Aspergers Syndrome
Introduction
The incidence of AS is thought to be 1 in 250. As many as 50% of people with AS may be undiagnosed. Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurological condition that someone is born with, and has for life. AS is generally considered a form of autism or closely related autism spectrum disorders including HFA (High-Functioning Autism) and NVLD (Nonverbal Learning Disorder) (AANE). People with AS usually have a hard time expressing emotion, maintaining a friendship, and understanding figurative language. Asperger’s Syndrome affects many aspects of a person’s social life.
Interactions
AS makes it difficult for people to interact with others. People with AS have a hard time talking to others. Many have a tendency to say the
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Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome like the sense of predictability. Change can result in extreme anxiety. Even a small change could trigger apprehension. One result is difficulty transitioning from one activity to another: from one class to another, from work time to lunch, from talking to listening. Moving to a new school, new town, or new social role can be an enormous challenge (AANE). Adapting to unfamiliar situations is extremely tough.
Reading Others
People with AS have trouble perceiving the intentions or emotions of other people. They have a tendency to misread social cues (AANE). Most people with AS would not be able to read facial expressions and body language. They tend to misinterpret figurative language (A/A Network). Most Aspies struggle to understanding metaphors, irony, sarcasm and jokes - they may take things literally and not be able to interpret intonation in speech.
Conclusion
To conclude, Aspergers Syndrome makes socializing harder. Aspies often have difficulty interacting, adjusting to different things, and perceiving emotions. AS alters a person’s way of thinking, therefore not realize the effect their words have on others. This is how Asperger’s affects a person’s social
Another social and communication disorder is Asperger syndrome, this is characterised by the following; the individual may have difficulties in social interactions, a restricted range of interests, repetitive behaviours and also they may have a delay in motor development. This may be shown in the individual 's clumsiness or uncoordinated movements, however, those with Asperger 's syndrome don’t have significant delays in both language and cognitive development. There are a number of different symptoms of Asperger 's yet it is unlikely that they would all be present in one person. Each
Asperger’s syndrome is becoming more and more common as time goes by. Each year, more children are being diagnosed. This paper focuses on Asperger’s Syndrome and developing social skills in various social settings. By looking at the etiology, diagnostic procedures, how the condition effects development, daily challenges, current social/cultural views, and relevant social interventions, a better understanding on how to develop social skills for children with Asperger’s Syndrome can ensue. The world revolves around social situations. This is how people are hired for jobs, ask for things, make new friends, meet their future spouse, etc. At the moment, social skills training and social support is minimal compared to where it potentially
Aside from routines and rituals, another essential symptom in Asperger’s is poor or nonexistent social skills. People with Asperger’s syndrome have difficulty during conversation and are awkward when starting conversation ("What is Asperger's Syndrome?
Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average
Asperger’s syndrome, which is also referred to as Asperger's disorder, is a type of Persuasive Developmental Disorder. Persuasive Developmental Disorder or PDD are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of basic skills, the most recognizable of these skills is the ability to communicate and socialize with others as well as use their own imagination. Although Asperger's syndrome is similar in some ways to autism, there are important differences between the two. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically function higher than those children with autism. In addition to them being higher functioning; children with Asperger's syndrome generally have normal intelligence and slightly less than normal language development.
In the article, “How to Speak Asperger’s,” by Fran Goldfarb and Guthrie Devine, the authors contend that learning to communicate with people with Asperger’s Syndrome is an important skill. The authors introduce the article by providing a narrative about Goldfarb’s son. The point of her narrative is that communication is misunderstood with people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The author, Fran Goldfarb, explains how her son misunderstands communication with his teachers, and how punishment is ineffective, because of his Asperger’s. The authors start by explaining why communication is very complex. To begin with, people with AS struggle with communication, because of their lack of social cues. They tend to miss irony, humor, and they take everything literally. That’s why people with AS don’t understand communication and everything is a struggle for them.
Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by slow and difficult comprehension of spoken and non-verbal communication and repetition of behaviors. Autism is normally noticed in the first two years of a child (Myers & Johnson, 2007). Asperger syndrome is an autistic disorder that has almost the same similarities with autism. People with Asperger syndrome have little comprehension of the world and its surroundings and poor communication with other people. People with Asperger syndrome are hard to recognize, as they do not show on their outward appearances. They are average or above average intellectually and have fewer problems in terms of speech and specific learning disabilities unlike in autism. These difficulties include dyslexia, epilepsy, and attention
The relationship between Asperger syndrome and autism has been a controversial topic in psychology. There is not a definite correlation which has been decided upon between the two and chiefly due to the fact that they are both overly similar. Concisely, psychologists seek to identify the main difference between them. In a simpler way, it is not yet clear whether autism and Asperger syndrome should be defined as independent (distinct) terms, or whether Asperger syndrome should be categorized under the wider realm of autism. In their researche, multiple scholars have come upon differing opinions and theories in support of their own perceptions of the two disorders which either agree or disagree at some point. Asperger syndrome is derived from Hans Asperger who is highly recognized for his efforts in defining the disease which many scholars had described as not diagnosable (Mayes, Calhoun & Crites, 2001).
If students with ASD are not taught social emotional skills they will be greatly effected as adults. Research done has suggested that adults with ASD will often experience social isolation. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of these adults have no close friendships, and in the cases where friendships do occur they are often less close and less supportive than friendships had by adults in the general population (Orsmond, Shattuck, Cooper, Sterzing, and Anderson 2013). Studies have been done in Canadian and European populations and have found that fewer than half of adults with ASD participate in social events in the community such as attending church or special interest groups that would provide social opportunities (Orsmond, Shattuck,
There is a certain area of comfort for someone with Asperger's. Going outside that comfort zone can cause emotional anxiety. For Jacob, the color orange causes anxiety. "The color orange. It means danger, and there's no rhyme for it in English, which makes it suspicious" (Picoult 20). Jess worked with Jacob for weeks on prom
Children with Asperger’s Syndrome have developmental characteristics that cause challenges when growing up. They might develop speech that has peculiarities such as speaking in an overly formal manner. Children might also revolve many of their conversations around their few topics of interest. Many children with Asperger 's usually do not understand what is socially appropriate in a conversation. If asked about how they are doing, a child with Asperger 's might respond with a long reaction about their day.
While children with Asperger’s Syndrome have an average to above average intelligence and normal cognitive abilities, they unfortunately suffer with impaired social skills. An effective treatment program will have to be tailored to fit the specific child’s Asperger’s in order for the child to be successful in managing his or her own behaviors. This form of treatment is run by a psychologist, counselor, speech pathologist, or social worker, these therapies are invaluable ways to build social skills and the ability to read verbal and non-verbal cues that is often lacking in those with Asperger's. (WebMD, 2013) Without the implementation of the appropriate treatment needed for the lack of social skills as a child, these deficits will continue into adulthood and affect societal and professional performance. According to Szatmari, Bartolucci & Bremner (1989), “Adults with ASD are much more likely than the general population to be unemployed or underemployed and much less likely to have satisfying social relationships” (Szatmari, Bartolucci & Bremner, 1989, Para. 3). The results of this study may have had something to do with the lack of treatment in children with Asperger’s. Even though there is not a cure for this syndrome, understanding the multiple treatment options can reduce the stigma and inaccurate labeling of children with ASD.
Asperger’s Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder that often presents itself in children during the elementary years. It is characterized by deficits in social interactions, normal developing language, fixation with specific objects, and average or above average intellectual functioning. It is highly debated over whether Asperger’s Syndrome is qualitatively different than high functioning Autism. Symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome will present themselves in a variety of ways that are unique to each individual child. Within
Amazingly, one percent of new births will have some type of autism (Autism Society of America, 2010). Asperger’s disorder is one type of Autism, and is at the high end of these disorders. This “disorder, which is also called Asperger's syndrome (AS) or autistic psychopathy, belongs to a group of childhood disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) or autistic spectrum disorders”(Exkorn, 2006). A characteristic of this disorder is harsh and strict disruption of a certain type of brain development. The most affected areas of Asperger's disorder is difficulty in social understanding and in behavior or activities that are limited or recurring (Frey, 2003). Students with Asperser’s have different levels of seriousness,
This can mean an individual with an ASC may struggle to recognise and interpret peoples feeling and emotions. The individual may also have difficulty expressing their own emotions. This can lead to social exclusion as their behaviour may appear inappropriate to the context of a social situation. The person may also appear insensitive as they might not pick up on the social ques of another person. They may prefer to spend time alone and not seek out others for company, preferring to occupy themselves with their preferred interest. Again this might be misinterpreted by others as the individual being aloof or disinterested. Finally a difficulty in social imagination can result in an individual with an ASC struggling to predict other’s behaviour.