Diagnostic Criteria from Gilberg & Gilberg

Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Syndrome from Gilberg & Gilberg (1989)

(reprinted from Tony Attwood, Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, pp. 195-6.)

1. Social impairment (extreme egocentricity), at least in two of the following:

a) Inability to interact with peers;

b) Lack of desire to interact with peers;

c) Lack of appreciation of social cues;

d) Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior.

2. Narrow interest, at least one of the following:

a) Exclusion of other activities;

b) Repetitive adherence;

c) More rote than meaning.

3. Repetitive routines, at least one of the following:

a) On self, in aspects of life;

b) On others.

4. Speech and language peculiarities, at least three of the following:

a) Delayed development;

b) Superficially perfect expressive language;

c) Formal pedantic language;

d) Odd prosody, peculiar voice characteristics;

e) Impairment of comprehension including misinterpretation of literal/implied meanings.

5. Non-verbal communication problems, at least one of the following:

a) Limited use of gestures;

b) Clumsy/gauche body language;

c) Limited facial expression;

d) Inappropriate expression;

e) Peculiar stiff gaze.

6. Motor clumsiness:

Poor performance on neuro-developmental examination.

Please e-mail me at jdevine@lmumail.lmu.edu if you have any questions or comments -- or if you want to be put on our e-mailing list.

This page revised by Jim Devine, Wednesday, March 15, 2000.