Asperger’s syndrome was once a distinct diagnosis but is now part of a broader condition known as autism spectrum disorder. According to Autism Speaks, common behaviors include difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, obsession with specific and often unusual topics, and an inability to understand emotional and non-literal issues. The syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger.
[The American Psychiatric Association, in the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published in 2013, consolidates all autism disorders under the larger autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. However, some people diagnosed before that prefer the term Asperger’s syndrome.]Refer to someone as having Asperger’s syndrome only if the information is relevant to the story and if a licensed medical professional has formally diagnosed the person. If the individual has received a specific diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome, refer to him or her as a person diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome or a person with Asperger’s syndrome. Note the S in syndrome is not capitalized.
