In 1944, Asperger’s disorder was first discovered by Hans Asperger who was a child psychologist and pediatrician who described a group of boys between the ages of 6 and 11 as “little professors” because of their interests and use of language (van Duin, Zinkstok, McAlonan & van Amelsvoort, 2014). In the DSM-IV, Asperger’s disorder (AD) refers to individuals who have an average or high IQ, but have difficulty in social interactions, poor communication skills and restricted interests (Wing, Gould & Gillberg, 2010). Another component in the Asperger’s diagnosis in the DSM-IV was that the individual did not meet the full criteria for an Autism diagnosis (Ghaziuddin, 2010). On May 13, 2013 the DSM-V was published, which was followed by extensive controversy surrounding the removal of the Asperger’s diagnosis. Some individuals diagnosed with AD under the DSM-IV prefer that label to being diagnosed as autistic. Additionally, many individuals with AD and their families feared that services would no longer be available to their children. Proponents of removing AD from the DSM-V asserted that there was no reliable difference between AD and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and that combining these disorders would increase reliability and validity.
Advocates for removing the AD diagnosis from the DSM-V find that distinguishing between autism subgroups such as Asperger’s Disorder, Kanner syndrome and PDD-NOS is unreliable (Wing, et al., 2011). An article in the Research in Developmental Disabilities journal states that though some children’s disorders may evidently fit into one category, others have a mixture of features from different conditions that could be more easily classified on a spectrum. They contend that the diagnosis of Asperger’s ...
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Schulzke, E. (2013, June 24). Diagnosis changes, but asperger identity endures. Retrieved from http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865582041/Diagnosis-changes-but-Asperger-identity-endures.html?pg=all van Duin, E. D., Zinkstok, J., McAlonan, G., & van Amelsvoort, T. (2014). White matter brain structure in asperger’s syndrome. Comprehensive Guide to Autism, doi: 10.1007/978-1-
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Willingham, E. (2014, December 4). Just in: Aspergers prevalence predicted to fall to zero. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2012/12/04/just-in- aspergers-prevalence-predicted-to-fall-to-zero/
Wing, L., Gould, J., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V:
Better or worse than the DSM-IV?. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32,
768-773. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.11.003
Currently Dr. Correia is a Neuropsychologist at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. At Brown University, he is the Neuropsychology Intern Track Coordinator, the Director of the Neuropsychology Grant Writing Seminar and works in the MRI research Facility. He is the Assistant Director at the Neuroimaging Center at Butler Hospital and is also in the Imaging Core Executive Committee there.
...owell, E. R., Thompson, P. M., & Toga, A. W. (2004). Mapping changes in the human cortex
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.
Asperger syndrome belongs to a group of childhood disorders commonly known as pervasive developmental disorders or PDD's. The disorder is recognized as a less severe case of autism. Children who have the disorder have a difficult time in social settings but excel in other areas of inteligence. The disorder is usually a lifelong struggle but has few cases where the patent recovers in adulthood. The disorder is not widely understood by the population but it is becoming a more well known disorder. There is currently no cure for this disorder.
In the 1940’s two doctors in different countries observed children displaying similar behaviors and deficits. One of the doctors was Viennese pediatrician Dr. Hans Asperger and the other was a child psychiatrist named Leo Kanner. Dr. Kanner was the first of the two doctors to report his observations. What he described were behaviors similar to those seen in children with what we call Autistic disorder. The behaviors affected the children’s communication, social interaction and interests. Dr. Asperger later published an article discussing what he dubbed “Autistische Psychpathen im Kindesalter” which translates to “Autistic Psychopathy”. Although some behaviors overlapped, there were differences leading to the belief that these doctors were documenting two different disorders. The two most prevalent were the differences in motor and language abilities (Miller, Ozonoff). Another was Asperger’s belief that his patients were of normal or above average intelligence. It was not until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was entered into the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV), finally becoming an official diagnosis. At the time, Asperger Syndrome (AS) was labeled as a subcategory of autism along with autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive development disorder. Since then, the community of people with Asperger Syndrome has grown to love and better understand the disorder that they live with every day. Some of them have even affectionately named themselves “Aspies”.
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 ...
Kanske, P., Heissler, J., Schönfelder, S., Forneck, J., & Wessa, M. (2013). Neural correlates of
Neuroscience consists of an extensive background of research that has led to various discoveries regarding the human brain. The human brain is the mediator for every aspect of the human body. The brain dictates a wide range of functions spanning from emotion and memory to heart rate and blood flow. The brain is also responsible for how we think, believe, dream and even aspire. A human’s reactions to medical treatments are even processed through the brain. The brain is the sole organ that provides all of the functions that comprise a...
Many people across the world are unfamiliar with disorders associated with autism. Some people do not even know what autism actually is. Asperger’s Syndrome is one perplexing disorder, of countless, that needs to be acknowledged. Although it is one of the more well-known disorders, an understanding of Asperger’s is far from common knowledge. There is an abundance of misconceptions and people unaware of what Asperger Syndrome actually is. Being uncertain about the characteristics of a person with Asperger’s allows people to go through life not understanding the disorder itself and people who have it.
This paper was reprinted with permission of Susan Moreno on the O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support)
Culter, Mary Ann, Joanne Dombrowski, Michael Doughtery, Paula Henderson, and Laura McNicholas. “The brain: understanding nuerobiology. The brain-lesson1-What does this part of the brain do?” NIH publication, Mar.20120.21.Apr.2014.
I was first labeled in second grade, when I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. The therapist who diagnosed me told my parents that, best case scenario, I would grow up to be an accountant. While accountancy never really appealed to me, I accepted the general idea. I believed that poor social skills were destined to stick with me, all because of that diagnosis. Having accepted this, little eight-year-old me saw no reason to better my social skills, because why should I waste time trying to change my destiny?
The cerebrum is located at the anterior-most part of the brain and is responsible for the combination of complex sensory and neural functions, as well as the initiation and coordination of voluntary activity in the body. It is the largest brain structure in humans and makes up two-thirds of the total mass of the brain (“Cerebrum Anatomy”, 2015). Its surface, a covering made up of grey matter usually 2-4mm thick, is called the cerebral cortex and is mainly made up of the cell bodies of neurons. The cerebral cortex is responsible for integrating sensory impulses, directing motor activity, and controlling higher intellectual functions. It is also responsible for the state of consciousness, which still remains a mystery to neurologists and the rest of the science community (Swenson, 2007).
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.
R. L. Paul, M. M. (1972). The Species of the Brain Research, 1-19. pp. 113-117. S. A. Clark, T. A.