Asperger Syndrome

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Asperger syndrome is an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) whose main characteristics are: social impairment, repetitive behavior, good language abilities and an average intelligence. It is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is present from infancy or early childhood. It is regarded as a less severe and highly functional form of autism.

History: Asperger disorder was first noted in the 1940s by the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who gave his name to the syndrome. Hans Asperger observed boys who faced difficulties in the social domain but were quite intelligent and had highly developed language skills. Many doctors at the time thought that these children were highly functioning autistics. As a child Asperger was said to have exhibited similar symptoms like these children.

Epidemiology: the prevalence in the general population is not yet well established. A small study conducted in Finland in 2007 among 5.400 children found that 2.9 children per 1.000 met the criteria for a diagnosis. It is more prevalent in boys than in girls and other closely related disorders include High Functioning Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified, Tourette syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive disorder. Anxiety disorder and Depression may also coexist with Asperger syndrome.

What are the main characteristics? Some of the most common characteristics of Asperger syndrome are:

• Inability to understand the emotions of other people and express empathy.
• Difficulty in understanding body language, voice intonation, and face expressions
• Difficulty in understanding social cues and participating in groups and discussions.
• Repetitive behavior.
• Concentration on very narrow personal interests.
• Difficulty in motor coordination and clumsiness.
• Resistance to change and inflexibility to new situations.
• Tendency to focus on details and lose the general idea.

On the other hand, people with Asperger syndrome have exceptional abilities that compensate for their difficulties. Most people with AS are very reliable and honest.  They can be very creative and show exceptional intelligence in fields of their interest. They are disciplined and extremely hard working and they have good language skills. Last but not least, they can observe useful details in their environment due to their acute senses.

What causes Asperger syndrome?

Current research indicates that Asperger syndrome is transmitted from generation to generation through genes. Therefore, the aetiology of AS is more genetical than psychological. Parents or close relatives of children with AS may also exhibit symptoms since the syndrome usually runs in the genealogical tree of the family.

Treatment

Asperger syndrome cannot be completely treated. The various approaches aim at mitigating the symptoms, alleviating the stress of the person living with AS and teaching them communication skills. Most professionals agree that the earlier the intervention begins the better but there is no consensus on which therapy is the best. A typical therapeutic program of AS  is similar to the therapeutic programs of other autistic spectrum disorders. It usually includes: training in social skills, cognitive behavioural therapy in order to help cope with stress and reduce the repetitive behaviours, medication, occupational therapy to help with movement coordination, speech therapy to help with the everyday conversations and the metaphoric use of language and counseling of parents in order to support their children in achieving their goals. 

What is your experience with Asperger syndrome? Please share in the comments below.