Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s disorder are separate and distinct mental disabilities.

Myth
The American Psychiatric Association updated their definition of autistic disorder in 2013 to reflect that disorders such as autism and Asperger’s are a single condition that fall along a spectrum of symptom severity.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have difficulty filtering social information.

Fact
Difficulties that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience include issues with processing nonverbal communication and social cues.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a learning disorder.

Myth
While Autism Spectrum Disorder tends to affect an individual’s ability to interact and communicate with others, and often lead to a narrow range of interests, they are not considered to be a disorder of learning.