Asperger’s disorder
a disorder associated with varying degrees of deficits in social and conversational skills, difficulties with transitions from one task to another or with changes in situations or environments, and preference for sameness and predictability of events. Obsessive routines and preoccupation with particular subjects of interest may be present, as may difficulty reading body language and maintaining proper social distance. Some people with Asperger’s disorder have reported oversensitivity to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, but the nature of such sensitivities is not well researched. In contrast to autism, language skills develop, and there is no clinically significant delay in cognitive or adaptive functioning other than in social interactions. By definition, people with Asperger’s disorder have an IQ in the normal to superior range, and some may exhibit exceptional specific skills or talents. Classified as a pervasive developmental disorder
in DSM–IV–TR, Asperger’s disorder has been subsumed into autism spectrum disorder in DSM–5 and is no longer considered a distinct diagnosis. Also called Asperger’s syndrome. [described in 1944 by Hans Asperger (1906–1980), Austrian psychiatrist]