Social Anxiety Disorder Related Conditions Print Are Asperger's Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder the Same? While Often Confused, Asperger's and Social Anxiety are Different By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of "Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder" and "7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety." Learn about our editorial process Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on August 22, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Universal Images Group / Getty Images Asperger's disorder, also known as Asperger's syndrome, is a pervasive developmental disorder that belongs to the class of autism spectrum disorders and involves impairment in certain basic aspects of communication and relationships. Although people with both Asperger's and social anxiety disorder (SAD) experience difficulty in social situations, they are completely different disorders; the diagnostic criteria and symptoms of the disorders are very different. Asperger's is usually diagnosed in childhood. If your child has been diagnosed with this disorder, he or she might: experience significant impairment in social interaction, such as problems with eye contact, facial expressions, and body postures.have trouble developing friendships, sharing interests and understanding the social and emotional perspectives of others.engage in restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, such as becoming excessively preoccupied with interests, routines and rituals, the parts of objects or repetitive motor mannerisms such as hand twisting. How Do SAD and Asperger's Differ? If you have SAD, anxiety is the driving force behind the difficulties that you experience in social and performance situations. Your ability to function is limited by your anxiety in those situations. A diagnosis of Asperger's, on the other hand, does not require the presence of anxiety. Behavior in social situations is instead impaired because of trouble reading and understanding social and emotional cues. People with Asperger's might appear tactless and rude be unable to take hints or understand humorstand too close talk too loud have trouble understanding the meaning of gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions These characteristics are opposite of those displayed by the socially anxious; if you have SAD your fear of embarrassment or humiliation most likely manifests in standing too fartalking too softlyor being overly sensitive to the body language of others Those with SAD are capable of forming relationships but are impaired by anxiety; on the other hand, people with Asperger's have difficulty with the nuts and bolts of communication that make relationships possible. Research on Brain Function in Asperger's and SAD Neuroimaging research may shed some light on how the brains of people with SAD and Asperger's differ. Studies of brain function show that for most people, the amygdala—the emotion center of the brain—is activated when understanding facial expressions. On the other hand, for those with Asperger's, the prefrontal cortex—the center for judgment and planning—becomes active when processing facial images. This means that people with Asperger's try to logically figure out the meaning of a facial expression rather than experiencing an automatic emotional reaction. Studies have also shown heightened sensitivity of the amygdala in those with SAD; this makes it even more clear that the two disorders are very different. Treatment for Asperger's and SAD Although there are no firm data, comorbid anxiety disorders are common among children with Asperger's. This means that it is possible for a child to have both Asperger's and SAD. Whether or not a child has one disorder or both, social skills training is one form of treatment that may offer promise for both SAD and Asperger's. Although the cause of social impairment in Asperger's and SAD differs, many of the same symptoms are present in both disorders. If you have Asperger's or SAD, you likely have a host of social skills deficits, such as problems with eye contactbody postures speech qualities, such as tone, volume, and rate In addition, you probably have trouble building and maintaining friendships. Social skills training has been shown effective in treating social anxiety symptoms and may also offer promise for those with Asperger's in terms of developing basic skills for interacting socially. A Word From Verywell Whether you have a child who is showing signs of anxiety or trouble with social situations, or you yourself are struggling, it is important to consult a doctor to learn the meaning of your particular array of symptoms. As described in this article, SAD and Asperger's are separate problems that show some overlap but need to be treated differently. Once you've identified your specific issues, treatment can be devised to help you overcome your difficulties in social situations. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Faras H, Al Ateeqi N, Tidmarsh L. Autism spectrum disorders. Ann Saudi Med. 2010;30(4):295–300. doi:10.4103/0256-4947.65261 Jefferson JW. Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just a Little Shyness. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;3(1):4–9. doi:10.4088/pcc.v03n0102 Faridi F, Khosrowabadi R. Behavioral, Cognitive and Neural Markers of Asperger Syndrome. Basic Clin Neurosci. 2017;8(5):349–359. doi:10.18869/nirp.bcn.8.5.349 Todorov A. 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