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5 Things You Must Know About Aspergers

Asperger's syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that affects one's ability to communicate. Here are the 5 things you must know about :

1. Asperger's syndrome is not as severe as autism

Although Asperger's does belong to the autistic spectrum disorders, it is actually a very mild variant of autism. The main differences are that in children who suffer from Asperger's there is no delay in language development or in the development of cognitive functions and that these children have normal intelligence or even high intelligence, normal speech development and early use of grammar in speech.

2. Asperger's syndrome is quite rare

The incidence of the syndrome is very low (only about 0.25% of the population suffers from this disorder). Males are 4 times more likely to suffer from the syndrome compared to females.

3. The disorder was first discovered in 1944

Even though Asperger's was only recognized as a distinct syndrome in 1994, it was first described in 1944 by the psychiatrist Hans Asperger in Vienna. Hans Asperger had noticed that some adolescents experienced extreme difficulty in socializing with other within the group.

4. Asperger's causes the following symptoms

Communication problems: despite the fact that people who suffer from this disorder are very fluent in speech, they experience a lot of communication problems. The reason is that they tend to talk incessantly without paying attention to the reactions of the listener, they may use words that do not fit the occasion, their voice may be too monotonous and they don't understand humor.

Absence of abstract thinking: even though the sufferers can easily memorized facts and dates, they can't understand abstract concepts and lack critical thinking, which means they may find the study of literature or religion particularly difficult. Difficulty in socializing: unlike autistic people, people with Asperger's do want social contact, but don't know how to approach others, because they can't understand the rules of social behavior. They lack non-verbal communication (gestures and facial expressions) and find it very difficult to share their feelings with other people.

Special interests: they usually develop special hobbies that become an obsession.

Lack of adaptability: they need a routine to feel safe, so any unexpected change in their daily program causes them feelings of anxiety and stress. Children with Asperger's do not like surprises and they prefer activities that are well-organized, stable and predictable, so it may be necessary to warn them in advance for any possible changes to the plan.

Lack of coordination: most of the sufferers experience difficulties in activities that require coordinated movements (throwing a ball, dancing, tying shoelaces or climbing).

5. Asperger's seems to have a genetic base

Despite the fact that there is no hard scientific evidence, in individual cases the syndrome seems to have a hereditary basis. However, the disorder seems to involve changes in certain genes and in the structure of the brain. It occurs in children with prenatal and perinatal problems (such as anoxia at birth) that can cause damage to brain cells. Brain imaging techniques don't show common characteristics with the brain tissues of autistic individuals, which means that Asperger's may involve only a very small number of structural abnormalities in the brain.