Could Napoleon Dynamite Have Asperger's

Thesis Statement: Despite the common misconception that Aspergers is a disability, Christopher Boon demonstrates that the syndrome provides him with distinct advantages.

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.

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people” –Theodore Roosevelt. In the novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, the main character, Christopher, has Asperger’s syndrome. Although he is extremely intelligent and knows facts about many different subjects, such as astrophysics and math, he lacks the skills to connect with other people. Just because Christopher has this disability does not mean that he will not be as successful as anyone else. He may need to overcome some difficult obstacles, but in the end he has the potential to be successful.

Many children today unknowingly face the disorder known as Aspergers. Their traits can affect their social, mental, and behavioral aspects of life. Because of this, peers might classify them as weird simply because they do not act the same way, causing a decline in self confidence. Diagnosis can tremendously help to jumpstart treatment in this area. Despite lack of knowledge about Aspergers, a disorder closely related to autism, it is very much its own; not only in the way it is diagnosed, but also in its characteristics.

Robison’s memoir is optimistic and reassuring to all of his readers dealing with Asperger’s. John Elder Robison is, “…proud to be an Aspergian,” (Robison 5). He teaches his readers that “Asperger’s” does not have to be spoken in a negative tone. Somewhat similar to Robison’s attitude, Cukavac’s article reflects a proud, yet baffled tone. Jake is only twelve years old, yet he is enrolled in an electromagnetic physics class at Purdue University. Closely related to Robison’s statement, “Jake proudly refers to himself as an “Aspy,” or someone with Asperger’s,” (Cukavac 2 of 2). He is yet another example of a proud “Aspergerian”. The medical encyclopedia has a contrasting tone compared to the two previous texts. The article conveys an attitude that is forthright and authoritative. The text is clinical as it explains the causes and symptoms of the disorder along with the programs and support groups available for children with

For the ASD trait of Aspergers Syndrome, they tend to have a hard time socially interacting with others. They display inappropriate behaviors and have hard times reading gestures or facial expressions of other people. Sometimes their gestures and facial expressions do not communicate with what they are thinking and feeling. Along with this trait, “Aspies are more likely to have a hard time reading people, because of the sensory problem since their senses are most of the time heightened” (The National Center for Learning Disabilities). Aspies feel increase irritation from the sounds/ tones in people's voices, and the texture of foods or certain fabric on clothing can be very overwhelming for people with Aspergers Syndrome. According to Dr. Tim

Until that time individuals who suffered from Asperger syndrome were considered to be a bit eccentric or odd but did not have a diagnosis or considered to be disabled.

People with this disorder are affected in different ways. The strengths of Asperger’s, according to James, include “the ability to think in unusual and enriching ways, concentration for long periods of time on a single activity, sole attention to a task and persistence with it far beyond the point at which other people would have given up” (2006, p. 11).

Asperger 's syndrome, or AS, is the mildest form of autism. AS is three times more likely to affect boys than girls. (Autism 2013). Children with AS generally find an object or topic and obsess over it, finding out everything they can about it and memorizing it. Often they 'll talk nonstop about this topic. Where AS is mild most children are able to communicate slightly but still have some trouble with eye contact and some speech. Aspergers is also called "high-functioning autism" because those with AS usually have normal to above average intelligence. Children with AS are at high risk for anxiety or depression as they enter adulthood.

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

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time it is believed that Christopher has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism. However, the book itself does not directly say that the mental illness is Asperger’s. The characteristics of Asperger’s vary, many with Asperger’s do not tolerate changes and usually have an obsessive routine, and they generally have a special interest which they are exceptionally talented at. Many with Asperger’s Syndrome cannot read body language and other non-verbal languages, they are generally sensitive to particular sounds and light, and often have a larger array of vocabulary. Another characteristic of Asperger’s syndrome is being straight forward and logical.

Asperger’s syndrome is on the higher-functioning spectrum of ASD. Individuals with ASP have similar social awkwardness as in other ASDs; however they are not as incapacitated. There are 3 main deficits that must be present in an individual for Autism to be diagnosed. As referenced in Woodbury-Smith and Volkmar 2009 article Asperger Syndrome: absence of cognitive, developmental or language delay in childhood. However, Asperger’s, is characterized by severe social impairments, such as restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities [2]

Asperger Syndrome is an unfortunate condition to acquire. Asperger’s is considered to be a pervasive developmental disorder. Pervasive developmental disorders are most commonly involved with slower than average learning of everyday skills. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome will experience many difficulties. These individuals express little and bizarre social interaction. Next, their speech is monotone and short. Unfortunately, people with Asperger Syndrome will also experience difficulty with nonverbal communication. Examples of nonverbal communication are facial expressions, hand gestures, and waving. Overall, Asperger victims are socially awkward. These are all the struggles and symptoms that an Asperger victim will experience daily.

The novel presents characters that represent the symptoms and complications of Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Behavior is dysfunctional, when it interferes with a person’s ability to function on a daily basis (Davis&Palladino, 2007). Some of the more common characteristics of Asperger Syndrome include difficulty in communication, problems expressing feelings, devotion to routine, and obsessive interests in one or more topics (Jaffe, 2010). John’s father, Mr. Tyree conveys indication of the psychological disorder in his behavior throughout the entire novel.

The DSM IV describes Asperger’s Disorder as an illness that affects the neurological system as well, but patients diagnosed with this disorder are normally high functioning individuals. The diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Disorder requires an individual to experience some of the same symptoms as those in the Autistic Disorder; however, there are no significant delays in language or cognitive development nor in the development in age-appropriate skills during their childhood. It is important to highlight that the diagnostic criteria cannot be the same for any other Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Tidelands Counseling, 2015).