• Literal interpretation of language. 
difficulty comprehending implied 
meanings. 
• Extensive vocabulary. Reading 
commences at an early age 
(hyperlexia). 
• Stereotyped or repetitive motor 
mannerisms. 
• Difficulty with “give and take” of 
conversation. 
The following is an excerpt from the 
What’s Asperger’s Syndrome? 
Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a 
neurobiological disorder on the 
higher-functioning end of the 
autism spectrum. An individual’s 
symptoms can range from mild to 
severe. While sharing many of the 
same characteristics as other Autism 
Spectrum Disorders (ASD's) 
including Pervasive Developmental 
Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified 
(PDD-NOS) and High-Functioning 
Autism (HFA), AS has been recognized 
as a distinct medical diagnosis 
in Europe for almost 60 years, 
but has only been included in the 
U.S. medical diagnostic manual 
since 1994 (“Asperger's Disorder” 
in the DSM-IV). 
Individuals with AS and related 
disorders exhibit serious deficiencies 
in social and communication 
skills. Their IQ’s are typically in 
the normal to very superior range. 
They are usually educated in the 
mainstream, but most require 
special education services. Because 
of their naiveté, those with AS are 
often viewed by their peers as 
“odd” and are frequently a target 
for bullying and teasing. 
They desire to fit in socially and 
have friends, but have a great deal 
of difficulty making effective social 
connections. Many of them are at 
risk for developing mood disorders, 
such as anxiety or depression, 
especially in adolescence. Diagnosis 
of autistic spectrum disorders 
should be made by a medical expert 
to rule out other possible 
diagnoses and to discuss interventions. 
Characteristics of AS 
Each person is different. An individual 
might have all or only some 
of the described behaviors to have 
a diagnosis of AS. These behaviors 
include the following: 
• Marked impairment in the use 
of multiple nonverbal behaviors such 
as: eye gaze, facial expression, body 
posture, and gestures to regulate social 
interaction. 
• Extreme difficulty in developing 
age-appropriate peer relationships. 
(e.g. AS children may be more comfortable 
with adults than with other 
children). 
• Inflexible adherence to routines 
and perseveration. 
• Fascination with maps, globes, 
and routes. 
• Superior rote memory. 
• Preoccupation with a particular 
subject to the exclusion of all others 
and amasses many related facts. 
• Difficulty judging personal 
space, motor clumsiness. 
• Sensitivity to the environment, 
loud noises, clothing and food textures, 
and odors. 
• Speech and language skills impaired 
in the area of semantics, pragmatics, 
and prosody (volume, intonation, 
inflection, and rhythm). 
• Difficulty understanding others’ 
feelings. 
• Pedantic, formal style of speaking; 
often called “ little professor”, 
verbose. 
• Extreme difficulty reading and/ 
or interpreting social cues. 
• Socially and emotionally inappropriate 
responses. 
book: Parenting Your Asperger 
Child, by Alan Sohn, Ed.D., and 
Cathy Grayson, M.A. : Perigee / 
February 2005 pp. 3-5. 
The Six Characteristics of Asper-
ger’s Syndrome 
1. Difficulty with Reciprocal 
Social Interactions 
Those with Asperger’s syndrome 
display varying difficulties when 
interacting with others. Some children 
and adolescents have no desire 
to interact, while others simply do 
not know how. More specifically, 
they do not comprehend the give-
and-take nature of social interactions. 
They may want to lecture you 
about the Titanic or they may leave 
the room in the midst of playing 
with another child. They do not 
comprehend the verbal and nonverbal 
cues used to further our understanding 
in typical social interactions. 
These include eye contact, 
facial expressions, body language, 
controversial and nonverbal re-
DIVISION OF DEVE LO PMENT A L DISABILITIES SERVICES 
Volume 1, Issue 3 
May 5, 2008 
A Publication of the Office of 
Training and Professional 
Development 
The Learning Curve 
“Enhancing the Knowledge of DDDS Professionals” 
Did you know that... 
• In 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of 
Johns Hopkins Hospital intro-
duces the label early infantile 
autism. At the same time a 
German scientist, Dr. Hans 
Asperger, described a milder 
form of the disorder that be-
came known as Asperger 
syndrome. 
Asperger's Facts 
• The disability can manifest 
itself in many ways. A student 
can fail to develop peer rela-
tionships, lack social graces 
and interchange, and show an 
abnormal and intense fixation 
on a subject. 
• Most have normal IQs, and 
many have exceptional skill 
and understanding in a spe-
cific area, such as math or 
computers. 
• Many are good at reciting rote 
dates, times, facts and fig-
ures, but are not able to com-
prehend the big picture. 
• Conversations can revolve 
around self, and voice can be 
flat and emotionless. 
• They may have difficulty tak-
ing direction and coping with 
negative feedback. 
• Asperger's has no specific 
treatment, but in some cases, 
intervention is used. That may 
include social skills training, 
behavior modification and 
therapy. 
Focus on Aspergers... 
..
Autism Society of Delaware 
5572 Kirkwood Highway 
Wilmington, DE 19808 
(302) 472-2638 
Fax: (302) 472-2640 
Lower DE Autism Foundation 
33815 Clay Road, Suite F 
Lewes, DE 19958 
(302) 644-3410 
www.delautism.org 

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