Asperger Syndrome

Definition

Asperger syndrome is commonly defined as a pervasive developmental

disorder (PDD). PDDs are defined as a group of behavioral disorders that

have two common features: problems in social interaction and problems

with communication, both verbal and nonverbal.

Description

Children with AS are not mentally retarded. They learn to talk at the

usual age and often have above-average verbal skills. They have normal

or above-normal intelligence and the ability to feed or dress themselves

and take care of their other daily needs. The most distinctive features of

AS are problems with social interaction, particularly making friends with

others; difficulties with nonverbal communication (e.g., facial expressions);

peculiar speech habits that include repeating words or phrases or

talking in a flat tone of voice; an apparent lack of

a fascination with odd or obscure subjects (e.g., the parts of a clock or

small machine, railroad schedules, astronomical data, etc.) that may prevent

the child

Although AS is not a physical disorder as such, some children with

the syndrome are clumsy or make awkward repetitive physical movements.

They typically find team sports and skills like swimming or riding

a bicycle much more challenging than most children. They may also have

strange or eccentric behaviors like hand wringing, finger flapping, or

swaying in place. Some children with AS are unusually sensitive to bright

lights, loud sounds, and changes in temperature.

Demographics

The exact frequency of AS is not known, partly because doctors in different

countries disagree about its exact definition. Some think that AS

is a subtype of autism while others think it is a distinct disorder. Estimates

range between one child in 250 and one child in 10,000. What

is known is that the disorder affects four times as many boys as girls.

AS is thought to affect all racial and ethnic groups equally.

Causes and Symptoms

The cause of AS is not known, although

some think it may be related to a decreased

flow of oxygen to the baby

childbirth. Another theory is that AS is

genetic because it appears to run in families;

however, no specific gene has yet been identified

with the disorder. A team of German

researchers reported in January 2008 that

they had excluded a specific gene that other

scientists thought might be a partial cause

of AS.

The symptoms of AS vary somewhat

according to the child

with AS typically have problems picking up

social cues and understanding the basics of

interacting with other children. The child

may want friendships but find him- or herself

unable to make friends.

The symptoms of AS usually become

much more noticeable during the elementary

school years. It is at this point that

the child

making eye contact, unusual but restricted

interests, and odd behaviors increase his

or her difficulty making friends. Although

the child learns language easily, he or she

may speak in a rapid, jerky, or overly loud

way. Children with AS are also extremely

literal in their use of language; they often fail to understand the symbolic

or humorous uses of language, such as the saying that

cats and dogs.

’s brain during’s age. Young children’s physical clumsiness, difficulty“it’s raining”

Adolescence is one of the most painful periods of life for young

people with Asperger

this age group and require more finely tuned social skills. In addition,

teenagers with AS are often naïve and may be easily manipulated or

cheated by their more sophisticated peers.

Adults with AS are usually able to complete their education and

join the workforce. Some become exceptional scholars; one of the

children that Hans Asperger studied in the 1940s became a noted

astronomer, publishing a paper on an error in Isaac Newton

he had first noticed in childhood. The chief difficulties that men with

AS have in adult life are courtship and marriage. They may want very

much to marry and have a family but do not understand the many

social interactions that are part of the dating process leading to marriage.

One man with AS became a surgeon and accomplished musician,

but lived with his parents until he was fifty years old. He then married a

distant cousin half his age who lived in another country; the marriage

lasted only a few months.

’s work that

Diagnosis

AS is usually diagnosed when the child is between four and eleven years

old. There is no laboratory or imaging test that can detect AS, although

the child may be given a CT scan to rule out other disorders of the nervous

system or a hearing test to rule out partial deafness. Since a diagnosis

of AS is based on a pattern of behaviors rather than a set of

specific physical characteristics, the child is usually diagnosed by being

observed by several different doctors, including a psychiatrist and neurologist,

to look for recurrent patterns in the child

and interactions with other people. A test that is sometimes used to

screen for AS involves asking the child to carry out a task that depends

on the ability to predict how another person might respond to a given

situation. Children with AS usually lack the ability predict someone

else

’s speech, movements,’s thoughts and feelings.

Treatment

Treatment for AS depends on the specific child

and interests. There is no single set or series of treatments that will

work for every child with AS. Some children who are very clumsy

benefit from physical therapy that improves their coordination and

ability to participate in sports. Some children may need to work with

a speech therapist in order to learn to speak in a normal tone of voice.

Teachers and parents can often help a child with AS work on his or her

social skills.

Medications are not used to treat AS itself, although adults with

AS may be given antidepressant medications if they become depressed.

In some cases psychotherapy is useful for adults with AS who are

discouraged by their condition or who have developed other mental

disorders.

Prognosis

The prognosis of AS varies depending on the person

career interests, and the amount of support he or she receives

from friends and family. Divorce and family breakup can be very upsetting

to children with AS and complicate their educational and social

development. Career counseling can help a child with AS choose an

occupation that will make the most of his or her interests and preferably

allow him or her to work alone rather than as part of a team. In addition,

children with AS actually have an advantage in some fields, like

music or mathematics, because of their ability to spend hours developing

and practicing skills in their field of interest. People with AS

have become successful scientists, mathematicians, architects, medical

researchers, computer scientists, musicians, and engineers. Some famous

people who are thought to have had AS include such writers as Jonathan

Swift and Patricia Highsmith; such philosophers as Bertrand Russell and

Ludwig Wittgenstein; and such musicians as Bela Bartok, Erik Satie, and

Glenn Gould.

As far as is known, people with AS have the same life expectancy as

others of their age, race, or sex, but they do have a higher risk of developing

eating disorders, depression, schizophrenia, or Tourette syndrome.

Having another mental disorder then places them at a higher risk of suicide

than people in the general population.

’s level of intelligence,

Prevention

There is no known way to prevent AS because its causes are not completely

understood.

The Future

There are no new treatments for Asperger syndrome, nor is it known

whether the disorder is becoming more common, partly because of disagreement

about its definition.

One major change since 2000 is the development of an autistic rights

or autistic pride community. Rather than accepting the standard definition

of Asperger syndrome as a disease to be cured, some adults with

AS prefer to describe it as simply having a different type of brain

organization. A Web site for

called Wrong Planet was set up in 2004. As with many other disorders,

the Internet is offering people with AS the opportunity to form

their own communities, find support, share their personal experiences,

and learn about the latest research.

“aspies,” as they have nicknamed themselves,

SEE ALSO

Autism; Autism spectrum disorders; Tourette syndrome

For more information

BOOKS

Attwood, Tony.

Kingsley, 2007.

James, Ioan.

People

The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. Philadelphia: JessicaAsperger’s Syndrome and High Achievement: Some Very Remarkable. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley, 2006.

PERIODICALS

Blume, Harvey.

in Cyberspace.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E7DC1F31F933A05

755C0A961958260 (accessed March 2, 2008).

“Autistics, Freed from Face-to-Face Encounters, Are Communicating” New York Times, June 30, 1997. Available online at

WEB SITES

Autism Society of America.

www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=life_aspergers (accessed

September 12, 2008).

KidsHealth.

brain/asperger.html (accessed September 12, 2008).

Wrong Planet.

(accessed September 12, 2008). Wrong Planet is an online discussion community

for people with AS.

WORDS TO KNOW
Aspie: An informal name for a person with
Asperger syndrome.
Autism: A developmental disorder that appears
by three years of age and is characterized by
limited communication skills, difficulties in
communicating with others, and difficulties
forming relationships. Some doctors think
that Asperger syndrome is a subtype of
autism.
Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD): A diagnostic
category for a group of childhood disorders
characterized by problems in communication skills
and social interactions. Asperger syndrome is
classified as a PDD.
Tourette syndrome: A neurological disorder characterized
by recurrent involuntary body
movements and repeated words or grunts.What’s Unique about Asperger’s Disorder? http://Asperger Syndrome. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/What Is Asperger’s Syndrome? http://www.wrongplanet.net/’s range of abilities’s, because social interactions are more complex in“common sense” and’s developing other interests.

Asperger Syndrome