What is Asperger's Syndrome?

Asperger's Syndrome, also known as Autistic Psychopathy, is a milder form of Autistic Disorder (Autism).  Both Asperger’s Syndrome and Autistic Disorder are actually illnesses in the larger category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).  In Europe, these disorders are categorized as Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

An Austrian pediatrician, Hans Asperger (1906-1980), first described Asperger's Syndrome in 1944 (one year after Leo Kanner's first paper on autism). Although Asperger was not aware of Kanner's work, he did use the phrase "autistic psychopathy" to describe the social deficits he observed in a group of boys. The group of several young boys was of normal intelligence and language development but exhibited autistic-like behaviors and significant shortfalls in social and communication skills. However, in spite of the publication of Asperger’s paper, Asperger’s Syndrome wasn’t added to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) until DSM IV, 50 years later and has been diagnosed as Asperger’s Syndrome only during the past few years.

Even so, Asperger's is still not easily recognizable. Until recently, proper diagnosis was occluded because of the lack of recognized definitions. In addition, because many of the symptoms are the same as those of more well-known illnesses, children still are often misdiagnosed with disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome, Autistic Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Asperger’s Syndrome appears to affect mostly males. The onset of Asperger's Syndrome apparently is later than Autistic Disorder. Generally, children are diagnosed between the ages of five and nine. This is in part because, unlike autism, both cognition and language develop normally during the child’s first years. In fact, verbal skills often appear to be strong. However as the child grows, the first indication of the illness may be displayed by gross motor problems (clumsiness) and inappropriate social interactions. The illness also may be manifested in other idiosyncratic behaviors.

Behaviors associated with Asperger's syndrome

• Obsession with complex, age-inappropriate topics such as patterns, weather, music, history, cars, trains, door knobs, hinges, meteorology, astronomy, electronics, etc. but unable to process information outside their sphere of interest.
• Obsessive routines.
• Dyslexia, writing problems, and difficulty with mathematics.
• Concrete thinking problems: For instance, a child with Asperger’s Syndrome may not be able to process the many steps necessary to be successful in completing a simple task like, “Put the book away”, “Bring me the ball”, or “Go get a cookie”.
• Over sensitivity to certain sounds, tastes, smells, and certain sights (e.g. light) 
• Socially aware but unable to act appropriately with others.
• Difficulty adjusting to change.

Although many children with Asperger’s syndrome exhibit a high I.Q. and are especially superior in verbal ability, the Intelligence Quotients of Asperger’s patients fall along the full spectrum. However, though grammatically correct, their speed frequently is laced with abnormalities in inflection and repetitive patterns. In addition, common to most with Asperger’s Syndrome is the fact that they are below average in performance abilities for their age.

It's important to remember that the behaviors of children with Asperger’s Syndrome are not because of intentional rudeness, willfulness, or poor parenting.  Rather, their behavior is the result of the different way they perceive their environment. In addition, because Asperger’s Syndrome is so newly recognized and difficult to diagnose, society is ill equipped to deal with the special social and educational needs of these children.

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