People with Asperger syndrome have the problems of nonverbal communication that other people with autism do, but do not have learning difficulties (mental handicap) and indeed many people with Asperger syndrome are highly intelligent. People with Asperger syndrome may also have difficulties with the social use of language and therefore in making light conversation; be unaware of the unspoken ‘rules’ that govern social behaviour; and have problems with jokes, metaphors or idioms. People with Asperger syndrome are often clumsy, and may not enjoy sports. They may not see the world as others do, and often develop unusual interests or preoccupations. People with Asperger syndrome experience a lot of anxiety because of these uncertainties, and they may deal with these by routines or rituals. If is often difficult for people with Asperger syndrome to see the whole picture, but to compensate for this, people with Asperger syndrome are very concerned about details and precision, and may spot errors or omissions that other people miss.

It has been suggested that previous Asperger sufferers have included Isaac Newton, Wittgenstein, and Einstein and that Asperger syndrome is particularly common in engineers and scientists. The reason for this is that people with Asperger syndrome are often drawn to the more predictable world of machines or ideas. One myth about people with Asperger syndrome is that they are unimaginative. This is just not true. There are many excellent graphic artists who also have Asperger syndrome, and there may well be artists in other media too who have so far received less attention. The composer, Rued Langgard, is an example. However, it is true that people with Asperger syndrome have difficulty in knowing how to create a story that will involve other people.

Many people with Asperger syndrome never get diagnosed. This does not matter - unless they have problems that would benefit from professional help. But quite a few people who never get diagnosed do have problems. They may have great difficulty making friendships, particularly with peers. This may lead to loneliness and sexual frustration. They may be teased or victimized, and lose confidence in themselves and their value. They may feel excluded, and become frustrated and angry with other people. Professionals cannot solve these problems, but they may be able to help the person with Asperger syndrome solve them. If you want to know what help is available, go to theWhat Can I Do?page.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult for doctors and other professionals to recognize Asperger syndrome. People with Asperger syndrome or their carers can help doctors by providing accurate and detailed information about their condition, and showing how it links to the diagnostic criteria of Asperger syndrome (DSM-IV criteria).

Taking the Asperger Syndrome questionnaire may be one way for you to do this.

There are some useful sites by people with Asperger syndrome on theUseful Links page. More information is available at www.nas.org.uk/