Asperger's Syndrome: What it is

Asperger's Syndrome, sometimes known as Asperger's Disorder, is what is known as a "Pervasive Developmental Disorder." A Pervasive Developmental Disorder creates difficulties in a variety of areas for a child. Some of these areas include things like speech, language, motor skills, emotions, thought, socialization, and sensation. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are disorders that fall along the Autism Spectrum, and are sometimes known as Autism Spectrum Disorders. As such, Asperger's Syndrome falls into the category of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Asperger's Syndrome is different from other Pervasive Developmental Disorders and other types of Autism spectrum Disorders in that people with Asperger's Syndrome do not usually have major delays in regard to cognition or language. However, Asperger's Syndrome does affect nearly every area of the person's life.

Some of the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome can include:

* Being uninterested in the activities of others

* Being uninterested in competition

* Limited facial expressions

* Limited eye contact

* Socially inappropriate speech

* Obsession with a single topic

* Difficulty understanding emotions

* A lack of empathy

* Little interest in topics other than their main topic of interest

* An encyclopedic knowledge of their main topic of interest

* Upset when their routine changes

* Often prefer to play alone

* Tend to take things very literally

* An advanced vocabulary

* Difficulty understanding figures of speech

* Poor coordination

* An odd walking or running gait

* Overly sensitive to sound, light or touch sensations.

Obviously, not every child with Apserger's Syndrome will have all of these symptoms, and there are other conditions that can produce some of these symptoms. Still, when a person fits a large number of these symptoms, it may be a sign that they have Asperger's Syndrome.

There are no medications specifically designed to treat Asperger's Syndrome. Sometimes, people who suffer from Asperger's Syndrome will be given medications to control some of the symptoms, such as emotional outbursts that may occur when routine is changed or when something doesn't feel quite right. However, not every person with Asperger's Syndrome responds to medication in the same manner. People with Asperger's Syndrome, while they may have a variety of difficulties throughout their lives, tend to be productive members of society. Many people with Asperger's Syndrome wind up as engineers, or in other areas where attention to detail is important and where large amounts of social interaction are not a requirement of the job.