Referral pattern and special interests in children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome: a Turkish referred sample.
Turkish kids wait two extra years for an Asperger label after first referral—screen social skills early when you see ADHD or school failure.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doctors in Turkey looked at the charts of kids who were later told they had Asperger syndrome. They wrote down how old the child was at the first clinic visit and how old at the final Asperger label. They also listed why the family first asked for help and what the child loved to talk about.
The team wanted to see how long the wait really is between first worry and correct diagnosis.
What they found
Most kids first came to clinic at about eight years old. The Asperger diagnosis was not given until around ten. That is a two-year gap.
The top reasons for first referral were ADHD complaints and school failure. The most common special interest was technology.
How this fits with other research
Lugnegård et al. (2011) followed older Swedish teens with the same label and found 70% had depression. Together the papers warn us: long wait plus high mental-health risk.
Stephens et al. (2018) showed that family adversity stretches the delay even more. Canan’s two-year lag may be the best-case scenario if home life is stable.
Root et al. (2017) seems to disagree. They found preschoolers picked up by research teams were milder than clinic kids. The clash is simple: research screens catch mild cases early, real-world clinics see tougher problems later. Both can be true.
Why it matters
If a child lands in your office for hyperactivity or falling grades, ask about social skills and narrow interests right then. Do not wait for the family to bring it up. A quick screen can shave months off the wait and you can start social coaching while the full evaluation moves forward.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the most frequent reasons for referral, the most common special interests, age at first referral to a mental health service, and the age of diagnosis in children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome living in Turkey. METHODS: This study includes 61 children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger syndrome using strict DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS: The mean age at first referral was 7.9 whereas the mean age when Asperger syndrome was diagnosed was 9.9, which is compatible with other studies. The most frequent reasons for the first referral were attention deficits, hyperactivity, and academic failure, and the most common special interest area was "electronic devices, computer, and technical interests". CONCLUSIONS: The types of special interests and referral reasons in our Asperger syndrome sample are very similar to the interest areas and referral reasons of individuals with Asperger syndrome from developed western countries indicating the universality of symptoms. It could be concluded that children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome may refer to mental health services with a variety of symptoms; therefore, it is important to make a detailed assessment of social difficulties especially in school-age children and adolescents for the differential diagnosis of Asperger syndrome.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361312457716