Epidemiology

Etiology

Course

Children with Asperger Syndrome may display a number of the following features in varying degrees of severity. Also, not all children will display all of the following features (DSM-IV-TR, 2000):

    Impairment in reciprocal social interaction (impairment in non-verbal communication, lack of sharing enjoyment with others, etc.)
    Restrictive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (strict routine, obsession with a few, often complex topics
    Usual speech (not impaired) due preoccupations and wordiness, often “adult-like”
    Often have a delay in motor skills

The major feature of AS is the limited social ability. Unlike autism, the impaired social ability does not stem from a disinterest in others, but from difficultly in understanding non-verbal social cues. For instance a child with AS may not pick up on certain signals indicating that someone is bored with the conversation and continue to talk. They may also take everything said very literally, making it very difficult to hold a conversation with them.  Other features of AS are the retention of language skills and normal cognitive ability. Unlike the other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, children with AS usually have no deficit in either language or cognitive functioning. To most people, those with AS appear to be normal children behaving abnormally. Preoccupations with very specific, often odd subjects are also common in children with AS. The child tries to learn everything possible about the topic and rarely will stray from it in conversation.