What is Asperger's syndrome?
Asperger syndrome, also known as Asperger disorder or AS, is a pervasive developmental disorder (a spectrum of behavioral disorders including autism). Asperger syndrome is characterized by an inability to understand how to interact socially and a pattern of repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests. Unlike persons with autism, those with Asperger syndrome do not show a marked delay in language development or cognitive development. Asperger syndrome is commonly recognized in children after the age of 3 years and is more frequently diagnosed in boys. Asperger Syndrome or (Asperger's Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940's, it wasn't until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the DSM IV and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents.
Individuals with Asperger syndrome have serious impairments in their social and communication skills, including poor nonverbal communication. However, many individuals have good cognitive and verbal skills, and typically have normal to superior intelligence. Many have excellent rote memory and become intensely interested in one or two subjects.
Children with Asperger syndrome are typically educated in the mainstream setting but usually require special education services. These children often have difficulty making friends and are often teased or bullied by their peers.
Asperger Syndrome Causes
The cause of Asperger syndrome is unknown. There may be a genetic component to this syndrome.
Asperger Syndrome Symptoms
Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting".
Social problems
- Although these children may express an interest in friendships, they have difficulty in making friends and may be rejected by peers; often these children are loving and affectionate with their immediate family
- Socially inappropriate behavior
- Lack of understanding social cuese
- Difficulty judging personal space
- Difficulty understanding others’ feelings
- Rigid social behavior due to an inability to spontaneously adapt to variations in social situations
Abnormal communication patterns
- Awkward or inappropriate body language, including limited use of gestures and absent or inappropriate facial expressions
- Unusual, formal style of speaking
- Difficulty understanding nonliteral and implied communication
- Impairments in the modulation of volume, intonation, inflection, rate, and rhythm of speech
- Speech may be tangential and circumstantial, often with irrelevant comments
- Conversation style characterized by marked wordiness
- Difficulty with “give and take” of conversation
- Lack of sensitivity about interrupting others
Activities
- Intense interest in a particular, often very restricted, subject that dominates the individual’s attention
- Inflexible adherence to routines; has repetitive routines or rituals
- Apprehensive about change, may have difficulty transitioning from one activity to another
Sensory sensitivity
- Sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, light, sight, smell, pain, and/or temperature
- Sensitivity to the texture of foods
Motor skill delays
- History of delayed development of motor skills
- Visible clumsiness and poor coordination
- Deficits in visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills, including problems with balance, manual dexterity, handwriting, rapid movements, rhythm, and imitation of movements
Medical Treatment
No specific treatment for the core symptoms of Asperger syndrome is available, and no cure exists for the disorder. Educational and behavioral supports are the primary treatments used for individuals with Asperger syndrome. Psychopharmacology and other treatments may also be used to manage some of the problem behaviors associated with Asperger syndrome
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