Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a severe developmental disorder characterized by major difficulties
in social interaction, and restricted and unusual patterns of interest and behavior. There are many
similarities with autism without mental retardation (or "Higher Functioning Autism"), and the
issue of whether Asperger syndrome and Higher Functioning Autism are different conditions is
not resolved. To some extent, the answer to this question depends on the way clinicians and
researcher make use of this diagnostic concept, since until recently there was no "official"
definition of Asperger syndrome. The lack of a consensual definition led to a great deal of
confusion as researchers could not interpret other researchers' findings, clinicians felt free to use
the label based on their own interpretations or misinterpretations of what Asperger syndrome
"really" meant, and parents were often faced with a diagnosis that nobody appeared to
understand very well, and worse still, nobody appeared to know what to do about it. School
districts ere not aware of the condition, insurance carriers could not reimburse services provided
on the basis of this "unofficial" diagnosis, and there was no published information providing
parents and clinicians alike with guidelines on the meaning and implications of Asperger
syndrome, including what should the diagnostic evaluation consist of and what forms of
treatment and interventions were warranted.