Asperger's SyndromeThere are many types of disabilities and syndromes today. 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's diagnosis of 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, sometimes the public does not understand the behavior of a person with 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. Until recently, parents may have known their child was behaving in an unusual way, but didn't know where to turn for help. These are just some of the challenges parents face when their child has Asperger's, as it has some of the same characteristics as autism. This article will review the definition and characteristics of Asperger's syndrome, the assessments available to diagnose Asperger's syndrome, and which children in particular are most commonly diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's syndrome did not become an official disorder until 1994. Asperger's syndrome was discovered by Hans Asperger. in the 1940s. Asperger's syndrome is different from autism and belongs to the category of pervasive developmental disorders. Asperger's has a long definition. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (cited in Klin & Volkmar, 1995), Asperger's syndrome follows the same format as autism. The definition of Asperger's syndrome actually uses autism as a point of reference. Asperger syndrome involves the absence of certain abnormalities in certain areas of functioning affected by autism. People with Asperger's can be very intelligent. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (cited in Klin & Volkmar, 1995), the definition of Asperger's syndrome involves a qualitative impairment in social interaction. There should be at least two of the following imps...... middle of paper...... intelligent but exhibiting strange behaviors. As educators, we need to understand the behaviors of children with Asperger's syndrome so that they are not left behind in the classroom. With ongoing research, in the future there may be a diagnostic test that all clinicians can use to correctly identify someone with Asperger's syndrome. When a child is labeled as having Asperger's syndrome, remember that this child may be very intelligent but with strange social behaviors. ReferencesAttwood, T. (1998). Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. New York: Jessica Kingsley. Klin, A. and Volkmar FR (1995). Asperger syndrome: guidelines for assessment and diagnosis. January 22, 2005 at http://www.aspennj.org/guide.htmlRubin, E. & Laurent, AC (2004). Implementing curriculum-based assessment to prioritize learning goals in Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism. Topics inLanguage Disorders, 24(2),298-315.Tsatsanis, KD, Foley, C., & Donehower, C. (2004).Contemporary outcomes research and programming guidelines for, 24(2), 249-259.