Individuals who suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) either have a very high functioning ability or a normal intelligence. Despite possessing high intelligence, normal day-to-day activities can turn out to be very strenuous and difficult for people who suffers from AS. Men might exhibit these symptoms easily but women often remain undiagnosed until their adulthood.
Asperger’s test is a test that can determine the existence of AS in both children and adults based on which we can teach them to adapt to socialising.
Asperger’s Test: High functioning Asperger’s patients are often called walking dictionaries as the flow of words from their mouth would not stop owing to their obsessive thirst for knowledge. Their IQ (Intelligence Quotient) levels are very high when compared to most others.
There are several tests that are used to diagnose AS. Let us look at a few.
The AQ Test: The autism spectrum quotient test or the AQ test was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen with the help of his colleagues at the Autism research Centre in Cambridge. The AQ test measures the traits in AS patients and marks them accordingly. According to the AQ test, any individual who would score a 32 is considered to be at least mildly affected by AS. Though not a definite measure, AQ test has achieved high predictability at diagnosing AS.
CAST: The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST)is very useful for diagnosing children with AS. The CAST runs a two tier examination basis-one to be completed by the child and two, to be completed by the parent if a very high score is achieved in the first exam.
- CAST comprises of a questionnaire consisting of 37 questions (that address cognitive, physical, social and communication skills) which children from a mainstream classroom are asked to answer. If the child achieves a high score, then the parents would have to finish the second questionnaire.
No matter what criteria an Asperger’s test is based upon, it focuses on the basic traits of AS and helps in determining it.
