Asperger Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder that is at the higher end of the autism severity scale.
It is found more frequently in boys than in girls (studies have revealed that for 1 girl there will be 3-7 boy sufferers). There appears to be a family link, which would confirm that its origins are genetic.
Asperger Syndrome cannot be cured, but the sufferer can learn educational and behavioural strategies.
The main impairments of people with a high level of autism severity or with Asperger Syndrome relate to social interaction, comprehension and communication.
The cause of the disorder can be traced to malfunctions of those parts of the brain that collect and decipher information from the environment and react accordingly.
Asperger Syndrome can sometimes be associated with other pathological states, such as depression, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizoid personality disorder, for example.
Each person with Asperger Syndrome can have several of these disorders and conditions.