What are the characteristics of Asperger syndrome?
(It is also known as Aspergers syndrome and Asperger[s] disorder.) The following is an excerpt from the NINDS Asperger Syndrome Information Page (see SOURCE, below). Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder. It is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior. Other ASDs include: classic autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Unlike children with [classic] autism, children with AS retain their early language skills. The most distinguishing symptom of AS is a childs obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. Children with AS want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about l
