How does Asperger Syndrome differ from autism?
Clinicians and researchers know that autism and AS have many similarities, but the limitations in our knowledge still prevent an authoritative answer on how the two conditions differ. To some extent, the answer depends on the way clinicians and researchers use the concepts to diagnose, since until the early 1990’s there was no standard definition of AS. The lack of a commonly agreed-upon definition led to a great deal of confusion: – Clinicians tended to use the labels based on their own interpretations of what autism or Asperger Syndrome “really” meant; – Researchers could not readily interpret other researchers’ findings; and, – Individuals on the autism spectrum and family members were often faced with a diagnosis that nobody appeared to understand very well or know what to do about it. As a result of this, clinicians and researchers simply characterize AS as “being on the mild end of the autism spectrum.” Until recently: – School districts were not aware of the condition; – Insuran
