High-functioning autism in adults

Recently an increasing interest in autism during adulthood has emerged, whereas autism during childhood is a well-known and extensively studied psychiatric disorder. Central diagnostic criteria in the operationalised diagnostic classifications (ICD-10) comprise disorders of social interaction, communication and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities. As a special feature of autism during adulthood appears that first diagnoses refer nearly exclusively to the so-called high-functioning autism including Asperger syndrome. In this article some aspects of high-functioning autism during adulthood will be presented with special reference to social cognition.