Marriage and Family Therapists’ Ability to Diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome: A Vignette Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which AAMFT clinical members can accurately diagnose Asperger's Syndrome. 171 AAMFT clinical members were surveyed using a vignette methodology. Participants were asked to read the vignette and provide a diagnosis for the child in the vignette. Four out of five participants were unable to correctly diagnose the vignette child with Asperger's Syndrome. Analyses found that the ability to correctly diagnose Asperger's Syndrome did not vary based on the participants: gender, years of clinical experience, or specialized clinical population (e.g.

Brief Education About Autism Spectrum Disorders for Family Therapists

“…ASDs may be easily missed or misdiagnosed (Carlson, McGeorge, & Halvorson, 2007;Whittingham, Sofronoff, Sheffield, & Sanders, 2008). One possible reason is that impairments in communication skills, cognitive abilities, and behavior patterns tend to vary widely from person to person.…”

Supporting Families Dealing with Autism and Asperger's Disorders

“…There is evidence that professionals such as pediatricians and family therapists often miss or mistake ASDs-especially when the symptoms are not severe (Carlson, McGeorge, & Halvorson, 2007;Whittingham, Sofronoff, Sheffield, & Sanders, 2008). High-functioning autism or Asperger's, which may be the same , may be mistaken for common behavioral or academic problems (e.g., rebellion, stubbornness, poor grades).…”