Eshkol-Wachman movement notation in diagnosis: The early detection of Asperger’s syndrome—Teitelbaum et al. 101 (32): 11909—Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Eshkol–Wachman movement notation in diagnosis: The early detection of Asperger’s syndrome
Osnat Teitelbaum *, , Tom Benton , Prithvi K. Shah , Andrea Prince *, Joseph L. Kelly * and Philip Teitelbaum *

*Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; Benton Pediatrics, 5612 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32653; and Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
Contributed by Philip Teitelbaum, June 23, 2004

The diagnostic criteria of Asperger’s syndrome (AS), considered a part of the autistic spectrum disorder, are still unclear. A critical marker, which distinguishes AS from autism, is the presence of language. The ability of a child with AS to acquire and use language early results in the fact that AS usually is diagnosed much later than autism. Autism is not usually diagnosed until around the age of 3, whereas AS usually is not diagnosed until the child is 6 or 7 years of age. In the present article, using Eshkol–Wachman movement notation, we present evidence that abnormal movement patterns can be detected in AS in infancy.