Autism And Asperger Syndrome Similarities And Differences

Autism and Asperger Syndrome are two similar disorders and are too often confused. The average person knows little about either, (often thinking the two are the same), and this ignorance leads people to make hasty rationalizations. The difference between the two can often be great, which is why they are separate disorders. While people fail to see the difference, distinguishing between the two can be as easy as recognizing the severity of one’s problem. While they share similar characteristics and signs there is a difference between these two disorders. So what is autism? Autism is a developmental disorder that can cause severe impairments in attention, cognition, communication, and social functioning. In the most extreme forms, persons†¦show more content†¦While they may share similar symptoms Autism is more severe in every way than Asperger’s. Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder considered to be on the â€Å"high functioning† end of the spectrum. Affected children and adults have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Motor development may be delayed, leading to clumsiness or uncoordinated motor movements. Compared with those affected by other forms of ASD, however, those with Asperger syndrome do not have significant delays or difficulties in language or cognitive development. Unlike autism, Asperger’s isn’t diagnosed early on. It often goes unnoticed until children or adults begin to have problems in school or work respectively. They may have difficulty interacting with others and have quirks that others may see as strange. When these symptoms begin to be noticed by family or friends they may be taken in for an evaluation where they are diagnosed with Asperger’s. Some may go their whole lives without being diagnosed even when they do have it because they have such moderate symptoms. When their disorder is mild it could go unnoticed until they are an adult and even then it may not be certain they have this disorder. While Autism and Asperger’s share characteristics they are actually very different. Although Asperger s syndrome is similar in some ways to autism there are some important differences. Children with Asperger s