Asperger disorder and autism spectrum disorder: from clarification to intervention in natural contexts

Since its appearance in the official classificatory systems, the diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder has been the basis of numerous research studies aiming at its identification and differentiation from other development disorders (e.g., autism disorder). In a second stage, research studies were focused on the most effective intervention programmes to improve recovery. At present, both research and clinical practice are focused on intervention procedures that guarantee the transfer of results with an emphasis on their capacities (strong points), more than on their weaknesses (weak points). This article addresses, using a positive approach, the beneficial effects of the interventions in natural contexts which, starting from the symptoms and clinical characteristics, are focused on the strong points as a means to overcome difficulties.