Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in the Law Student – Making Accommodations in Academic Assessments.

What is autism? High-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger syndrome (AS) are autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) characterised by disturbances in social interaction, both verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive and/or restrictive behaviour since early childhood. As the name suggests, it is a spectrum condition and therefore the range of symptoms and their severity is very wide; the symptoms which appear (generally during early childhood and adolescence1) will differ significantly from person to person. The main difference between autism and AS is thought to be in language development, in that those with AS will not have had delayed language development when younger. However, trying to fit a person into a particular sub-group is not helpful, and all persons with ASD should be assessed for their abilities and difficulties rather than being overly concerned with whether they have autism or AS. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. For reasons not yet fully understood, ASD affects approximately four times as many males as females.