Recent debate over classifying Asperger's as an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has brought about many complications. Individuals with Asperger's syndrome have social difficulties and display restricted and repetitive behavioral patterns and interests. Asperger's Syndrome and disorders from the Autism Spectrum share certain symptoms. Researchers continue to study the differences between individuals with Asperger's and those with Autism. Are the two disorders too different to be combined or are they really one and the same?
In the past, Asperger's Syndrome was classified as a separate disorder from Autism. However, this past year, the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) grouped Asperger's in the Autism Spectrum Disorders. This way, Asperger's is no longer a condition of its own, having widespread effects on all afflicted individuals.
In a recent study at Boston's Children Hospital, researchers examined electrical recordings from the scalp of children with Asperger's Syndrome and children with ASD. They found that although the disorders were closely related, the two groups had differing electroencephalography (EEG) patterns. The neurophysiological differences indicate that the two disorders can be distinguished by electrical activity in the brain.
Researchers, doctors, and families of afflicted individuals continue to question the decision to group Asperger's and ASD. Some believe that it is effective to define Asperger's as a distinct entity within the higher functioning end of the autism distribution curve. Regardless of differing views on this issue, most people agree that the outcome of this debate will effect individuals on a clinical, educational, and emotional level.
References: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130730235642.htm
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