Asperger's Syndrome: What is Asperger's Syndrome - Part One in a Series

Many people have never heard of Asperger's Syndrome. That's partially because it has only recently come into the spotlight of neurobiological disorders. Most people have heard of and are somewhat familiar with Autism. Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is a condition that falls under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorders. This spectrum refers to a variety of developmental disabilities, including Autism, AS, and others with similar traits.

AS was first described by Viennese pediatrician Hans Asperger in the early 1940s. Asperger noticed a pattern of severely impaired social skills and communication issues in some of his patients that had normal to above-average intelligence. Further, his patients had normal language development. Many of them also shared poor coordination and were often described as "clumsy."

AS is often difficult to diagnose and treat, as it shares symptomology with many other disorders, including ADHD and High Functioning Autism. One of the keys to an AS diagnosis is normal language development and intelligence. Despite the normal language development, exhibition of some type of language disorder is generally present. For example, some kids may have trouble using language in social settings, while others might take everything very literally. Others may have difficulty realizing what things are inappropriate to say in mixed company or at all.

Other signs and symptoms that can indicate Asperger's include difficulty with social interactions, egocentric conversations, repetitive or scripted speech, reading, math or writing deficiencies despite otherwise normal intelligence and language development, obsessions or fixations on specific subjects, average to below-average nonverbal cognitive abilities, despite normal to above average verbal abilities, odd mannerisms or behaviors, and awkward movements.

AS is not the result of emotional deprivation or improper parenting. Rudeness isn't generally intentional, rather a symptom of this neurobiological disorder. There is presently no cure for AS. AS can be frustrating for patients and their families, but it certainly is not the end of the world. With proper diagnosis and intervention, AS patients can learn the social rules the rest of the world often finds instinctual. Many AS sufferers have written quite a success story for themselves. Consider the sufferer is in the ranks of Albert Einstein, Dan Akroyd, Tim Burton, Bram Cohen, Stephen Spielberg, Nikola Tesla, Andy Warhol, Jeremy Bentham, and Steve Carlton. AS is only as limiting as the patient allows it to be.

Did you find this article informative or helpful? Stay tuned for part two, Diagnosing Asperger's Syndrome. Also planned are parts three and four, Treating Asperger's Syndrome, and Living with Asperger's Syndrome. I am also currently working on a book: The Blessings of Asperger's Syndrome: AS From a Mom's Perspective.