Asperger Syndrome (AS) is also referred to as high-functioning autism. In contrast to classic autism, people with AS have much milder language disabilities but still exhibit significant, and sometimes severe, difficulties with social interaction and non-verbal communication. Picking up social cues and "reading" another person's emotional state are particularly difficult for people with AS. Like many people with autism spectrum disorders, those with AS usually have above-average, or even superior intelligence.

Some characteristics of Asperger Syndrome:

• remarkable, sometimes prodigious, memory for facts or details
• intense interest in highly specialized and often unusual areas (memorizing minute details of a subway system or collecting toilet seats, for instance)
• inflexible routines
• repetitive bodily motions (such as flapping of the hands or rocking back and forth)
• physical awkwardness
• unconventional body language and inappropriate facial expressions
• unusual speech patterns (such as a peculiar tone of voice)
• atypical conversation (containing socially inappropriate or irrelevant content or being "professorial" in style)
• strong tendency for literal interpretation of language
• lack of social awareness and empathy
• strong attachment to objects rather than to people