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Asperger's Syndrome
A disorder characterized by severe delays and deficits in social and motor skills as well as more general social difficulties similar to autistic deficits. In contrast to autism, Asperger's syndrome (also called Asperger disorder) is not accompanied by delays in the development of language and cognition. The syndrome is named after Hans Asperger, who, in 1944, described a group of young boys who showed severe deficits in social skills, despite otherwise normal intelligence. Individuals with Asperger's syndrome often exhibit a very narrow, restricted, and repetitive interest in particular subject areas, with an abundance of knowledge in these areas of interest. Due to their lack of empathic perspective taking, individuals with this disorder experience many difficulties in social interactions, from being awkward conversationalists to engaging in ...