littlelily613 wrote:
This might have been stated already, but one of the criteria for AS is average or above average intelligence. A few might have slightly below average, and I don't know if there are any with mental retardation. People with classic autism can have mental retardation but many do not (and many are likely mistaken for having that because of no way to communicate). Retardation does not equal ASD or vice versa (and certainly not Aspergers specifically).
According to the DSM, the two diagnosis can coexist if mental retardation only becomes visible after the diagnosis of AS was made (you can be diagnosed with AS at 5 y.o. and with mental retardation at 11 y.o.).
I read somewhere a paper from Gilberg (who uses a different definition of AS) saying that both high intelligence and mild mental retardation are disproportionately common in people with AS.