hi Eleanor;

I'm sorry, I do not diagnose over the Internet. Here's my suggestion: Download from the Internet the Australian Scale for Asperger's Syndrome at:
http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aspergerscaleAttwood.html

Answer the questions and take your time. You can discuss the answers with me, I can comment, and then you have solid data to take with you to your daughter's pediatrician for a referral to a team of individuals expert in Asperger's Syndrome and high functioning autism.

Girls with Asperger's are the toughest population to diagnosis for a variety of reasons. As a result, they are almost always overlooked or discounted by psychologists and pediatricians.

Kind Regards,
James