What is Aspergers Syndrome

What is Aspergers Syndrome?

Is a consistent pattern of abilities, disabilities and behaviour similar and associated with Autism?  It affects a persons’ ability to understand the world around them as we know it. 

• Why do we not say what we mean and mean what we say?
• Why do we make small talk about nothing that is important?
• Why do we tell people that things are nice when they’re not?
• What appears natural to us is the opposite to someone with Aspergers Syndrome.

Those with Aspergers Syndrome

• Lack the ability to understand empathy
• They are naive and show inappropriate behaviours and their social interaction is one sided
• They have a naïve and little or no ability to form friendships
• Formal, detailed, and repetitive use of language.
• Poor non verbal communication, intense obsessions with certain subjects and special interests
• Clumsy with poor co ordination

These identified behaviours can be considered as a signpost to the diagnoses of Aspergers Syndrome. 

We must also point out that some children can hide the above symptoms until they reach post primary school due to the fear of being different.  However parents need not feel they have failed to pick up their child’s difficulties because they are so subtle and complex, and as many of us parents have been duped or thought their child was individual and a little eccentric.

It’s during the diagnostic process the psychologist will assess the child’s or persons social and emotional abilities, their communication skills, the cognitive skills, special interests, and also their movement skills and sensory difficulties. 

Social and emotional abilities

People with Aspergers Syndrome have difficulties with :-

• Playing and interacting appropriately with their peer group

• They do not understand social rules

• They have difficulty forming and sustaining friendships

• They say or do inappropriate things

• They do not understand other peoples’ feelings i.e. they are blunt and self opinionated

• They expect people to understand what they’re thinking or how their day has been

• They show inappropriate emotions for the given situations

• They do not adhere to peer pressure and fads.

Cognitive Skills

Those with Aspergers Syndrome are gathers of facts and would only read fictional books if it is related to their special interests i.e. Star Trek, Dr. Who etc.

They have exceptional long term memory but poor short term memory abilities.

Special Interests

They have obsessive special interests and will collect items related to that special interest becoming encyclopaedias on that special interest. 

They have difficulty coping with changes to their daily routine which can cause high anxiety.

They can develop routines that must be completed and adhered too or once again can suffer anxiety attacks i.e. washing of hands, wetting of hair, lining up books and or toys.

Movement Skills

When walking or running they suffer from an odd gait and would often bump into door frames, radiators, chairs etc. and often have poor hand to eye co ordination i.e. problems with writing and eating. 

Sensory Issues

People with Aspergers Syndrome would have great difficulty with all of their senses.

Hearing

They can hear every sound within a shopping mall i.e. talking, walking, music, escalators, tills, etc all at the same time causing complete sensory overload.

Seeing

They have sensitivity to bright lights, colours, shadows and flashing colours.  In some with the condition the above is fascinating and compulsive to watch, and in others it would cause frustration, anger and anxiety.

Taste

The taste and textures of certain foods can cause immediate retching and choking which means they often have a limited diet.  Some are tube fed or will only eat baby food due to their inability to cope with certain types of food. 

Touch

There are those with Aspergers Syndrome who cannot bear to be touched, others like firm touch and some like light touch.  It is extremely important for those working with people with Aspergers to ascertain which touch is appropriate to that person as mistakes can lead to violent reactions.  They can be over or under sensitive to touch.

Smell

 The most expensive perfumes can smell like cats urine, as they have an over sensitive sense of smell. 

It is very important that we understand that although people with Aspergers Syndrome experience similar difficulties related to their condition this does not mean that they are not as individual as you and I are, and can differ according to the support they get or have received.