Parents and care providers seeking additional information are referred to the more comprehensive reviews listed in our reference page. The final formulation should include a characterization of the child's deficits and abilities in these various areas. The actual diagnostic assignment should be the final step in the evaluation. Labels are necessary in order to secure services and guarantee a level of sophistication in addressing the child's needs. The assignment of a label, however, should be done in a thoughtful way, so as to minimize stigmatization and avoid unwarranted assumptions.
Every child is different.
If one were to observe a group of individuals with Asperger Syndrome, one would probably be more impressed by how they differ than by how they are alike. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that intervention programs derived from comprehensive evaluations are individualized to insure that they address the unique profile of needs and strengths exhibited by the given child. The psychiatric label should nver be assumed to convey a precise preconceived set of behaviors and needs. Its main function is to convey an overall sense of the pattern of difficulties present. Professionals should never start a discussion of the child's needs by evoking the label.