There has been much debate about the nature of Asperger syndrome and where it fits on the autism spectrum. The only thing that is known for sure is that Asperger syndrome IS a type of autism, but without many of the debilitating symptoms. There are many differences between what most people think of when they imagine an autistic child and one with Asperger’s Syndrome. Let’s take a look at some of the basic differences.
1. A child who is typically autistic will show severe lapses in language development. A high percentage of autistic children may never develop language skills at all. With a child or adolescent who has Asperger’s syndrome, language skills are usually not affected at all and may, in fact, be above average. A child with Asperger syndrome may show impaired social development that can lead to a lack of language use, but actual language development itself is on par with other children of the same age.
2. A second way to differentiate Asperger’s disease from classic autism is the cognitive abilities of children with Asperger’s. Most children with Asperger’s display normal or even above average cognitive ability in the classroom and on IQ tests. This extends to the later years of development as well. However, children with classical autism show cognitive impairments that do not normally improve with age.
3. A third and main difference between children with autism and those with Asperger’s is the way in which the two interact socially. In most cases, although there are variations, as each child with autism and each child with Asperger’s Syndrome react differently, an autistic child can sometimes appear arrogant or uncaring about the children around them. However, children with Asperger syndrome in most cases want to be sociable, but they are very, very clumsy. They tend to be overly formal in social situations and are not thought to show empathy with other children. They may also seem unaware of social rules and appropriate gestures. They may also display an almost complete lack of eye contact, which many consider a lack of interest in being social, but it’s more due to discomfort than a lack of wanting to be social.
4. A final way to tell if a child has Asperger’s Syndrome and not traditional autism is the way a child with Asperger’s Syndrome obsesses over things. The subject of the obsession can range from sports statistics to obscure things like the names of the Russian tsars or whatever else weird you can think of. This obsessive behavior also has an impact on the child’s socialization. They tend to want to talk only about their current obsession with other people, including children their age. This can add to the awkward social interaction that is common for people with Asperger syndrome.
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When discussing Asperger’s versus Autism, children with Asperger’s are sometimes referred to as “high-functioning autistic.” This is a subjective term and has no medical definition. However, it is often used to refer to children with typical Asperger symptoms or mild symptoms of autism.
