What The Heck Is Asperger Syndrome?
by
Nan Jacobs
copyright 05-29-2001
Age Rating: 18 to 127
Picture Credits:
WHAT IS ASPERGER SYNDROME?
By Nan Jacobs c/2001
[Author's note: I use a lot of quotation marks in this article. That's because when discussing special needs people, there are many words that are relative in their meaning and use. What *is* normal? What *is* different? High functioning as compared to *whom* or *what*? And *who* defines these things?]
Ever wonder why that kid in seventh grade only ever wore a certain type of shirt and sweat pants? Even when the mercury hit 90 degrees F? Or why the kid in fourth grade asked you if you liked to eat green apples--as a greeting? Ever admire those same kids because they could do complicated math problems or talk the teacher in circles about almost any topic?
Ever wonder what made Albert Einstein tick?
If you don't have a clue what Asperger Syndrome is, you're not alone. Asperger Syndrome is an unfamiliar term to many people who are not involved with special needs kids or special education. First off, it's "P" not "B" in Asperger. It helps to remember that when doing a search. :) The disorder is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who first identified the patterns that classify Asperger Syndrome (AS) in the mid 1900's.
AS falls under the category "Pervasive Developmental Disorder (or Delay), Not Otherwise Specified" (PDD-NOS) which is an umbrella term that covers neurological disorders similar to, but not quite the same as, autism (which falls under the "just plain PDD" umbrella). I think of it as the "gray area" of autism. If you envision autism and AS on a "PDD continuum", follow the spiky line from low functioning autism (completely nonverbal, and not involved in the world as "we" know it) up to HFA and into AS. A PDD-diagnosed person's relative placement on that scale is not the issue, however. I offer this information only to give a point of reference to those unfamiliar with these disorders.
The autistic spectrum is a wide one and only now beginning to surmount public misconceptions. A person diagnosed with autism may be completely non-verbal, or appear to be quite "normal" a.k.a. High Functioning Autistic (HFA). Unless you spend a lot of time with such a person, you may not notice they are "different", because, as "high functioning", they've been able to learn coping tactics that fool the rest of the world, and to learn to deal with the rest of the world. Things, such as reading facial expressions, that come intuitively to many of us, and which are keys to "appropriate" social interaction, must be *taught* to the person with AS or autism.
Over the past decade, Asperger Syndrome has become more widely recognized as a disorder separate from autism. Many diagnosed as HFA are now concluding that AS is a more fitting diagnosis. As similar as Autism and AS are, they do have different, if not hard to detect, presentations. There are several different sets of diagnostic criteria for AS. All have certain basic criteria in common, and all go into greater detail than the following, which is quoted from ASPERGER SYNDROME by Tony Atwood (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1998):
These are the main features as described by Lorna Wing (Burgoine and Wind, 1983):
· Lack of empathy
· Naïve, inappropriate or one-sided interaction
· Little or no ability to form friendships
· Pedantic, repetitive speech
· Poor non-verbal communication
· Intense absorption in certain subjects
· Clumsy and ill-coordinated movements and odd postures
More detailed diagnostic criteria by Gillberg & Gillberg and by Szatmari & Nagy as well as the DSMIV (1994) and ICD-10 (World Health Organization) criteria can be found in tables at the back of Atwood's book, an excellent starting point for AS information and coping strategies.
What I'd like to make clear is this: Asperger's people march to a different drummer, and the beat, although it can be frustrating for parents and others, is often a thing of beauty and humor, if we only open our minds and hearts to it.
For more comprehensive information please visit the
website, "OASIS" and don't miss the article "What
the DSM IV Means to Me" by a woman with AS.
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Thanks for the explanation. Someone I once knew taught some "borderline special ed" kids and had one that sounded like this. The "experts" hadn't figured him out, but his parents did such an excellent job of coping and explaining to those same experts how to teach and deal with their son.
Isn't it a shame that the experts can come up with no better than anecdotal evidence to diagnose a condition? It's a new century, yet we're still saddled with the same descriptive (or really, SEMI-descriptive) modalities that we had at the turn of the last century. Sure, we've learned enough to quantify the different functional groups, but we're not much closer to finding causal relationships or implementing medical/therapeutic regimens than we were in the 1950's, apparently.
Thanks for this, Nan. It did help my understanding.
Interesting article. I've worked with children in the spectrum of autism and know one little boy who is suspected of having Aspergers - not finished with being diagnosed yet. His childcare worker has really helped to bring out his wonderful traits. He sure makes delicious chocolate chip cookies!
There sure is more to be learned about all this. Have you read "Nobody Nowhere" and "Somebody Somewhere" by Donna Williams? Absolutely powerful!! She is a intelligent amazing woman who lives with high functioning autism. The books really helped me to better understand what life may be like for those with autism.
Welcome !
