Asperger Syndrome

In people with Asperger's Syndrome, deficits in social interaction and unusual responses to the environment, similar to those in autism, are observed. Unlike in autism, however, cognitive and communicative developments are within the normal or near-normal range in the first years of life, and verbal skills are usually an area of relative strength. Idiosyncratic interests are common and may take the form of an unusual and/or highly circumscribed interest. There is some suggestion of an increased incidence of this condition in family members. The validity of this condition, as opposed to high-functioning autism, remains a topic of debate .Inconsistencies in the way the term has been used and the lack, until quite recently, of recognized official definitions have made it difficult to interpret the research available on this condition. Even now, some clinicians will use the term to refer to persons with autism who have IQs in the normal range, or to adults with autism, or to PDD-NOS; recent official definitions emphasize differences from autism, e.g. in terms of better communication (particularly verbal) skills. It also seems likely that that the condition overlaps, at least in part, with some forms of learning disability, e.g., the syndrome of Nonverbal Learning Disability.