Asperger’s Syndrome

What Is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s syndrome is a diagnosis healthcare providers used before 2013. It described what providers viewed as a different type of autism. Now, both Asperger’s and autism fall under the broader umbrella of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is due to changes in the American Psychiatric Association’s reference book on brain-related conditions, known as the DSM.

Providers using the DSM-V (5) for diagnosis (which most do) don’t use the Asperger’s diagnosis.

Instead, they diagnose people with ASD and designate the level of support they need in their daily lives. Most people with a previous diagnosis of Asperger’s would be diagnosed with “autism spectrum disorder, level one” if they underwent a diagnostic evaluation today. This means that they need a low level of support. But everyone is different, and some autistic children and adults may need more support than others.

Asperger syndrome symptoms

Signs of Asperger’s traditionally fell into three main groups:

Social interaction

• Trouble using nonverbal communication, like eye contact, facial expressions and body language in social situations
• Difficulty building relationships with peers
• Not seeking out others to share things they find enjoyable or interesting
• Difficulty engaging in back-and-forth social interactions, like conversations

Communication

• Difficulty starting or keeping up a conversation
• Repetitive use of certain phrases or expressions
• Less make-believe play than expected for their age

Restricted, repetitive or stereotyped interests and behaviors

• Unusually strong interest in specific topics, like baseball stats or how airplanes work
• Needing to follow strict routines
• Repeated movements (stimming), like hand twisting or flapping, humming or body rocking
• Fascination with how things work

Former criteria for an Asperger’s diagnosis

The DSM-IV-TR (an older version of the DSM-V-TR) stated that a person needed to meet all of the following criteria for an Asperger’s diagnosis:

• At least two items from the social interaction category
• At least one item from the restricted/repetitive/stereotyped interests and behaviors category
• Possibly some requirements from the communication category
• Trouble with things like learning or making friends due to symptoms
• No delay in developing cognitive or adaptive skills
• No delay reaching early language milestones (this means they used single words by age 2 and phrases by age 3)
• Not meeting the criteria for another pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia

Healthcare providers usually diagnosed Asperger’s in children. But some people didn’t get a diagnosis until adulthood. If you think you might be on the autism spectrum, it’s never too late to reach out to a healthcare provider and seek a diagnosis.

What causes Asperger’s syndrome?

Experts don’t know exactly what causes ASD. But research suggests it’s a combination of genetics and environmental factors.

The diagnoses that now fall under autism spectrum disorder — including Asperger’s — are all considered neurodevelopmental disorders. If you have a neurodevelopmental disorder, you have brain differences that shape how you think, act and engage with the world around you.

Is Asperger’s genetic?

Yes. Experts believe gene changes play an important role in causing autism spectrum disorder. These changes often pass down within biological families (inherited). But they can also occur for the first time in people who don’t have a family history of ASD.

What should I know about Asperger’s syndrome treatment?

ASD is a brain difference, not a disease. Healthcare providers don’t “cure” it. Rather, some people need therapies or support. Others need accommodations. You and your provider work together to decide what’s best for your needs.