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What is AS? Signs and SymptomsWhat is Asperger's Syndrome?Asperger's syndrome
is a developmental disorder named for an Austrian pediatrician named Hans
Asperger. In 1944, Asperger published a paper describing four children who had
autistic-like problems in the areas of social interaction and communication, but
displayed normal intelligence and verbal skills. He referred to these smart,
sometimes precocious, quirky kids as "little professors." For some children
with Asperger's syndrome, the phrase definitely fits. Although children with
Asperger's syndrome exhibit a wide variety of signs and symptoms, ranging from
mild to severe, social awkwardness and an
all-absorbing interest in specific topics are common. Today, doctors group
Asperger's syndrome with four other conditions — including autism — that are
called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. These
disorders all involve problems with social skills. Asperger's syndrome is
generally thought to be at the mildest end of this spectrum. Still, the term is
relatively new. Signs and SymptomsSchool-age children
with Asperger's syndrome exhibit a range of characteristics, with varying
degrees of severity. A child with Asperger's may exhibit the following signs and
symptoms in these areas: Social
skills
Behavior
Some of these signs
and symptoms occur in children with high-functioning autism, but there are major
differences between the two disorders. Children
with high-functioning autism often have greater nonverbal skills than verbal
skills, while children with Asperger's syndrome are the opposite.
Another difference is that children
with Asperger's syndrome don't experience delays in language or cognitive
development. Many
kids with Asperger's syndrome have above-average intelligence and good verbal
skills, but little
understanding for the unspoken rules of social communication. As a
result, kids with Asperger's syndrome may seem odd, rude or inconsiderate. But
they're not just weird kids "going through a phase," and they're not
just adolescents having difficulties making friends. Asperger's
syndrome is a serious, ongoing condition. For children with
Asperger's syndrome, their
obsessive interests and unusual social skills interfere with their ability to
function and learn other skills. In some cases,
problems improve as children mature and learn how to cope with uncomfortable
situations. However, some children with Asperger's syndrome become depressed in
their adolescent years, as they become more aware of their differences. Adults with
Asperger's syndrome exhibit many of the same problems with social interactions.
In fact, now that Asperger's syndrome is becoming more widely recognized, adults
who never had a name for their eccentricities are recognizing themselves in the
description of Asperger's syndrome. (Source: CNN.com; to
read more of the CNN article above, please visit http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00551.html) Twin
and family studies suggest there is a genetic vulnerability to AS and the other
ASDs, but a specific gene for AS hasn’t been identified. Current research
points to structural abnormalities in the brain as a cause of AS. The incidence
of AS is not well established, but experts in population studies conservatively
estimate that two out of every 10,000 children have the disorder. Boys are
three to four times more likely than girls to have AS. Other conditions that
often co-exist with AS are ADHD, tic disorders (such as Tourette syndrome),
depression, anxiety disorders, and OCD. (Source: National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) |
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ASPERGER'S SUPPORT GROUP