Asperger's Syndrome in Laymen's
Terms
The syndrome was named for a Viennese
physician, Hans Asperger. He published a paper describing the
pattern of behaviors witnessed of boys who had normal IQs and
language development, but who were thought to be autistic in
behavior with marked social and communicative
deficiencies.
A child or an adult can exhibit signs or symptoms of
Asperger's Syndrome at any time in life that are attributed to
other things such as being absent minded, awkward physically,
brilliant but eccentric or socially inept. Many children are
said to have a language of their own and eventually are
diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. They may indeed have a
wonderful vocabulary but do not understand the pragmatics of
communicating that language. Individuals who have Asperger's
syndrome are said to be clumsy. Individuals with this syndrome
may avoid gazing directly at someone even in greeting. Children
with this syndrome may have difficulty in social situations but
can learn how to act socially over time. Adults who have this
syndrome may experience difficulty with relationships, family
life and being able to be comfortable in social situations for
business or pleasure but they can learn to live happy and
productive lives adapting to the syndrome and with therapy and
certain medications.
The syndrome was named for a Viennese physician, Hans
Asperger. He published a paper describing the pattern of
behaviors witnessed of boys who had normal IQs and language
development, but who were thought to be autistic in behavior
with marked social and communicative deficiencies. In 1994
professionals recognized Asperger Syndrome and parents finally
had a name for what they experienced in their children.
Common characteristics of individuals with this syndrome are
deficiencies in social skills, difficulties when it comes to
changes and they often have obsessive routines and are
preoccupied with one subject of interest. Individuals with
Asperger's Syndrome tend to have difficulty reading nonverbal
cues of communication often referred to as body language. They
can also have difficulty determining proper body space and can
be overly sensitive to sights, smells, sounds and tastes. They
will also have preferences for things that are soft, for
certain foods, and can be agitated by certain sounds or by
lights that others around them are not bothered by. Those with
this syndrome are often teased as children for being "odd" and
adults are accused of being eccentric. Individuals with
Asperger's Syndrome can be extremely literal and have
difficulty using language in a social context.
Asperger Syndrome is currently considered to be an autism
spectrum disorder and is often described as being High
Functioning Autism. Still, others describe the pattern of
behaviors as a Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Many individuals
are misdiagnosed or remain undiagnosed.
Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome usually have normal IQ
ranges, in fact many show exceptional skill or talent in
certain areas, so they can achieve high levels of achievements
but experience difficulties in social situations or in making
transitions or changes in work or home life. Individuals who
have Asperger's Syndrome prefer to have stability in their
lives and shy away from situations that would necessitate
change.
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