ASPERGER'S DISORDER

a pervasive developmental disorder associated with varying degrees of deficits in social, emotional and conversational skills, difficulties with set-shifting, and a preference for the predictability of events. Obsessive routines and preoccupation with particular subjects of interest may be present, as may difficulty reading body language and maintaining proper social distance in conversation. Some people with Asperger's disorder report oversensitivity to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, but the nature of such sensitivities is not well researched at this point. In contrast to autistic disorder, language skills develop as expected, and there is no clinically significant delay in cognitive or adaptive functioning - other than in social interactions. By definition, people with Asperger