Asperger’s Syndrome is a developmental disorder belonging to a family of disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or more commonly as just Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome is named for Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger. Asperger studied four children in his practice who exhibited the signs of the disorder that now bears his name. His findings, while published in 1944, were essentially unnoticed until 1981when Dr. Lorna Wing published a series of case studies of children who exhibited the same signs as Dr. Asperger’s patients, and called it Asperger’s Syndrome. In 1992, Asperger’s Syndrome became recognized as a separate and distinct disorder in the Autism Spectrum. (NINDS, 2011)
Asperger’s is one of five developmental disabilities under the category otherwise known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). In addition to Autism there is, Asperger’s, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); PDD-NOS is a category for an individual that has some characteristics but not all the characteristic of the disorder. There are subtle differences between each of these five categories of autism. Autism is labeled a spectrum disorder because of the wide range of symptoms, skills and levels of impairment of those affected. Patients afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome exhibit characteristics to what some doctors call “high-functioning Autism.” In fact, when comparing Asperger’s to high-functioning Autism, it becomes difficult to accurately distinguish between the two.
The question is often asked, what symptoms distinguish Asperger’s Syndrome? While similar in some aspects to other forms of Autism, patients with Asperger’s Syndrome exhibit some unique char...
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...upport (NINDS, 2011)
Treatment, when tailored to the child and initiated at an early age, can help the child with Asperger’s Syndrome grow to be fully functional and independent adults. Many adults with Asperger’s are able to work successfully in regular jobs, and with support, can live independent lives. (NINDS, 2011)
Works Cited
Mayo Clinic. (2011). Bing Health- Asperger's Syndrome. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from Bing: www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-MADS00551/Asperger's-syndrome?q=asperger's
Melinda Smith, M. J. (2010, December). Autism Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from helpguide.org: http://helpguide.org/mental/autism_spectrum.htm
NINDS. (2011, November 4). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from www.ninds.nih.gov: www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/detail_asperger.htm
Rowe, Peter. “Delving into the Mystery of Autism.” San Diego Union-Tribune 16 October 2001. 9 December 2001
A Comparison between Christopher Boone and Raymond Babbitt Asperger s disorder is not a disease, but a developmental brain disorder. It is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and it shows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle and educational levels do not affect the chance of Asperger s disorder occurrence. According to Hans Asperger: It is important to know that the person with AS perceives the world differently. Therefore, many behaviours that seem odd are due to neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behaviour.
The cause of AS is still very much unknown.Children with Asperger syndrome start to show signs as early as one to two years old; however a diagnosis is rarely given until later, usually around the ages of th...
Where does the name Asperger's Syndrome come from? Over fifty years ago, a Viennese pediatrician,...
Autism or Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex mental development disabilities. Which can be recognized by some significant defects in behavioral events, social interactions, and other mental verbal and nonverbal communication skills in different degrees.(1,2)The phrase spectrum is referred to the board range of level of disability and symptoms that occur in
In 1968, the APA referred to autism as a single disorder, and now it is known to be a syndrome of behavioral and medical effects. Along with autism, several related disorders are grouped under Pervasive Developmental Disorders, PDD, a general category ...
Admittedly, when I first chose to explore autism, I figured it would be an easier psychological issue to discuss than bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. Only after researching autism for an hour or so, I quickly realized this was not the case. Autism may very well be one of the most complex and examined disorders, for it’s a disorder that stirs up tons of questions yet yields very few answers. So what exactly is it? What are the causes and symptoms? Is there a cure? How many people are affected by autism? Is it being properly portrayed in mainstream media? In this paper, I’ll do my very best to touch on these questions and hopefully leave the ones reading with a better understanding of this disorder.
In 1943, Leo Kanner observed eleven children, each with similar behavioral patterns, and published a paper in which he stared,” The condition differs markedly and uniquely from any reported so far” (Miller). Although many cases of autism, and autism-like disorders appeared before throughout history, no one ever properly defined this disorder until Kanner’s paper. The first said to mention the word autism was Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation, while describing a severally autistic boy, but this is a doubted speculation. The first to medically coin the term autism was Hans Asperger. Even though, he thought he was observing autism, he was actually observing and describing Asperger Syndrome, which doctors realized was a different disorder in 1981 (“Who discovered Autism?”).
Murray, S. 2010. Autism Functions/ The function of Autism, in Disability Studies Quarterly, Vol 30, No 1, 2010. The Society for Disability Studies.
Asperger’s is one disorder of many in the Autism Spectrum. The Autism Spectrum includes early infantile autism, childhood autism, Kanner’s autism, high-functioning autism, atypical autism, pervasive developmental disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Asperger’s (“American Psychiatric Association,” 2013). All disorders found in the spectrum are neurodevelopmental disorders. These types of disorders deal with impairments of development and growth of the brain and nervous system (Lord & Bishop, 2010). Each disorder found in the spectrum may have similarities, but are different from one another too. Asperger’s was not a part of the Autism Spectrum until the latest update of DSM-5 in 2013. It was classified as its own category, but now is an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD (Macintosh & Dissanayake, 2004). The moving of Asperger’s Syndrome into the Autism Spectrum took place because of the various similarities to ASDs.
This paper was reprinted with permission of Susan Moreno on the O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support)
The third common type is Asperger's syndrome. This syndrome is defined as a condition that causes difficulties in communication and using imagination (4). In other words, people with Asperger's syndrome find it difficult to socially interact with others and have a normal conversation. Moreover, they may not understand a person's facial expressions and body language; therefore, they feel confused and anxious. People with Asperger's syndrome love routines. For example, a man may insist on completing a task in a specific order. Furthermore, a child may feel sad because of a change in the class schedule. Also, showing strong obsessive interest in a hobby is one of the characteristics of Asperger's syndrome. It appears that this syndrome affects males more than females. Like Down syndrome and Turner syndrome, Asperger's syndrome does not have a cure, and the role of treatment is to improve the patient's
Asperger’s Syndrome which is part of the Autism Spectrum was identified by Hans Asperger and hence it is named after him. People who are diagnosed with Asperger are usually very intelligent. They don’t necessarily have language problems. However, they do have trouble with social interaction.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
In conclusion, Pervasive Developmental Disorder categorizes five areas of the autism spectrum. Each area is unique and has its own characteristics as well as life expectancies. While one disorder may result in language impairments, another may be a chronic syndrome that an individual has to live with for the rest of their life. PDD-NOS is a term used to describe an individual who possesses autistic characteristics, but not specifically Autism. PDD is defined under IDEA and each child is capable of receiving educational services such as an IEP, 504 Plan, learning support, or special education. Further research is being developed on the cause of Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as treatments and therapies to assist the children affected by the disorder.