Is Asperger Syndrome Necessarily Viewed as a Disability?

This article considers whether Asperger syndrome (AS) should necessarily be viewed as a disability or, from a different perspective, as a difference. The author concludes that the term difference in relation to AS is a more neutral, value-free, and fair description, and that the term disability better applies to the lower functioning cases of autism. But he recognizes that disability may need to be retained for AS as long as the legal framework provides financial and other support only for individuals with a disability. A model is summarized that attempts to define in what way individuals with AS are “different”: the empathizing—systemizing model.