Asperger
Syndrome & Autism
Asperger
syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder that is characterized
by:
limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a
particular subject to the exclusion of other activities.
- repetitive
routines or rituals
- peculiarities
in speech and language, such as speaking in an overly
formal manner or in a monotone, or taking figures
of speech literally
- socially
and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability
to interact successfully with peers
- problems
with non-verbal communication, including the restricted
use of gestures, limited or inappropriate facial expressions,
or a peculiar, stiff gaze
- clumsy
and uncoordinated motor movements
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AS
is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct
group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater
or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication
skills,
Parents usually sense there is something unusual about
a child with AS by the age of three, and some children
may exhibit symptoms as early as infancy. Unlike children
with autism, children with AS retain their early language
skills. Motor development delays – crawling or walking
late, clumsiness – are sometimes the first indicator
of the disorder.
The incidence of AS is not well established, but experts
in population studies conservatively estimate that two
out of every 10,000 children have the disorder. Boys are
three to four times more likely than girls to have AS.
What
are some common signs or symptoms?
The
most distinguishing symptom of AS is a child’s
obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the
exclusion of any other. Some children with AS have become
experts on vacuum cleaners, makes and models of cars,
even objects as odd as deep fat fryers. Children with
AS want to know everything about their topic of interest
and their conversations with others will be about little
else. Their expertise, high level of vocabulary, and
formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors.
Children with AS will gather enormous amounts of factual
information about their favorite subject and will talk
incessantly about it, but the conversation may seem
like a random collection of facts or statistics, with
no point or conclusion.
Their speech may be marked by a lack of rhythm, an odd
inflection, or a monotone pitch. Children with AS often
lack the ability to modulate the volume of their voice
to match their surroundings. For example, they will
have to be reminded to talk softly every time they enter
a library or a movie theatre.
Unlike the severe withdrawal from the rest of the world
that is characteristic of autism, children with AS are
isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow
interests. In fact, they may approach other people,
but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate
or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about
their singular interest.
Children with AS usually have a history of developmental
delays in motor skills such as pedaling a bike, catching
a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are
often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that
can appear either stilted or bouncy. |
