This neurobiological disorder was first brought to public attention by the efforts of a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger in 1944. It is a milder variant of the Autistic Disorder and falls under the umbrella term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

A greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills and repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior characterizes this group of neurological conditions.



The disorder ranges from mild to severe and symptoms may vary from person to person but all sufferers experience social isolation and display eccentric behavior.

The main symptoms are:
1. Problems with non-verbal communication: eye to eye and body language as well as facial expression and gestures.
2. Failure to form relationships with appropriate peer group
3. Absence of the desire to share enjoyment of interaction with others
4. Lack of social and emotional reciprocity
5. Obsessive routines and repetitive specific nonfunctional rituals
6. Preoccupation with a particular object of interest
7. Inability to respond appropriately to non-verbal cues
8. Sensorily over sensitive finding it necessary to withdraw from too much sensory stimulus.

Children with Asperger's typically turn their considerable focus onto a very particular field of interest that can be anything from doorknobs, to music. They may be highly proficient and even talented in that area leading them to be considered as little professor's but the proficiency is a restricted one and treatment is necessary in order to help the sufferer with the other, more painful aspects of the disorder.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) treatment addresses three problem areas: poor communication skills; obsessive or repetitive routines and physical clumsiness.