The parents of a child with Asperger's disorder asks the nurse to explain the differences between Asperger's and autism. Which information should the nurse share with the parents about Asperger's disorder that is not characteristic in autism?

• A. Obsession with moving objects.
• B. Repetitive patterns of behavior.
• C. Age-appropriate language development.
• D. Stereotypic movements and speech patterns.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that language development is the big distinguishing factor between Asperger’s and autism. In Asperger’s, language and cognitive development are typically on track—the child speaks in full sentences and understands language at age-appropriate levels. In contrast, autism often includes delays or abnormalities in language and communication, especially early on. So telling parents that their child’s language development is age-appropriate highlights a feature more consistent with Asperger’s and not with the common language delays seen in autism.

The other observations—intense, narrow interests; repetitive patterns of behavior; and stereotypic movements or speech patterns—can occur in both conditions, so they don’t distinguish Asperger’s from autism as clearly.