| Autism and Aspergers syndrome are referred to as | | | | Autism's most striking symptom is an extreme lack of |
| autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Not forms of mental | | | | communication and social skills arising from rigid mental |
| illness, they are disorders with a bioneurological basis. | | | | thought processes. This rigidity makes learning very |
| Aspergers syndrome is sometimes called "more | | | | difficult for most autistic people in general, but there are |
| advanced autism," inferring that the Aspergers patient | | | | variations due to the complex genetics involved with |
| has fewer challenges that the autistic patient. | | | | the disorder. |
| However, there are some very definite differences | | | | Aspergers syndrome, on the other hand, usually is not |
| between the two conditions. | | | | as dramatic in its manifestations. Those children with |
| Autism and Aspergers syndrome both involve | | | | Aspergers syndrome may appear to be merely very |
| problems with mental processes. Children with either | | | | shy or slightly odd, lost in their own private little worlds. |
| disorder tend to be inflexible with regard to daily | | | | At the primary-school level, they may have some |
| routine, their likes and dislikes, the way things are done, | | | | difficulties making friends, but they do make them. A |
| etc. They share a similar impairment in decoding | | | | diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome, therefore, may not |
| language and fail to grasp metaphoric speech, taking | | | | be made until the child is quite a bit older and fails to |
| everything literally. | | | | mature socially in the same way as his peers. In |
| There are differences between autism and Aspergers | | | | essence, the Aspergers child fails to recognize |
| syndrome, though. The two conditions appear to have | | | | important social cues. |
| some overlap. | | | | Determining if the child has autism or Aspergers |
| Let's start with autism. The ritualistic nature of many | | | | syndrome requires some travel though the gray areas |
| behaviors, as well as lack of most social interaction, | | | | of diagnosis. Aspergers is different from having a |
| makes the autistic child stand out as being different | | | | "more advanced" variety of autism. Autistic children |
| from quite an early age, usually by the age of three. | | | | are nearly lacking in social and communications skills in |
| Autism is regarded as being a lifelong condition, one | | | | general. Aspergers children have the social and |
| that requires an intensive regimen of behavioral | | | | communication skills, but at an incomplete level. |
| modification, dietary analysis, and sometimes drug | | | | While very similar in manifestation, a diagnosis of either |
| therapy in the form of anti-depressant and anti-anxiety | | | | autism or Aspergers syndrome requires professional |
| medication. | | | | assessment. |