Understanding Asperger Syndrome
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in thought, behavior, language and communication skills.
Asperger syndrome is considered an autistic spectrum disorder, as it affects children in the onset of autism. Children with AS are socially awkward and focus much of their energy on a one specific topic. They want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about little else.
Symptoms of Asperger syndrome include engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject, displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures, showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes, appearing not to understand, empathize with or be sensitive to others’ feelings, having a hard time “reading” other people or understanding humor, speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast, moving clumsily, with poor coordination and having an odd posture or a rigid gait. Although many young children tend to be egocentric, it is important to see a doctor if your elementary schoolchild has problems in school or seems unable to make friends. These difficulties have many possible causes, but developmental disorders such as AS should also be considered.
The exact cause of Asperger syndrome is still unknown. However, researchers believe that there is a strong genetic component that contributes to the disorder. Asperger syndrome seems to be linked to structural abnormalities in certain regions of the brain.
Treatment for Asperger syndrome includes therapy and medication. Therapy options may include communication and social skills training, speech therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. Medication includes drugs to ease specific symptoms such as anxiety, depression or hyperactivity.
