could my daughter have aspergers

My daughter is 4 and was born with brain damage due to the cmv virus.  Since birth problems have been apparent.  She is currently diagnosed with cerebral palsy, spastic deplegia, severe mental retardation, and adhd.  I'm not really sure about all the diagnosis so far so I'm trying to find more information.  She is in a class for children with disabilities where she gets OT,PT,SPEECH therapy.  She is very smart and seems to have a good memory.  She is a loner child and doesn't do very well in social settings.  She is very aggressive, destructive, and physically abusive when she doesn't get her way, or when another child has something she wants.  She does good on some days and others her speech is slurred and she is very mean.  She is ambulatory and uses afo braces on her legs.  We tried some adhd medications but they seemed to make her act as if she were on a methamphetamine or something. So I do not give her this medication anymore. She finds it very humerus when someone gets hurt. She is moderately delayed in all of her daily living activities.  She doesn't seem to pay attention when you are talking to her and shows no interest.  At times when talking to her the way that her eyes glare seems as if she's not really in there or something.  She does have eye problems and has had to have surgery to correct them. Please if you have any advise I am listening!

[Jason C Bourret, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

Autism spectrum disorders have behavioral diagnostic criteria, so individuals can be diagnosed with autism due to deficits from a number of different causes. Because of this heterogeneity and the fact that the diagnostic criteria are behavioral, an ASD diagnosis doesn’t point the way to a treatment for the disorder. What it indicates is that the individual has certain delays that warrant intervention. Applied behavior analysis is the most effective and reliable method for addressing both her problem behavior and her skill deficits and the best recommendation that I can give you is to seek out a certified Behavior Analyst in your area who has experience working with children like your daughter. The prognosis for significant improvement is often quite good and the earlier you obtain behavioral services the better.

The use of medication to treat behavioral problems is something that needs to be monitored very closely. It is impossible to tell ahead of time if a particular medication will produce a beneficial impact with a particular individual or not and this is always a process of trial and error. If you are going this route, make sure that you have a psychiatrist who works well with you and is responsive to your feedback about the effectiveness of the medication.