Asperger's Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Asperger's Syndrome (AS), a Pervasive Developmental Disorder on the Autism Spectrum, is a burgeoning mental health concern faced by children, their families, schools, and mental health practitioners. Although it is a relatively new phenomenon, prevalence rates have increased 10 fold in the past decade. Whether this increase is a true increase in the prevalence of the syndrome has been the subject of great debate. The assessment and treatment of AS is a complicated process requiring social workers to partner with families and other helping professionals. Given the growing size of the AS population, it is critical that social workers understand the disorder, its co-morbidity, and treatment. The authors review the prevalence and history of the syndrome, current definitions, and discuss implications for social work practice, policy, and research.

Key Words:

• Asperger's syndrome
• autism
• assessment
• diagnosis
• autism social work