If your son's language was caught up by the time he was 2 years old, I don't think that would disqualify him from an AS diagnosis.
Here are the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's:
http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/
A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood
F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia
What is considered a speech delay to not qualify for Aspergers vs PDD-NOS/Autism? My 3 1/2 year old had speech through EI from 15-26 months. He had 3 words at 15 months but because of his sister's speech issue I was able to get him services early on instead of doing the "wait and see" approach. I am looking at his report right now and at 15 months he had 63% accuracy for 9-12 mth level with scattered success up to 15 months (this is for expression).That is what happened for my ds ,he had alot of sever autistic traits,but because his language was just meeting the requirements at 2.6 he got an AS dx, he also had a language delay and was in speech for a block of treatments.
His dev pede says he is PDD,(Aspergers type)so we use the PDD Label now ,here it is taken more seriously than AS,Most people I have dealt with think "oh AS ,that just means quirky and smart.
Linda
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)
If you read this literal---it would mean--I think--no "speech" delay (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)
But if you read the "language" portion---it would mean no "language" delay at all--expressive/receptive, etc.
I really have no clue. My son got dx'd HFA because of his "language" delay in expressive/receptive. He "talked" great at 2-3yo!! We never even knew he had a "delay" in anything until 3.5y