Awareness of Students with Diverse Learning Needs,
What the Teacher Needs to Know, Volume 1

Asperger's disorder is a lifelong developmental condition, characterized by a severe and sustained impairment in social interaction and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and activities. Such characteristics are comparable to those of a child with autism.

In contrast to autism, however, a child with Asperger's disorder will experience no significant delays in the acquisition of language, adaptive behaviour (other than social interaction), cognitive development, and development of age appropriate self-help skills, or in curiosity about the environment.

A child with Asperger's disorder will display a lack of sensitivity, intuition and normal human understanding. The child will appear to live in the normal world but in a way that is uniquely his/her own. The child's speech, for example, is more a proclaiming than a two-way communication.

Asperger's disorder appears to have a somewhat later onset than autistic disorder, or at least to be recognized somewhat later. Motor delays or motor clumsiness may be noted in the preschool period. Difficulties in empathy and modulation of social interaction may become more apparent in the context of school. It is during this time in school that teachers will notice particular idiosyncratic or circumscribed interests (e.g. a fascination with train schedules) may appear.

Children with Asperger's disorder may develop many practical skills, but cannot tolerate the whirl of everyday life. They are capable of making important contributions to the success of their living environment and of living full lives.