Lisa Barrett Mann, M.S.Ed. 

What is Asperger Syndrome? 

Asperger Syndrome is considered a form of high functioning autism. Like all autism spectrum disorders, Asperger’s involves difficulties in three major areas: social interaction, communication, and behavior. 

Children with Asperger Syndrome typically have: 

• Normal IQ or above (20% fall in the "gifted" range, as opposed to 2% of the general population)
  
• Significantly impaired social skills
• Adequate or precocious vocabularies, but difficulty carrying on back-and-forth conversations
• One or more all-encompassing special interests
• Eccentric ways of playing
• Unusual sensory sensitivities
• Inflexibility/Need for “sameness”
• Difficulty understanding nonverbal communication (facial expression, body language) and abstract language
• Poor motor coordination

What Causes Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome is caused by differences in the neuropathways of a child’s brain. It is not is not a symptom of poor parenting, nor can it be “fixed” by increased discipline.