Asperger Syndrome

Causes & Prevention

Causes of Asperger Syndrome

Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder most likely caused by brain abnormalities, but to date no exact cause is known. Like Autism, Asperger syndrome affects more boys than girls, and there seems to be a strong genetic component.

What Does It Mean When Medical Experts Say "Race" Is A Risk Factor For Certain Diseases?

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

Dramatic Explosion of Autism Rates Does Not Fit the Genetic Model -- Environmental Causes Are Being Studied

The number of children who have been diagnosed with one of the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has climbed to a startling degree.

The most severe ASD is autistic disorder (which often is called simply “autism”); another form is Asperger syndrome. In the United States, the diagnosis of ASDs increased roughly 10-fold over the course of a decade, from 4–5 children per 10,000 in the 1980s to 30–60 children per 10,000 in the 1990s, according to a report in the August 2003 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.