First of all, it's Asperger Syndrome- my son has it. It's an autism-related disorder. My son was diagnosed at the age of 9 (he's now 18). If you do a Forum search on Asperger you will find several threads that mention it, including helpful links like this one to O.A.S.I.S., an online support group with lots of information on AS.

I'm curious as to what you're looking for. It's hard to make a pithy summary, as AS manifests itself in different ways. It's the "absent-minded professor" syndrome- the classic nerd, who thinks, "why use words of one and two syllables when four will do?". Difficulty with social situations is key- they don't have the neurological and social filters which teach such basics as eye contact and when to look away, small talk, gestures, personal space, even vocal inflection. They can be taught these things, but life for them is about constantly having to process each moment to adapt to the "natives".

I think Temple Grandin put it best when she said it's like being an anthropologist on Mars- you can learn the habits, language and culture of the natives, you can try to infiltrate the society and adapt to it, but you will never be a native yourself.

Good luck with your research! Keep us posted!


Allison