Asperger's Syndrome

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Asperger's Syndrome

Basic Characteristics

• Description

Asperger's Syndrome is one disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as classified by the National Institute of Mental Health. This disorder, like the other disorders in ASD, is characterized by severe delays in language development and social/communication development. In comparison to other disorders in ASD, children with Asperger's Syndrome are highly functioning. One hallmark symptom of Asperger's Syndrome is an extreme interest in a single subject or topic above all others. Other symptoms include clumsy and uncoordinated movements or repetitive routines or rituals.

• Diagnostic Criteria

Below is the DSM IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Disorder. Other diagnostics may be used by clinicians or researchers.

Diagnostic Criteria for 299.80 Asperger's Disorder

1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: 1. marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction 2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level 3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people) 4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity 2. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following: 1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity of focus 2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals 3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements) 4. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects 3. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. 4. 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). 5. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood. 6. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.

• History

Genetics

• References

Related Information

• Task or test associated with this construct (vote for your favorite, or nominate a new one by editing this page):
  • ADOS
  • ADI-R

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• Closely related pages (vote or nominate related pages by editing this page):

• CNP Level
  • Syndrome

External Resources

• Links out:
  • Google: ADHD
  • Wikipedia: ADHD
  • PubMed: ADHD
  • -ucla cognitive atlas- (coming soon!)

• Database links