health

Asperger’s syndrome, like autism in general, results from some abnormality
in the brain. However, as of the early 2000s, no one knew exactly what
the abnormality is or what causes it. Parents of a child with any form of
pervasive development disorder, including Asperger’s syndrome, are more
likely to have another child with the same disorder, suggesting that genes*
are involved. Some experts believe that the hereditary link is stronger in
Asperger’s syndrome than it is in classical autism.
The prevalence of Asperger’s syndrome is not known. In some children,
it is hard to distinguish Asperger’s syndrome from milder forms of
classical autism. However, the disorder is diagnosed at least five times
more frequently in males than females.