Aspergers is one of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which are a spectrum of psychological conditions that are characterized by abnormalities of social interaction and communication that pervade the individual's functioning, and by restricted and repetitive interests and behavior.
Like other psychological development disorders, autism spectrum disorders begin in infancy or childhood, have a steady course without remission or relapse, and have impairments that result from maturation-related changes in various systems of the brain.
Autism spectrum disorders, in turn, are a subset of the broader autism phenotype (BAP), which describes individuals who may not have autism spectrum disorders but do have autistic-like traits (e.g., social deficits).
Of the other four autism spectrum disorder forms, autism is the most similar to Apergers in signs and likely causes, but its diagnosis requires impaired communication and allows delay in cognitive development.
Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder share several signs with autism, but may have unrelated causes, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is diagnosed when the criteria for a more specific disorder are unmet.
The extent of the overlap between Aspergers and high-functioning autism (HFA—autism unaccompanied by mental retardation) is unclear. The current autism spectrum disorder classification may not reflect the true nature of the conditions.
The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide: A Complete Resource Guide For Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed With Aspergers Syndrome.
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