| The concept of autism can sometimes be very | | | | Asperger's Syndrome described a milder form of |
| confusing. The syndrome first explained by Austrian | | | | autism, while others completely failed to distinguish |
| psychiatrist Leo Kanner in the 40's has generated | | | | between them. In fact, the syndrome discovered by |
| many controversial opinions throughout the course of | | | | Asperger described patients who didn't fit the exact |
| history. Autism is a very complex neurological disorder | | | | pattern of autism and hence, it could be referred to as |
| that can lead to different forms of behavioral, | | | | a form of "borderline autism". Asperger's Syndrome |
| communicational, social and cognitive impairment. | | | | revealed how difficult it was to draw the line between |
| People with autism rarely fit the standard symptomatic | | | | autistic and normal children, proving that it was possible |
| profile introduced by medical scientists in the past. In | | | | for patients to have only certain characteristics of |
| fact, the syndrome generates a very wide spectrum | | | | autism. |
| of symptoms that can be experienced on multiple | | | | As Asperger's theories became popular, many children |
| levels and at various intensities. | | | | that have been previously diagnosed with "mild" autism |
| In most cases, the criteria of diagnosis introduced by | | | | were now considered to suffer from Asperger's |
| Rutter and other scientists may be enough to identify | | | | Syndrome. Children with Asperger's Syndrome |
| some categories of autistic children. However, some | | | | seemed more responsive to external stimuli and |
| children may only present some characteristics of | | | | presented less preoccupation to sameness. Children |
| autism, showing no other signs of the disorder. | | | | with Asperger's Syndrome also seemed to have |
| Contemporary medical scientists have argued many | | | | higher levels of performance intelligence and better |
| times whether it is appropriate to consider this | | | | communicational skills. Unlike autistic children, who |
| category of children autistic or not. Patients who | | | | hardly made any progress as they reached more |
| partially fit the autistic profile could be referred to as | | | | advanced stages of development, some children |
| "borderline". The concept of borderline autism is very | | | | diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome could be partially |
| common these days and it generally includes patients | | | | recovered in early childhood. With the help of specific |
| who show clear signs of abnormality but they only | | | | medical treatments and with the means of appropriate |
| reveal some symptoms of Kanner's syndrome. In the | | | | educational programs, most children with Asperger's |
| past, many children with borderline autism were | | | | Syndrome showed signs of improvement on both |
| inappropriately diagnosed with psychosis or | | | | behavioral and communicational levels. |
| schizophrenia. | | | | Nowadays, most patients diagnosed with Asperger's |
| Patients who don't fit the exact profile of autism but | | | | Syndrome can be successfully integrated into the |
| present certain signs of the syndrome might | | | | society and they can even live their lives independently. |
| nowadays be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. | | | | As adults, many patients with Asperger's Syndrome |
| Due to their common features, Asperger's Syndrome | | | | have proved to be very responsible and socially |
| and Kanner's Syndrome were considered to be the | | | | aware, showing few signs of neurological impairment. |
| same concept. Many scientists believed that | | | | |