Asperger SyndromeToday there are many different types of disabilities and syndromes. When you have a child who is diagnosed with a disability or syndrome, life can suddenly become overwhelming. This is especially true if they have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Parents sometimes feel guilty because their child has a disability or syndrome. Parents may feel responsible for their child's disability or syndrome. Parents may feel guilty about their child being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome since it is a neurological disorder. This particular syndrome is not widely recognized by the general public. Because Asperger's syndrome is not widely recognized by the general public, the public may sometimes not understand the behavior of someone who has Asperger's syndrome. This can be a challenge for a parent trying to explain their child's behavior to someone who has never heard of Asperger's syndrome. Parents until recently may have known that their child was behaving unusually, but they didn't know where to turn for help. These are just some of the challenges parents face when their child has Asperger's syndrome because it has some of the same characteristics as autism. This article will review the definition and characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome, what assessments are available to diagnose Asperger's Syndrome, and which particular children are most often diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome was not declared an official disorder until 1994. Asperger's Syndrome was discovered by Hans Asperger in the 1940s. Asperger syndrome is different from autism and falls into the category of pervasive developmental disorders. Asperger's has a long definition. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV of the American Psychiatric Association (cited in Klin & Volkmar, 1995) Asperger syndrome follows the same format as autism. The definition of Asperger syndrome actually uses autism as a reference point. Asperger syndrome involves the absence of certain abnormalities in certain areas of functioning that are affected in autism. People with Asperger's can be very intelligent. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV of the American Psychiatric Association (cited in Klin & Volkmar, 1995) the definition of Asperger's syndrome implies a qualitative deterioration in social interaction. There should be at least two of the following little devils... in the center of the paper... intelligent but with strange behaviors. We as educators need to understand the behaviors of children with Asperger's syndrome so that they are not left behind in the classroom. With ongoing research, perhaps in the future there will be a diagnostic test that all doctors can use to correctly identify someone with Asperger's syndrome. When a child is labeled as having Asperger's syndrome, remember that he or she may be very intelligent but have some strange social behaviors. References Attwood, T. (1998). Asperger's syndrome: a guide for parents and professionals. New York: Jessica Kingsley.Klin, A. and Volkmar F. R. (1995). Asperger syndrome: guidelines for evaluation and diagnosis. January 22, 2005 from http://www.aspennj.org/guide.htmlRubin, E. & Laurent, A.C. (2004). Implement curriculum-based assessment to prioritize learning objectives in Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 24(2),298-315. Tsatsanis, K. D., Foley, C., & Donehower, C. (2004). Contemporary outcome research and programming guidelines for Asperger syndrome and high autism, 24(2), 249-259.