Asperger's syndrome is closely related. Identified for the first time in 1944 by Viennese psychologist Hans Asperger, it wasn't officially classified as a unique disorder until 1994. It shares all the features of high-functioning autism except that people with Asperger's don't have early delays in developing language.
People with Asperger syndrome often have difficulty 'reading' other people - recognising or understanding others' feelings and intentions - and expressing their own emotions. This can make it very hard for them to navigate the social world. They may: appear to be insensitive, even if they don't intend to be.
Asperger's in adults typically causes issues with communication, emotion regulation and interpretation, social interactions, and behavior. People who have Asperger's may also experience other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or OCD.
Adults with Asperger's syndrome may experience symptoms such as: awkward social interactions. difficulty talking with others. an inability to interpret nonverbal behaviors in others.
displays unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures. does not empathize with or seems insensitive to others' feelings and has a hard time “reading” other people or may have difficulty understanding humor.
Most people are unaware of the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome. They include an unusually high IQ and a difficulty surviving in the social world. The fact that the symptoms vary in gender doesn't help.
Someone with an ASD also may be conspicuously immature in his or her expressions of affection, and sometimes may perceive these expressions of affection as aversive experiences. For example, a hug may be perceived as an uncomfortable squeeze that restricts movement.
A meltdown is where a person with autism or Asperger's temporarily loses control because of emotional responses to environmental factors. They aren't usually caused by one specific thing. Triggers build up until the person becomes so overwhelmed that they can't take in any more information.
Asperger's syndrome affects a person's affect and manner more than it does any particular body part. Children with Asperger's syndrome speak very quickly and have a dull voice, and often have an unusually formal manner of speaking.
The cause of Asperger syndrome, like most ASDs, is not fully understood, but there is a strong genetic basis, which means it does tend to run in families. Multiple environmental factors are also thought to play an important role in the development of all ASDs.
And note that symptoms can vary from person to person, as well as the ways that symptoms manifest. Some people will have high functioning Asperger's, managing to have a fairly normal life, and others will struggle more.
Mental health issues
Anxiety and depression are common with people with Aspergers. You may also see mood swings. Their behavior may appear to be erratic at times.
Many kids are diagnosed after age 3, with most diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9. AS is characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, few facial expressions, and other peculiar mannerisms. Often, kids with AS have trouble reading the body language of others.
How is Asperger's syndrome diagnosed? Doctors are able to diagnose this Asperger's syndrome in children as young as 18 months old. There is no blood test or medical imaging scan to diagnose the condition. Doctors compare a child's behavior and development to a milestone checklist against same-age peers.
Some of the effects of unaddressed or untreated Asperger's syndrome may include: Social isolation. Difficulty making and keeping friends. Challenges in finding and maintaining steady employment.
Asperger's syndrome is lifelong. But symptoms tend to improve over time. Adults with this condition can learn to understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
Like people with autism, people with Asperger's syndrome have a dreadful time understanding what is going on, socially. They do not always pay attention to the social scene in which they find themselves, and even when they do, they are often not able to make sense of what they see, or to respond appropriately.
How do you get a “formal” diagnosis of Asperger/Autism spectrum difference (ASD)? Many individuals pursue neuropsychological testing with a neuropsychologist (PhD) or a psychiatrist (MD). As a result of this testing, it may be determined that the individual has ASD, something related to ASD, or something different.
Adults with Asperger's syndrome often have difficulties with initiating, maintaining and ending a conversation, and show a lack of reciprocity or conversational balance and a tendency to be pedantic with excessive and tedious detail (Attwood 2006).