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Asperger's Syndrome

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Asperger's syndrome refers to a high-functioning form of autism. Although it was once classified as its own condition, Asperger’s is no longer an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The behavior ascribed to Asperger’s is now encompassed under the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

People with high-functioning autism/Asperger's often have difficulty with social situations, and they may not be able to understand the perspectives and feelings of others. However, their language and cognitive skills are often typical.

People with the condition may also engage in specific, repetitive body movements. They often have an orientation toward detail and an interest in systemizing, which can come across as an obsession. Some may show remarkable facility in a narrowly focused and usually non-social area, such as baseball statistics or train schedules.

For more on causes, symptoms, and treatments of Asperger's syndrome, see our Diagnosis Dictionary.

Contents

Signs and Symptoms

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As with all autism spectrum disorders, people with Asperger's have difficulties in social situations. For example, they may not make eye contact, understand a joke, or recognize how to continue a conversation. People with Asperger's may struggle to understand nonverbal signals or decipher body language.

Because people with Asperger's can lack the ability to understand the perspective of others, they often do not return social feelings or share in the happiness or distress of others. They might fail to develop friendships as children and may be singled out by other kids as "weird" or "awkward."

People with Asperger's often function best with routines and rituals. They are often intensely preoccupied with a narrow area of interest, and occasionally demonstrate incredible abilities in that domain (sometimes referred to as a savant). Like those with full-blown autism, they may engage in repetitive behaviors like finger-twisting, hand-waving, or rocking.

Asperger’s was a distinct diagnosis in the previous version of the DSM. In the DSM-5, which was published in 2013, Asperger’s is part of the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The symptoms include:

  1. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. Examples include the inability to engage in conversation back and forth, a lack of eye contact, or the inability to maintain relationships over time.
  2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Examples include repeating the same hand movement consistently, strictly adhering to routines, or a fixation on a specific interest, such as the subway system.

For a diagnosis, symptoms would also be present during the person's childhood and lead to significant distress in the person’s daily life.

The DSM-5 classifies the severity of autism into three levels. Level 1 is classified as “Requiring support.” Level 2 is classified as “Requiring substantial support.” Level 3 is classified as “Requiring very substantial support.” As Asperger’s was historically a mild form of autism, it can map onto Level 1.

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Causes

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The roots of Asperger's syndrome or autism are not well understood. Current research points to a complex combination of biological and environmental elements.

There is a genetic component to Asperger's and autism, because the condition tends to run in families. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Recent research indicates that there may be a common group of genes whose variations or deletions make an individual vulnerable to developing autism with varying severity and symptoms.

Brain abnormalities may also be involved, as scientists have r

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