Despite the stereotype, it is very important to note that *most* people with Asperger's have average or near-average intelligence.
I thought the definition (before the DSM-V) was that intelligence had to be above average.
DSM-IV: "There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood."
That is, no significant cognitive impairment. People with Asperger's could be average or above average. (There is still a bell curve in play; we are just slicing off the leftmost portion of it.) If cognition as measured by IQ was significantly below average, they were more likely to be diagnosed with Autism (Kanner autism) instead. Of course, this all changed with DSM-V.
The idea that all people with Asperger's are "geniuses" is misguided and fairly unhelpful in practice.
Sometimes they appear more intelligent than they are because of their tendency to master large bodies of factual material that interests them.
Sometimes they are EG or PG; but it's a small percentage of the population.
