My son has AS. He was diagnosed at age 9 and is now 17. We have never used any kind of medication as part of his treatment. Lepus, I assure you, when I say "treatment" I don't mean any attempt to brainwash him into conformity of any kind, but to teach him basic social skills (like not throttling the kid who cuts you in line) and help him cope with the constant hateful and sometimes violent teasing he gets at school. He is very intelligent- tests at the top percentile in most areas. He is extremely musical and composes intricate pieces on his computer, and almost constantly has a soundtrack running through his head. He has no interest in sharing these compositions, by the way, and gets very irritated when I put in a cd when he's working on something in his mind. He's getting to the point where I have some hope that he will be able to go to college, get a job, an apartment, and live as a contributing member of society. I had my profound doubts about it in the past! If it were just nerdiness, which his father and grandfather and I all suffered from (as does his sister), it wouldn't be an issue. Asperger's Syndrome is a real condition, with some similarities to autism, and although it may be a dumping ground for some diagnosticians, that doesn't diminish its reality.