In 1944, an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger described four young patients with similar social difficulties. Although their intelligence appeared normal, the children lacked nonverbal communication skills and failed to demonstrate empathy with their peers. Their manner of speech was either disjointed or overly formal, and their all-absorbing interests in narrow topics dominated their conversations. The children also shared a tendency to be clumsy.
Dr. Asperger's observations, published in German, remained little known until 1981. In that year, the English physician Lorna Wing published a series of case studies of children with similar symptoms. Wing's writings on “Asperger Syndrome” were widely published and popularized. In 1994, AS was added to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-4), the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic reference book.
Autism is a communication disorder, with a broad range of affect. Some people's Autism makes them eccentric and geeky. Other people can't speak at all, as a result of more severe autistic disability. Asperger Syndrome (AS) is considered to be at the high functioning end of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
AS remains undiagnosed until a child begins to have serious difficulties in school; or an adult begins to struggle in, the workplace or their personal lives. Many adults with AS receive their diagnosis when seeking help for related issues such as anxiety or depression
Children with AS tend to show exceptional language development. However, many tend to use their language skills inappropriately in conversations or social situations such as interacting with their peers.
Often the symptoms of AS are confused with those of other behavioral issues such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Here is a list of signs to watch out
for that are observed in someone that may have AS, which needs be treated at
the earliest. diagnosis:
1. Erratic
behavior People with this condition are
also known to behave somewhat erratically. They may speak or perform actions
repetitively and be very unpredictable in their behavior. Unexpected things
could evoke violent outbursts and tantrums. They may also be prone to mental
breakdowns and self-injurious actions. When observed in children, sometimes
these signs are ignored with the assumption that the child is merely acting up.
2. Extraordinary
cognitive/creative
ability A significant percentage of AS
patients exhibit extraordinary capabilities. Some may be very good at creative
pursuits such as painting or music. Others may have an extremely sharp memory,
an instinctual grasp of difficult concepts, intense focus, or natural talent at
particular games such as puzzles, crosswords, etc. It is noteworthy that not
all those with AS will have this nature of unusually sharp senses.
3. Fixation
with rituals and routines Individuals
with AS tend to have an unusual preoccupation with rituals, routines and set
patterns of living. They will wake up, eat, indulge in various activities and
sleep according to a fixed schedule. They may even have a particular sequence
associated with actions such as what they will eat first, or which clothes they
put on before. It is common for them to get very upset and agitated if these
rituals/routines are disrupted for any reason.
4. Lack
of bodily coordination Another
common sign of AS is an apparent lack of coordination in movement. Walking with
a stilted gait, making jerky motions and a tendency to be very awkward and
clumsy are observed in many patients. They tend to trip, fall and drop things
rather frequently. This is often mistaken for ordinary carelessness or
inefficiency.
5. Limited
range of interests Those
with AS will tend to have a genuine interest in a very few things. They will
not respond adequately to anything beyond the scope of those things in
conversations as well. They may even be obsessively invested in pursuing these
interests as well, amassing a huge amount of information and knowledge about
the same. Often what fascinates such individuals seems somewhat bizarre to
others. Examples would be obsession with weather reports or sports scores.
6. Problems
with nonverbal behavior Nonverbal
behavior such as eye contact, hand gestures , and facial expressions is often
lacking in individuals with AS. Talking to them is thus rather difficult for
there may be lack of clarity in regards with what they are saying. Their
disinterest in explaining themselves via conversation and discussion naturally
makes it difficult to keep up with such individuals. Most patients who have
underdeveloped social skills are very likely to have such problems with
nonverbal behavior as well.
7. Seeming
emotional incapacity It
is commonly observed that people with AS do not seem emotionally accessible.
They come across as insensitive and uncaring to the needs of others. Often,
this is due to the fact that they are unable to provide socially appropriate
responses when interacting with others. Moreover, their style of speech is
unable to convey what truly underlies their outward expressionless demeanor.
8. Self-absorption AS people tends to come across as extremely
self-absorbed. They seem uninterested in most of what others think/talk about
and can only seem concerned about the very few things that fascinate them. In
fact, they may seem to not notice when someone else is speaking, and pointedly
ignore others’ attempts at being inclusive.
9.
Underdeveloped
social skills Those with AS are usually
handicapped at social interaction. They are unable to have or maintain
friendships, especially when it comes to their immediate peers. Many such
individuals will befriend people who are either much younger or much older to
them. Even amidst their friends, they may be unable to behave in a socially
appreciable manner. Having conversations with new, unknown people is especially
challenging for them.
10.
Unusual
communication styles Another common
attribute for AS is an unusual manner of conversation. Such people will speak
in a flat, monotonous voice without any intonation. They are also likely to
make literal use of language, unable to distinguish between humorous
statements, sarcastic remarks, and similar nuances of speech and tone.
“There's a saying within the
Asperger community: if you've met one person with Asperger's Syndrome, you've
met one person with Asperger's Syndrome ... Within this condition, beneath this
label, the variety of personality, of humor, of behavior, is infinite.” (Hugh Dancy)
[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10 Symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome: Know the Signs”
by Health Team
· “Asperger Syndrome” by Autism Speaks
There could be a very good chance that
I've been misdiagnosed my entire life, from Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADHD) as a child to bi-polar as an adult. Bobbi and I are
so certain I have AS that I will be pursuing physch testing for AS. Hopefully,
I can finally get on the right meds. If you have known me well for a long time, read back
through these ten AS symptoms, and see if you can picture (or imagine) me living each one of them.
There could be a very good chance that
I've been misdiagnosed my entire life, from Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADHD) as a child to bi-polar as an adult. Bobbi and I are
so certain I have AS that I will be pursuing physch testing for AS. Hopefully,
I can finally get on the right meds. If you have known me well for a long time, read back
through these ten AS symptoms, and see if you can picture (or imagine) me living each one of them.
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