What is Asperger's Syndrome?
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children is currently 1 in 150, up from 1 in 10,000 in 1990. Only some of that increase is due to changes in when and how autism is diagnosed. While much attention is being paid to autism in children and its causes and cures, many people are struggling with the milder form of autism known as Asperger Syndrome.
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder. It means someone has autistic qualities but that they are not as severely affected; they are on the “higher end” of the autism spectrum.
Aspergers was not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (entered into the DSM-IV) until 1994. Prior to that, people with AS were either undiagnosed, or worse, misdiagnosed and put on medications such as Ritalin for conditions they did not have. Now, every day, all over the world, adults of all ages are receiving their first correct diagnosis, and breathing a sigh of relief as they realize they are not difficult, crazy, or alone…that there is a name for what they have.
Aspergers is a neurological disorder that (mainly) affects social interaction. It hinders or alters emotional processing and a person's ability to read facial cues and body language. Social convention, the unspoken social rules of conduct, all these confuse them. It's as if everyone else has GPS while they themselves barely have a compass.
Sensory issues also figure highly in the AS experience: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Reactions to sensory aversions or overload can include tics, withdrawal, and stimming (soothing behavior). (See a list of Traits on the next page.)
While Asperger Syndrome carries with it many challenges, it also brings many gifts. Researchers in Tokyo have found that children with AS have higher fluid intelligence that non-AS children. Many are gifted in some way: art, music, design, research, problem-solving, computer programming, inventing, to name a few.
While people with AS have difficulty acquiring and keeping social relationships, they do desire friendships and love. But because of social and sensory difficulties they are are often misunderstood. Many with AS are ostracized, picked on and bullied for their differences, even as adults. This can cause a person to despair and withdraw from the world--depriving themselves of happiness and depriving the world of their unique gifts. It also causes problems finding and keeping gainful employment as well as staying in education.
People with Aspergers do not consider themselves disabled. They consider themselves different. The current prevailing wind is that people with AS are coming into their own--realizing their strengths and their weakness and learning to celebrate their differences. They just wish that the world would become more educated about AS and meet them halfway. |
