Asperger’s syndrome, which is also referred to as Asperger's disorder, is a type of Persuasive Developmental Disorder. Persuasive Developmental Disorder or PDD are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of basic skills, the most recognizable of these skills is the ability to communicate and socialize with others as well as use their own imagination. Although Asperger's syndrome is similar in some ways to autism, there are important differences between the two. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically function higher than those children with autism. In addition to them being higher functioning; children with Asperger's syndrome generally have normal intelligence and slightly less than normal language development. Hans …show more content…
Problems with social skills include difficulty interacting with others, are often awkward in social situations, and have difficulty starting and maintaining a conversation. Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome may develop odd, repetitive movements, such as hand twitching or finger twisting. They might also develop unusual rituals, such as getting dressed in a specific order, and are resistant to change the ritual. Some communication difficulties people with Asperger's syndrome may exhibit are, not being able to make eye contact when speaking with someone, trouble using facial expressions and gestures, and understanding body language. They also have a tendency to misunderstand language in context and are very literal in their use of language. Individuals could express limited range of interests; they could develop an almost obsessive interest in a few areas, such as weather, topics in school, or sports. Many individuals with Asperger's syndrome are exceedingly gifted or skilled in a particular area, such as history or science. The coordination of individuals with Asperger's syndrome may seem clumsy or awkward. There is no cure for Asperger’s syndrome but early diagnosis and treatment helps individuals to develop to their full potential. The principal goal of treatment is to improve the overall ability of an individual to function. Behavioral therapy uses positive reinforcement, self-help, and social skills therapy to improve behavior and communication. Medicines are most commonly used to treat problem behaviors, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior or OCD, hyperactivity, and
Diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome can be a challenge. An interview with a clinician must be conducted, including the family of the person being diagnosed. Also, an observation is conducted in two different social settings (i.e.: school and home) (Stoddart, 2009). The criterion to be diagnosed is straight forward. First, there must be a severe impairment in social interaction. For example, no eye to eye contact, posture, does not develop peer relationships, and not bringing up interests to other people (Stoddart, 2009). Second, there must be stereotyped behaviors. For example, not being able to adhere to a random routine or change of plans, hand flapping, and playing with parts of objects, not the object itself. Thirdly, the impairments cause strain on social, and other areas of functioning. Fourth, the child had no delay in speech. This is the difference between a child with autism and Asperger’s. Children with Asperger’s have no delay in speech and usually are advanced in this area. Lastly, the child has no cognitive delay. For example, self-help abilities, and adapting behaviors. Usually these children have very high IQs (Stoddart, 2009). The major criterion is the social impairment. Asperger’s Syndrome is very focused around social behaviors. These children do not socially interact,
In the article, “How to Speak Asperger’s,” by Fran Goldfarb and Guthrie Devine, the authors contend that learning to communicate with people with Asperger’s Syndrome is an important skill. The authors introduce the article by providing a narrative about Goldfarb’s son. The point of her narrative is that communication is misunderstood with people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The author, Fran Goldfarb, explains how her son misunderstands communication with his teachers, and how punishment is ineffective, because of his Asperger’s. The authors start by explaining why communication is very complex. To begin with, people with AS struggle with communication, because of their lack of social cues. They tend to miss irony, humor, and they take everything literally. That’s why people with AS don’t understand communication and everything is a struggle for them.
The researchers at these centers have to agree on the diagnosis of each of the participants. However, since 2013, Asperger’s Syndrome is no longer considered a standalone diagnosis. ("Http://www.parents.com/health/autism/what-Happened-To-Aspergers/", 2014). Because Asperger’s Syndrome is now on the autism spectrum, it is now easier to agree on how to treat the person who has to live with the disorder.
Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average
Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental syndrome. It is said that every 2 out of 10,000 children are affected by this disorder. Asperger’s is mostly diagnosed in young children. Parents usually recognize symptoms of this disorder in their kids around the time they turn 3 years old. Asperger’s is sometimes considered a form of autism. I find this syndrome to be very intriguing. I’m going to enlighten you with more information about Asperger’s and a few real life cases of it.
The person who presents looks normal, normal intelligence capacity, often skilled in restricted areas, but has troubles relating to others and sometimes presents inappropriate behaviors. As well as other conditions recorded in the spectrum, it is believed that Asperger 's disorder is a developmental disorder with neurological basis, in most of the cases is unknown where comes from. There are deviations or abnormalities in three main aspects of development:
The prognosis for the individual with ASD is dependent on the severity of the disorder. In Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of ASD, the symptoms of shyness and impaired social interaction are present. However, in more
Although there is no cure for Asperger's syndrome, masking the symptoms and overcoming the challenges is possible by learning proper social skills, staying within a comfort area, and having a good support structure. A person with Asperger's syndrome faces many daily challenges, such as carrying on a conversation or looking someone in the eyes while speaking. Jacob, the main character in House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, learns to live with these challenges and function as normally as he can. "Asperger's syndrome, also called Asperger's disorder, is a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD). PDDs are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to
Asperger syndrome is one of many subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Of the subtypes, this syndrome is one of the higher functioning conditions. Thus, these individuals have a hard time socializing, present restricted interests, repeat behaviors constantly, and do not understand non-verbal communication. Also, the individuals with this condition can present a delay in motor development, which can lead to clumsiness or uncoordinated movements (Autism Speaks, 2013). Furthermore, this condition can be very difficult for the person as well as others, such as family and friends.
Children with Asperger’s Syndrome have developmental characteristics that cause challenges when growing up. They might develop speech that has peculiarities such as speaking in an overly formal manner. Children might also revolve many of their conversations around their few topics of interest. Many children with Asperger 's usually do not understand what is socially appropriate in a conversation. If asked about how they are doing, a child with Asperger 's might respond with a long reaction about their day.
Some of the types of ASD include Autistic disorder, sometimes known as "classic autism". This includes unusual behaviors and social and communication challenges. Asperger syndrome's symptoms are less severe than classic autism. There are also social challenges and unusual behaviors but there are no learning disabilities. Children with Asperger's may have problems with understanding humor or figures of speech. Pervasive developmental disorder known as "atypical autism", are individuals that have some of the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome, but not all. Children with ASD may also have other problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While children with Asperger’s Syndrome have an average to above average intelligence and normal cognitive abilities, they unfortunately suffer with impaired social skills. An effective treatment program will have to be tailored to fit the specific child’s Asperger’s in order for the child to be successful in managing his or her own behaviors. This form of treatment is run by a psychologist, counselor, speech pathologist, or social worker, these therapies are invaluable ways to build social skills and the ability to read verbal and non-verbal cues that is often lacking in those with Asperger's. (WebMD, 2013) Without the implementation of the appropriate treatment needed for the lack of social skills as a child, these deficits will continue into adulthood and affect societal and professional performance. According to Szatmari, Bartolucci & Bremner (1989), “Adults with ASD are much more likely than the general population to be unemployed or underemployed and much less likely to have satisfying social relationships” (Szatmari, Bartolucci & Bremner, 1989, Para. 3). The results of this study may have had something to do with the lack of treatment in children with Asperger’s. Even though there is not a cure for this syndrome, understanding the multiple treatment options can reduce the stigma and inaccurate labeling of children with ASD.
validation of the diagnosis” (Stiefel, I., Shields, A. K., Swain, M. A., & Innes, W. R., Asperger’s
Asperger’s disorder (AD) is a disruption in the formation of the child’s physical and or psychological development and recognizing these, the disorder was separated from Autism in 1944, to provide a basis for each child to get the proper care. All children with Asperger Disorder will show some traits in these three categories; impaired social skills, trouble communicating with others and a pattern of behavior, interest, and activities’ will be limited and recurring; they become obsessed with a single theme. Usually the child will have the normal communication skills in the beginning years. They will be using single words by age one. They just will not be using them in the normal way. When doctors are testing for this disorder, they are looking for specific behaviors or skills that are either present or absent. If the right services are available, Asperser’s children will show significant improvement in language
Asperger’s syndrome is one of the most common forms of autism and most children with this form are high functioning in specific areas as well as lack social skills and Theory of Mind.