Asperger's syndrome

noun As·per·ger's syndrome \ ˈäs-ˌpər-gərz- \

variants: or Asperger syndrome or less commonly Asperger's disorder or Asperger's

Definition of Asperger's syndrome

: an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction, by repetitive patterns of behavior and restricted interests, by normal language and cognitive development but poor conversational skills and difficulty with nonverbal communication, and often by above average performance in a narrow field against a general background of impaired functioning

Origin and Etymology of asperger's syndrome

Hans Asperger †1980 Austrian pediatrician

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1971

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

Asperger's syndrome

noun As·per·ger's syndrome \ ˈäs-ˌpər-gərz- \

variants: or Asperger syndrome \-gər\ also Asperger's disorder or Asperger's

medical Definition of Asperger's syndrome

… typical of Asperger's syndrome are children or adults who are socially inept but often socially interested, articulate yet strangely ineloquent, markedly gauche and impractical, and specialists in unusual and often narrow fields.
—Ann M. Clarke and A. D. B. Clarke, Nature, 9 Jan. 1992

The ultimate difference, perhaps, is this: people with Asperger's syndrome can tell us of their experiences, their inner feelings and states, whereas those with classical autism cannot.
—Oliver Sacks, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2003

Individuals with Asperger syndrome do not have a delay in spoken language development, but they can have serious deficits in social and communication skills. People with Asperger syndrome often have obsessive, repetitive routines and preoccupations with a particular subject, such as trains.
—Susan Gaidos, Science News, 23 Oct. 2010

Biographical Note for asperger's syndrome

Asperger play \ˈäs-ˌper-gər\, Hans (1906–1980), Austrian psychiatrist. Asperger first described the syndrome that bears his name in an article published in 1944.