Glossary A

Glossary A

Asian Americans refer to Americans whose cultural origins trace back to the Asian continent

Asocial phase (of attachment) is approximately the first 6 weeks of life, in which infants respond in an equally favorable way to interesting social and non-social stimuli.

Asociality is a term that denotes a lack of social interest and relatedness. This anomaly is hypothesized to be one of the mechanisms responsible for Autistic behaviors.

Asperger’s Disorder or AD refers to a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by major difficulties in social interaction and unusual patterns of interest and behavior in children with relatively intact cognitive and communication skills or without the language delays which is seen in Autism.

Asperger's disorder refers to a Subtype of pervasive developmental disorder that is identical to autism (oddities in social interaction, stereotyped behaviour), with the exception that there is no clinically significant delay in language.


Asperger's disorder is characterized by impairments or difficulties in social relationships and interaction in children witrh relatively intact cognitive and communication skills or without the language delays which is seen in Autism. Children with this disorder also develop restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.

Asperger's Disorder is also called as AD.

Asperger's syndrome refers to a Pervasive developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of autism, including impairments in social relatedness and Atypical patterns of behavior, i

- Asperger’s Disorder (AD) : Asperger’s Disorder or AD refers to a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by major difficulties in social interaction and unusual patterns of interest and behavior in children with relatively intact cognitive and communication skills. A child with Asperger’s Disorder maintains adequate cognitive and language development but becomes severely impaired in social interaction. Children with this disorder also develop restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.

Asphyxiophilia refers to the desire to induce in oneself a state of oxygen deficiency in order to create sexual arousal or to enhance excitement and orgasm.