You may have been told that your child has Asperger's Syndrome (AS), a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of similar conditions called "autism spectrum disorders". Different combinations are possible and different degrees of severity of similar symptoms. Any two children who receive the same diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome may have similar behavior patterns and different skills and abilities. These children with the same diagnosis of AS may be described in different terms, such as low-functioning, or high-functioning, or autistic tendencies, and pervasive developmental disorder. Children who have been diagnosed as having high-functioning autism often share the same symptoms as children diagnosed with AS.

Asperger's Syndrome is often difficult to diagnose and treat. It is possible that children with AS may have been incorrectly diagnosed with autism (cite other syndrome/condition similar to AS)

Typically, those with Asperger's Syndrome have onset of symptoms later than kids with autism. Usually the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome is made after age three, with the majority of kids being diagnosed between the ages of five and nine.

Children with Asperger's Syndrome usually exhibit poor social interactions with others, exhibit obsessions, have odd speech patterns, and other peculiar mannerisms. They usually show very few facial expressions and have difficulty interpreting or noticing other people's body language. They also have an unusually high sensitivity to sensory stimuli such as to light, sound and touch. Though individuals with AS can function in society, generally they are socially immature, others see them as eccentric, odd, and clumsy. Children with AS are usually picked on by bullies at school because these behaviors set them apart from other kids.

As the child grows he or she may show trouble in having empathy for others, and have difficulty dealing with social situations. AS is a lifetime disorder that with early intervention and treatment can have a positive outcome.

Your child may show the following signs and have some or all of these symptoms:

• Minimal social interactions with others
• inappropriate interactions with others
• repetitive speech which may seem robotic or scripted
• a lack of common sense
• difficulty when it comes to reading, math, or writing skills
• an obsession with complex topics such as music and patterns
• average to below-average nonverbal cognitive abilities with average to high verbal cognitive abilities
• awkward physical movements, and odd behaviors or mannerisms.

Where a child with autism usually shows a delay in language development, children with AS have good grammatical skills and usually have an advanced level of vocabulary early on in childhood. Children with AS show appropriate age development when it comes to feeding, dressing and other self-help skills but have difficulty with attention span, and organizational skills. Children with AS typically have normal to high IQs.

It is only fairly recently that the Asperger's Syndrome was accepted by the medical and psychological profession as a autism spectrum disorder. There is still much to know about its nature and causes.  Asperger's Syndrome (AS) as an autism spectrum disorder means that it is one of many distinct groups of neurological conditions linked to autism by characteristics such as impaired language and communication skills, and obsession. However, it is not autism per se. In the past, AS has been confused with classic autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder or PDD. One distinction between AS and autism is that children with AS keep their early language skills. Symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome include repetitive rituals or routines, peculiarities in either the speech or the language used, problems with nonverbal communications, and uncoordinated motor movements.

Because children with Asperger's Syndrome already feel isolated it is important we treat them with care and patience as we gather information needed to assess the symptoms.

There are many treatments for Asperger's Syndrome and the prognosis is good for those who suffer from it especially if the diagnosis is made early on in life. The most effective treatment plan may indeed be a combination of treatments and training that builds one skill on another and builds on the child's interests.