Asperger's Disorder is a mild form of autism in which the person is not very social and tends to focus extremely strongly on a single topic of interest, excluding all others.

First described in 1944 by Hans Asperger, the disorder is fairly rare, hitting only 5 out of 10,000 people. It favors males, with up to four times as many males having this disorder as females.

Doctors are not yet sure exactly what causes Asperger's disorder, but it is definitely a disorder of the brain, and not caused by parenting styles or nutrition after the child is born. A child simply has this brain makeup while they are growing in the womb, and it is up to parents and teachers to properly give the child the best chance of growth, learning and happiness given this disorder exists.

Asperger's Disorder cannot be "cured" through surgery or other means. The symptoms of Asperger's Disorder can be helped, so the person can lead a more comfortable life. These might include mood stabilizers to help them deal with awkward social situations and antidepressents to help with anxieties.

Mostly, a person with Asperger's needs to learn that they have special ways of reacting to certain stimuli, and that they need to handle those reactions in a socially appropriate manner. If they feel anxious when at the mall, they have to learn coping mechanisms to deal with their stress, for example.

Here is a link to Amazon.com if you wish to order this book on Asperger's and autism:
Women From Another Planet? by Jean Kearns Miller

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About the author
Susan Kramer has been teaching yoga, meditation and dance to students of all ages and abilities since 1965.