Review of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale.
The Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale lacks proof for clinical use—screen with ASSQ or CAST instead.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Leigland (2002) looked at the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale.
The author asked: Does this scale really separate Asperger from other autism?
It was a narrative review, so no new data were collected.
What they found
The scale shows promise for research only.
There is not enough proof it can tell Asperger apart from autism in clinic work.
Sam warns clinicians to wait for stronger validity data.
How this fits with other research
Kahng et al. (1999) already showed the ASSQ parent-teacher checklist works for school kids.
Williams et al. (2005) later found the CAST parent form reached 100% sensitivity.
These studies seem to clash with Sam, but they tested different tools.
Sharma et al. (2012) backs Sam up, saying DSM-IV Asperger rules overlap too much with autism.
Together the papers say: some tools work for screening, yet none give a clean Asperger label.
Why it matters
You need to pick tools that match your goal.
Use the ASSQ or CAST to flag kids who need full evaluation.
Do not use the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale to decide eligibility.
Write goals for the child’s symptom profile, not for an Asperger label that may not hold.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Asperger's Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (2001) was reviewed to determine it's reliability, validity, and clinical utility in the diagnostic process for pervasive developmental disorder, specifically Asperger's syndrome. Concerns were raised about validity of the instrument, population upon which the instrument was normed, capability of the instrument to provide accurate differential diagnoses, and properties of the scale. The measure was determined to hold promise as a research tool, but there appears to be little evidence that it can distinguish among the various types of pervasive developmental disorder or diagnosis Asperger syndrome specifically.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2002 · doi:10.1023/a:1021215300163