What is Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorder?

Asperger’s Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that affects an individual’s ability to read and respond to social cues, communicate effectively, and organize and prioritize tasks. Some people also experience visual, auditory or tactile sensitivities.

Strengths of the “Asperger Mind” include great attention to detail, logic and analytical skills, excellent memory for facts, ability to concentrate for long periods of time, vast knowledge of specialized fields, tenacity, loyalty, tolerance of routine, honesty, and creative problem solving. Individuals with Asperger’s are on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Albert Einstein, Mozart, Isaac Newton, Andy Warhol, Isaac Asimov, Vernon Smith (Nobel Laureate, Economics), John Nash (Nobel Prize-winning mathematician), and Bill Gates are just some of the prominent individuals known or believed to have Asperger’s Syndrome.

Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) is a neuropsychological profile. People with NLD have difficulty understanding visual information, such as social cues and visual concepts, like time. They often struggle with the same kinds of problems as people who have Asperger’s.

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