Asperger's syndrome: to be or not to be?

It has been questioned whether Asperger's syndrome (AS) is in fact a specific (high functioning) subgroup of autism, rather than a distinct entity. Thirteen AS patients were compared with 13 autistic patients and 13 developmentally disordered controls. While there was symptom overlap between AS and autism, patients could be separated into one or other group. However, current criteria are based on symptoms, and it is argued that studies of genetics and treatment response are needed to elucidate the relationship between these developmental disorders.