What Is Asperger's Syndrome?

Dr. Hans Asperger first classified Asperger's Syndrome as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Persuasive Development Disorder, in 1944. Asperger's Syndrome is considered a less severe type of Autism because those affected do not lack the same communication skills, function relatively well in social situations, and are often extremely intelligent. For example, some people who have Asperger's Syndrome are able to graduate from college, hold a job, and raise a family. Their brains also have a large hippocampus and small amygdala which could explain their high cognitive abilities, and their abnormal social skills. There is not any consistent evidence of lesions in the brain similar to those of autistic symptoms. People who have Asperger's often act awkwardly in social situations, have a prescribed area of interest, and desire a constant routine. A cure for Asperger's Syndrome has not been developed, and although the traits do change as a person gets older, those who have it live with it their whole lives.