Episode 101
A one-hour Planet Parent special
Asperger’s Syndrome

Geek, nerd, or the weird kid. Every schoolyard has a couple: the kids on the fringes who play alone and have obsessive interests in say astronomy or insects. It’s painful for these kids who just don’t fit in, and also for their families who aren’t sure how to help. Yet we are now learning that this sort of obsessive behavior could be a sign of a kind of high-functioning autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome, which has only been identified in the last decade. Thousands and thousands of adults may have grown up with Asperger’s and not known it. It’s prevalent -- but tough to diagnose.

This special looks at the impact this syndrome has on several families coping with Asperger’s. We tell their stories and talk to researchers and experts on the origin of this mysterious disorder and the hunt for a cure; featuring Dr. Peter Szatmari of the Offard Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, geneticist Dr. Steve Scherer and noted social worker Dr. Kevin Stoddart.