The challenge of adolescents and adults with Asperger syndrome

Despite the rapid growth of interest in Asperger disorder in children, there continues to be a lack of awareness of the diagnosis and its implications for adolescents and adults. The reasons for this lack of awareness lie in the history of the disorder and in the historical development of mental health services. Because, as Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," this article reprises some of the history given elsewhere in this issue, but in a highly partial way, to bring out what the author believes to be the historically grounded prejudices that are the first challenge to anyone wanting to help adolescents and adults with Asperger syndrome.