Letter to the Editor: Comment on “The Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA): A Diagnostic Method”, Simon Baron-Cohen, Sally Wheelwright, Janine Robinson and Marc Woodbury-Smith, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Vol 35(6)

Excerpt

Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues (2005), in their paper on the Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA) state that this instrument is needed for assessing AS and HFA in adults, because at present nothing else exists for this purpose. We would like to point out that two other instruments are available for diagnosing and assessing these subgroups within the autistic spectrum. These are the Asperger Syndrome (and high functioning autism) Diagnostic Interview (ASDI) (Gillberg et al. 2001), and the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) (Wing et al. 2002). Each of these instruments can be used for both children and adults. The ASDI, like the AAA, is specifically designed for AS and HFA, whereas the DISCO covers all autistic spectrum disorders. It has evolved through research and clinical experience from an interview originally designed over 30 years ago (Wing & Gould 1978). …