The Invisible Disability
Growing up in a family with five other members can be tough, but also fun and exciting. When two of these members have Asperger’s Syndrome, chaos can ensue. My older brother and my father both have Asperger’s Syndrome. Growing up with members of our family diagnosed with this disability was very hard on the family. Having to make sure my brother would do the simple things each day such as his homework, brushing his teeth, and taking his medication caused a headache each day. It often makes me wonder how my mom took care of it all and then three other children. Having two members of our family who could not pick up on the emotions of others around them, have a hard time understanding some humor, have concept of time and speak in a language too sophisticated for anyone around them except for each other caused many problems that we sometimes could not fix. Being raised in a family like mine caused me to be an advocate for those with disabilities. With the current events in the world of disabilities, those with Asperger’s Syndrome are now a part of the autism spectrum. Asperger’s Syndrome should not be included in the autism spectrum as to not restrict the benefits that have been given in the past. This is must happen because there are differences in the symptoms of each disorder, the roots of each disorder are very dissimilar, and the differences in the new Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders.
According to the “Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Tool Kit” written by Ann Brendel and her colleagues, the history of Asperger’s Syndrome is very interesting. Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) was first documented in 1944 by German physician, Dr. Hans Asperger. A group of four children he car...
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Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
Asperger syndrome belongs to a group of childhood disorders commonly known as pervasive developmental disorders or PDD's. The disorder is recognized as a less severe case of autism. Children who have the disorder have a difficult time in social settings but excel in other areas of inteligence. The disorder is usually a lifelong struggle but has few cases where the patent recovers in adulthood. The disorder is not widely understood by the population but it is becoming a more well known disorder. There is currently no cure for this disorder.
Education is a powerful tool. The conference provided lessons beyond Asperger's Syndrome. "The more you learn about one disability, the more you learn about the nature of all disabilities."
The cause of AS is still very much unknown.Children with Asperger syndrome start to show signs as early as one to two years old; however a diagnosis is rarely given until later, usually around the ages of th...
In comparison to those on the spectrum, Asperger’s is consider a mild or higher functioning version of Autism. Those who are consider in the bracket have normal IQ levels and is often described to have high intellect. More specifically, behavioral cues are social impairments, verbal/conversational and repetitive patterns of behavior (Woodbury-Smith, 2009). Social impairments include social isolation; flat facial expressions; inability to hold conversations; inability to notice social cues; inability to maintain eye contact; lacking the initiation is pursing of new relations; and no capacity of empathy for others. Social impairments is very common among the Autism Spectrum Disorder. Verbal abnormalities include repetition sentences; having trouble expressing their views, decaying of existing abilities; possibility of delayed skills; inability to understand jokes; may have different rhythm of voice when speaking. Repetitive behaviors included a strong need for routine and fixation with interests and inappropriate gazing at others. To reiterate it is very common to another mental disorder with AS. Fixated behaviors with intense compulsion are responsible For Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder. While the preference for isolation and no friends may to lead to Depression and Anxiety. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are responsible to the inconsistences in
Autism was first discovered by Leo Kanner in 1943, he labeled it as early infantile autism. Most causes of autistic children before Kanner’s discovery were thought to be possessed and were put through very inhumane conditions. Autism is the prototypical form of a spectrum of related, complex, neuro developmental disorders referred to as autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), also known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) (Berry 73). The main symptom of Autism is the inability to easily communicate and interact with others. A cure for autism has not been discovered, but there are reports of some children that have naturally recovered. Symptoms are noticed in early years of life, normally around the age of three. The onset of the disease must be before the age of three years (Berry 73). The families with an autistic child have to adjust their daily activities around the child at all times. It is very difficult for an autistic child to be in a crowded area or in new environments.
While there are common characteristic with autism, individuals with Aspergers syndrome have fewer issues with talking and are regularly of normal, or above normal, intelligence. They do not typically have the accompanying inabilities associated with autism, however they may have particular learning difficulty. These may incorporate dyslexia and dyspraxia or different conditions, for example, consideration deficiency hyperactivity issue (ADHD) and epilepsy. But, with the right amount of mental support, consolation,and also encouragement ,individuals with Aspergers syndrome can lead full and independent lives.
In 1943, Leo Kanner observed eleven children, each with similar behavioral patterns, and published a paper in which he stared,” The condition differs markedly and uniquely from any reported so far” (Miller). Although many cases of autism, and autism-like disorders appeared before throughout history, no one ever properly defined this disorder until Kanner’s paper. The first said to mention the word autism was Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation, while describing a severally autistic boy, but this is a doubted speculation. The first to medically coin the term autism was Hans Asperger. Even though, he thought he was observing autism, he was actually observing and describing Asperger Syndrome, which doctors realized was a different disorder in 1981 (“Who discovered Autism?”).
On the website autism speaks, “Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger's Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.” They also said that “Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that makes it very hard to interact with other people.” Your toddler may notice that it is a challenge to make acquaintances because he or she is socially gawky. Many citizens with Asperger’s Syndrome may possess some traits of autism. Asperger’s syndrome is an enduring condition, but symptoms do seem to get better over time. Asperger’s syndrome and autism both...
This paper was reprinted with permission of Susan Moreno on the O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support)
One who is diagnosed with autism may have a vastly different case than someone else who is diagnosed. Each case of the disorder is unique. Asperger Syndrome is sometimes referred to as a type of autism bu...
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.
Understanding autism, which is professionally known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, otherwise known as (ADS) can be a difficult task, especially for someone who is not trained in helping persons with disabilities. The first person to discover autism was a child psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943. He names the spectrum disorder after the Greek word autos, meaning of or for oneself, due to the way the child display social avoidance. Many doctors’ believed in the past that autism was caused by the way the mother not caring for her child properly or ignoring him or her. There was also a time when it was thought to be caused by certain environmental stresses that cause neurological issues within the brain. Autism is one of the most misunderstood
In some regards the diagnosis of Autism opens up many doors of support for families with children/adults with ASD at the same time it has closed doors of support that could really benefit the assistance the families may require. Recently the government suggested that Autism supports should stop at age of 5, the government has retracted that due to parents fighting for their children’s rights, the government is still trying to determine what are the best support for individuals on the Autism
The background of Autism, how did it all begin? Before Autism was named, our ancestors did not know what it was, but they label it as being mentally retarded.” Eugene