The case is presented of a 17-year-old boy with a recent diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. Despite displaying a characteristic pattern of deficits in cognitive, social and behavioural functioning, isolated cognitive skills and a remarkable ability for calendar calculation, this boy was not diagnosed during childhood. Coexisting skills and impairments were explored through a description of developmental history and current functioning. The article considers the reasons for the disorder not being identified during childhood and discusses the case-study findings in relation to current issues about the prevalence of Asperger's syndrome, the difficulties of diagnosis and essential diagnostic criteria.