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Asperger Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

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Book cover Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism?

Part of the book series: Current Issues in Autism ((CIAM))

Abstract

The year after Leo Kanner’s report (1943) of the syndrome of early infantile autism, Hans Asperger, a Viennese physician, reported on a series of cases in which a major disability also involved interpersonal relationships. He coined the term autistic psychopathy (Asperger, 1944) to describe this condition. Asperger had not been aware of Kanner’s earlier work; the use of the word autistic reflected an awareness on the part of both Asperger and Kanner that major aspects of social development were disturbed in the conditions they described. This apparent point of agreement has, however, led to major controversy about the validity of the conditions apart from each other. Diagnostic confusion and inconsistency has abounded surrounding the concept of Asperger syndrome (AS), as it is now termed. This confusion has related not only to the possible overlap of AS and autism, but also between AS and a series of other conditions or diagnostic concepts, many of which are described elsewhere in this volume. This confusion and the plethora of diagnostic concepts is a testament to the fact that the difficulties of many individuals with problems in social interaction have not fallen so neatly into the more well-established diagnostic categories.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA

    Ami Klin

Authors
  1. Fred R. Volkmar
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  2. Ami Klin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division TEACCH, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7180, USA

    Eric Schopler  & Gary B. Mesibov  & 

  2. Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois, 61702-2900, USA

    Linda J. Kunce

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Volkmar, F.R., Klin, A. (1998). Asperger Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. In: Schopler, E., Mesibov, G.B., Kunce, L.J. (eds) Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism?. Current Issues in Autism. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5369-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5369-4_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7450-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5369-4

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