Asperger Syndrome
Asperger’s Disorder Defined

Asperger’s syndrome is a disorder that limits interests or creates an unsual fixation on a subject.

Is categorized as a characteristic of Autism. 

60 individuals of 10,000 have some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder based on population statistics in Ontario, 

May suffer from non-verbal learning disabilities, preferring tactical factual information.

History of Asperger’s
Is a branch of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In 1943 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Leo Kanner published a monograph outlining the behaviour.

Defined by Hans Asperger in 1944 as autistic psychopathic disorder. 

Hans’ publications became widely known in 1981 when Dr. Laura Wing published a series of case studies on children showing similar symptoms. 

Until 1981 it had been known as a disorder. 

Symptoms of Asperger’s
Lack of ability to change volume of voice to match surroundings.
Unusual pattern of speak or language. Ex. Speaking overly formal or taking things literally.
Inability to interact successfully with others.
Problems with verbal communication.

Repetitive routines or rituals
Unable to detect facial expressions.
Usually clumsy and uncoordinated. 
Restricted use of gestures and facial expressions.

Demographics of Asperger’s
Between 0.24% and 0.36% general population North America, Europe have a form of Asperger’s. 
No research regarding Asperger’s syndrome has been done in developing countries. 
Nothing is known about the incidences of the disorder in different racial or ethnic groups.
Appears to be much more common in boys. 
World Health Organization classifies the  male to female ratio to be 8 to 1. 

Diagnosis of Asperger’s
Most doctors rely on the persistence of behaviours to diagnose Asperger’s which are:
Abnormal eye contact
Aloofness 
Failure to respond when called by name
Lack of interactive play
Inability to use gestures
No interest in peers 

Treatments for Asperger’s
Social Skills Training
Group therapy in which they learn to interact with others. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Helps them explore and manage their emotions and cut back on obsessive interests and repetitive routines.

Medication
For those with coexisting conditions such as depression and anxiety. 

Physical Therapy
For those with sensory or motor problems 

Specialized Speech Therapy
For those with pragmatic speech problems
Prognosis of Asperger’s
Incurable disorder but treatments are available. 

Those with Asperger’s have a better outlook than those with other forms of developmental disorders.

They are likely to grow up to be independently functioning adults .

These individuals will most likely continue to demonstrate a lack of social skills throughout their lives. 


http://wp.ly/aspergers
Case Study
It’s a story about Nick, an 11 year old whose father is a software engineer and his mother a computer programmer.  His parents began to wonder about Nick after observing certain traits in him that he was infatuated with fantasy novels, had a hard time reading people and he was bright and imaginative but had no friends his own age. Nick was unable to pickup hidden agendas like when the kids paid him a few dollars to wear a costume to school. So his parents took him to various doctors. One therapist suggested he had an anxiety disorder. Another said he had a speech impediment. It wasn’t until his mother read a book called “Aspergers Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals” that she realized his condition. The book described the symptoms he had. Lack of basic social and motor skills, unable to decode body language and sense of feelings of others. He avoided eye contact, and frequently launched into narrowly defined subjects. Those who suffer from aspergers syndrome have average or even very high iqs. While 70% of those with autistic disorders usually suffer from a mild to severe form of retardation. This is a high functioning form of Autism and do to the fact that many of them have a high iq level many become very successful in their chosen field.  

Albert Einstein 
Isaac Newton
Benjamin Franklin
Napoleon Bonaparte
George Washington
Louis IV
Alexander the Great
Davinci
Vincent Van Gogh
Beethoven
Socrates
Henry Ford
Shakespeare 
Charles Dickens 
Bill Gates
 
Famous People that are believed to have had Aspergers