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In 1944, a year after Kanner published his paper on Autism, a
pediatrician in Vienna named Hans Asperger, a Viennese Psychiatrist,
who had never seen Kanner's work, published a paper in German
describing a consistent pattern of abilities and behaviors that
occurred primarily in boys. Hans Asperger died in 1980, a man
unknown outside of Europe. In the early 1980s Asperger’s
paper was translated into English, which resulted in international
recognition for his work in this area. In the 1990s, specific
diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome were included
in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV, 1994).
Asperger’s Syndrome
is a manifestation of autism found on the Autistic Spectrum.
In individuals with Asperger’s, this condition presents with
a more subtle display of difficulties. These individuals have:
- Impairment of social interaction
- Impairment of social communication
- Impairment of social imagination, flexible thinking and imaginative
play
- Absence of a significant delay in cognitive development
- Absence of general delay in language
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Impairment of Social Interaction
In persons with Asperger’s Syndrome there is a lack of understanding
regarding the emotional aspect of friendships. They lack the ability
to develop and sustain such relationships. Anxiety and tension
increases with greater demands for social skills. An inability
to read social cues is pronounced.
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Impairment of Social Communication
People with AS differ from those affected by autism, in that they
usually have fewer problems with language - fluent speech before
age 4 years; grammar and vocabulary are usually very good However
their voice tends to be flat and emotionless and they have difficulty
understanding other people’s emphasis on words or altered
tones, used to specifically convey a certain message. The use
or understanding of body language, facial expressions and gestures
is affected, resulting in their understanding of communication
being very literal. Their conversations usually revolve around
themselves or an area of their interest.
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Impairment of Social Imagination, Flexible Thinking and Imagination
Play
Individuals with Asperger’s often have a strong rote
memory and do exceptionally well in subjects which focus on facts
and figures.
Often there is a resistance
to change. They tend to be obsessed with keeping the same daily
routines and adhere to repetitive activities. This tends to affect
their progress in life.
There is usually an
inability to be able to think and play creatively, as well as
a problem in transferring skills from one environment to another.
This means that they find it difficult to pretend play or imagine
that an object could be used creatively to serve another purpose
other than that for which it is made. Eg. A cup could be used
as a hat , or, a ruler could be strummed like a guitar.
“Theory of Mind” Impairment and “Mind Blindness”
Theory of Mind is
the ability to be able to consider and understand other people’s
thoughts and feelings. This skill plays a major role in our interaction
with others. For the person with Asperger Syndrome, this skill
is severely impaired, resulting in difficulties in comprehending
the intentions of others around or not understanding the motivations
of the actions of others. Like wise, they are unable to understand
their own emotions and those of others. This often makes them
appear to lack empathy, which is not understood by people in their
social circle. They thus come across as blunt, direct and rude.
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Absence of General Delay in Language
There is no delay in the development of language skills. Children
with AS generally develop a rich vocabulary that makes them appear
‘brighter’ than other children their age. However, they
are unable to understand the need to take turns while having a
conversation and tend to talk incessantly about areas of interest
to them.
As individuals with Asperger’s have good intelligence and
speech, it is often taken for granted that they comprehend sarcasm
and jargon/idioms used in everyday life. E.g. “Very good,
spill some more water…. ”, or, “If I see him again
I will lose my head……”. Comments such as these
could cause a person with Asperger’s Syndrome to get into
trouble socially and/or also be a source of anxiety.
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Absence of a Significant Delay in Cognitive Development
Many individuals with AS have I. Q.’s that fall above
the normal range in verbal ability and below average in performance
abilities. They are often obsessed with complex topics, such as
weather, music, history, etc. and are often described as eccentric.
They are concrete thinkers and hence find it difficult understand
anything that is abstract. Many lack common sense
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Prevalence
Recent research establishes the prevalence of Asperger’s
Syndrome as approximately 1 in 300, affecting boys to girls with
a ratio of 10:1
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Cause
The cause of Asperger’s Syndrome is still being investigated.
However, there appears to be a genetic link to the condition.
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Treatment
Individuals with AS require mainstream education. Emphasis in
training in the areas of social skills and communication is most
effective as academically they have few difficulties.
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Disorders on the Autism Spectrum
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