In this paper I hope to illuminate you to the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s is part of the autism spectrum. It is at the top of the spectrum. People who have Asperger’s are very high functioning, but lack common social skills and they have average to above average vocabulary skills. The symptoms may not be identified until a child is two years of age, because of the natural (normal) development of a child. However, doctors prefer to test the child at six years of age. This topic is near and dear to my heart, because I have a ten year old son, Jayden, who has Asperger’s. Jayden was diagnosed when he was six years old. It was then that I was informed that Asperger’s is not a disease, instead, it is a learning disability. In fact, many times it has been mistaken for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). So, in this research I will enlighten you to the many and varied symptoms of Asperger’s which are as follows: limited or inappropriate social interactions; “robotic” or repetitive speech; challenges with non-verbal communication coupled with average to above average speech; tendency to discuss self rather than others; inability to understand social/emotional issues or non-literal phrases; lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation; obsession with specific and often unusual topics; one-sided conversations and awkward movements or gestures.(retrieved on 11/7/13 from www.autismspeaks.org) Children/adults with Asperger’s have difficulty with appropriate social interactions. Such as, laughing at inappropriate times or not understanding that a joke is a joke. They may interrupt a conversation to interject a thought or information, sometimes irrelevant, that they feel is important. Although, the informatio... ... middle of paper ... ...e will still hold himself or he will put his hand in his pocket. These behaviors with time can be modified with therapy, teaching and medication. Over time children/adults with Asperger’s can learn to better interact with their peers more productively. We also need to educate ourselves about Asperger’s so that we can help to alleviate the feelings of aloneness that occurs with Asperger’s. In other words we need to become more understanding and compassionate towards others. Jayden has come so far with his therapy. He has many friends at his current school; although he prefers talking to his teachers. He is a shining example of what proper intervention, compassion and understanding can accomplish. I am blessed to have him in my life, he always causes me to look at things in ways I might not have. I hope you have found this paper not only informative, but in lighting.
First, those who suffer from Asperger’s tend to lack the basic social skills required in everyday life, such as hugging, communicating, or expressing their feelings. For example, in “The Curious Incident” Christopher hits people who touch him in an unwelcome manner. So when his father became angry with him, and he latched onto Christopher’s arm: “I don’t like when people grab me. And I don’t like being surprised either. So I hit
Question 1: What problems might a multi-generational and multi-cultural family such as this have in understanding Asperger’s syndrome?
In the 1940’s two doctors in different countries observed children displaying similar behaviors and deficits. One of the doctors was Viennese pediatrician Dr. Hans Asperger and the other was a child psychiatrist named Leo Kanner. Dr. Kanner was the first of the two doctors to report his observations. What he described were behaviors similar to those seen in children with what we call Autistic disorder. The behaviors affected the children’s communication, social interaction and interests. Dr. Asperger later published an article discussing what he dubbed “Autistische Psychpathen im Kindesalter” which translates to “Autistic Psychopathy”. Although some behaviors overlapped, there were differences leading to the belief that these doctors were documenting two different disorders. The two most prevalent were the differences in motor and language abilities (Miller, Ozonoff). Another was Asperger’s belief that his patients were of normal or above average intelligence. It was not until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was entered into the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV), finally becoming an official diagnosis. At the time, Asperger Syndrome (AS) was labeled as a subcategory of autism along with autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive development disorder. Since then, the community of people with Asperger Syndrome has grown to love and better understand the disorder that they live with every day. Some of them have even affectionately named themselves “Aspies”.
...at comes naturally to most people: listening to others, looking them in the eye, and trying to understand another's point of view. Dr. Attwood believes, "Children with Asperger's Syndrome have the strong desire to have friends while recognizing their considerable difficulties with achieving and maintaining genuine friendships. Many experience ridicule, exclusion, teasing or bullying. Education programs can be used to assist them."
In 1944, Asperger’s disorder was first discovered by Hans Asperger who was a child psychologist and pediatrician who described a group of boys between the ages of 6 and 11 as “little professors” because of their interests and use of language (van Duin, Zinkstok, McAlonan & van Amelsvoort, 2014). In the DSM-IV, Asperger’s disorder (AD) refers to individuals who have an average or high IQ, but have difficulty in social interactions, poor communication skills and restricted interests (Wing, Gould & Gillberg, 2010). Another component in the Asperger’s diagnosis in the DSM-IV was that the individual did not meet the full criteria for an Autism diagnosis (Ghaziuddin, 2010). On May 13, 2013 the DSM-V was published, which was followed by extensive controversy surrounding the removal of the Asperger’s diagnosis. Some individuals diagnosed with AD under the DSM-IV prefer that label to being diagnosed as autistic. Additionally, many individuals with AD and their families feared that services would no longer be available to their children. Proponents of removing AD from the DSM-V asserted that there was no reliable difference between AD and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and that combining these disorders would increase reliability and validity.
Cognitive challenges also exist when counseling children with ASD as they have difficulty distinguishing their own mind from somebody else’s, this is known as theory of mind (Woods et al., 2013). Counselors should address deficiencies in theory of mind as the lack of knowledge in others feelings and empathy causes challenges across all social contexts for children. While there are a numerous factors to consider when providing therapy for children with ASD, therapeutic interventions are crucial to the development of social skills as well as adaptive emotional and behavioral responses in social settings.
There are 3 main areas of difficulty which people who have autism and these can sometimes know as the “Triad of Impairments”. Social communication is difficult, as severe autism may never to develop any speech whilst those with Asperger syndrome may speak fluently. People who are on the autism spectrum have the ability to use their communication skills that are impaired. These difficulties are processing language and interpreting facial expressions, body language or tone of voice. Understanding figures of speech or metaphors. Struggle to follow long or complicated sentences, and only be able to follow one simple instruction at a time. Social interaction as a person with classic autism may appear withdrawn, aloof or uninterested in the people
Children who suffer from ASD usually have the appearance of normal development and then become withdrawn and regress from social interaction (Melinda Smith, 2013). The impaired social interaction of the disorder affects communication both verbally and non- verbally (Melinda Smith, 2013). Their communication with others and the world around them is also affected, as well as their thinking and behavior (Melinda Smith, 2013).
Many people across the world are unfamiliar with disorders associated with autism. Some people do not even know what autism actually is. Asperger’s Syndrome is one perplexing disorder, of countless, that needs to be acknowledged. Although it is one of the more well-known disorders, an understanding of Asperger’s is far from common knowledge. There is an abundance of misconceptions and people unaware of what Asperger Syndrome actually is. Being uncertain about the characteristics of a person with Asperger’s allows people to go through life not understanding the disorder itself and people who have it.
Being conscious of not fitting in or not being able to get involved in social circumstances is very common. However a boy with Asperger's lives in a whole different universe. A world where the audience is yet to discover, why? Mark Haddon, author of “ The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time” explores a perspective of an adolescent, Christopher, that struggles with a poor connection to the world. Haddon highlights the difficulties faced by those with Asperger's by examining Christopher's lack of understanding of figurative language, his fantasies and his inability to blend in.
This paper was reprinted with permission of Susan Moreno on the O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support)
Two to six children out of every thousand will end up with Autism. Autism is one of the fastest growing disorders with a great amount of studies being put behind it. With its vast amount of different signs and symptoms, different forms, how its treated, and arguments about how exactly the disorder came to be , Austin can very well be one of the most confusing, and researched disorders, for its a disorder that stirs up tons of questions but yet gets hardly any answers. Autism is usually developed between ages of one and three, it effects communication and how the child interacts with others. It is defined by behaviors of the child and “ spectrum disorders” that re different with each person. (About Autism, 2008, para 1). Symptoms of autism can very in many different ways, and even different categories. Take the category of social interaction and relationships symptoms include : non verbal communication development problems such as , eye - to - eye gazing, body language, and facial expressions, failure to make friends with people their own age, lack of interest, and lack of empathy. The category for verbal and non verbal symptoms include : Delay or lack when learning to talk, about forty person of people with autism never speak, problems with starting, and keeping conversations, repetitive use of language, and difficulty understanding what someone is saying. Finally the category of interests and play include : unusual focus on pieces, preoccupation on certain topics, a need for the same routine, and stereotyped behaviors like hand flapping and body rocking.
The Horn Book had said that this about the book Mockingbird, “A strong and complex character study.” Some may that Asperger’s syndrome and autism are the same, but Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t affect children like autism affects children’s speech at young ages.
In Mindblind by Jennifer Roy we learn about a boy named Nathaniel Clark who struggles socializing with other people because of his Asperger's syndrome. Nathaniel lives with Aspergers and is genius! His parents are divorced. He has a stepmother and a half brother named Josh. He struggles communicating with other people and therefore he doesn’t have a numerous amount of friends. He also doesn’t know how to react to certain things. One example of how Nathaniel struggles with Asperger's is when he can’t socialize with other kids. In one of his files it says that he has problems communicating with other people so it is hard for him to make friends. Another example of how Nathaniel struggles with Asperger's is how he is not able to react like other
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects children and individuals all over the world in large quantities. There is no known cause or cure for Autism. Autism awareness is extremely important for individuals that are affected by autism every day. Individuals and their families are struggling throughout the years, financially and emotionally. Insurance coverage for individuals on the autism spectrum is important for the duration of the individual’s life and all those involved. Autism Awareness is an important priority for the wellbeing of humanity. Autism is an epidemic.