Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people and the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, so it affects people in different ways. Asperger syndrome is a form of autism.

1. What is Autism
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects
how a person communicates with, and relates to, other
people and the world around them.
It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all
people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their
condition will affect them in different ways. Asperger
syndrome is a form of autism.
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All the information in this PowerPoint was taken from the
National Autistic Website.

2. Autism
• It is a spectrum condition, which means that,
while all people with autism share certain
difficulties, their condition will affect them in
different ways. Some people with autism are
able to live relatively independent lives but
others may have accompanying learning
disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist
support. People with autism may also
experience over- or under-sensitivity to
sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

3. What is Asperges
As soon as we meet a person we make judgements about them. From their facial
expression, tone of voice and body language we can usually tell whether they are
happy, angry or sad and respond accordingly.
People with Asperger syndrome can find it harder to read the signals that most of
us take for granted. This means they find it more difficult to communicate and
interact with others which can lead to high levels of anxiety and confusion.
Asperger syndrome is mostly a 'hidden disability'. This means that you can't tell
that someone has the condition from their outward appearance. People with the
condition have difficulties in three main areas. They are:s
•Social communication
•social interaction
•social imagination

4. • While there are similarities with autism, people
with Asperger syndrome have fewer problems
with speaking and are often of average, or above
average, intelligence. They do not usually have
the accompanying learning disabilities associated
with autism, but they may have specific learning
difficulties. These may include dyslexia and
dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and
epilepsy.
• With the right support and encouragement,
people with Asperger syndrome can lead full and
independent lives.

5. High Functioning Autism
Some people are diagnosed with high-functioning autism (HFA) while others are
diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (AS). Here, we explain the difference between
the two terms.
High-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome are both part of the 'autism
spectrum'. The main difference between the two is thought to be in language
development: people with Asperger syndrome, typically, will not have had
delayed language development when younger.
The term 'autism' has an unusual history. It was originally coined by a psychiatrist
Eugen Bleuler in 1911 to describe what he perceived as one of the key symptoms of
schizophrenia, that of social withdrawal. Autism, literally meaning 'selfism', seemed to
him to describe the active detachment which affected many of his patients. In the
1940s when Leo Kanner in America and Hans Asperger in Austria were both beginning
to identify the existence of autism they separately stumbled on this term which they
felt described what they were witnessing in the children they were treating.

6. To summarise
• Both people with high-functioning autism and
Asperger syndrome are affected by the 'triad of
impairments' common to all people with autism.
• Both groups are likely to be of average or above
average intelligence.
• The debate as to whether we need two
diagnostic terms is ongoing.
• However, there may be features such as age of
onset and motor skill deficits which differentiate
the two conditions.

7. To summarise
• Both people with high-functioning autism and
Asperger syndrome are affected by the 'triad of
impairments' common to all people with autism.
• Both groups are likely to be of average or above
average intelligence.
• The debate as to whether we need two
diagnostic terms is ongoing.
• However, there may be features such as age of
onset and motor skill deficits which differentiate
the two conditions.