Menstuff® has compiled the following information on Asperger's
Syndrome.
Experts say it's hard to know exactly how many kids have Asperger's, although there have been more diagnoses in Seattle and the Bay Area than anywhere else in the country.
The syndrome often starts to surface at around 18 months old and grows more pronounced as a child grows older. Although children with Asperger's often have strong verbal skills and normal intelligence, many display some autistic-like behavior and have pronounced deficits in social and communication skills.
Symptoms can include:
Children with the syndrome also may adhere strongly to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals or display stereotyped and repetitive movements, such as hand or finger flapping, rocking or complex full-body motions.
As with other forms of autism, there is treatment but no known cure. Researchers have found success treating some people with Asperger's with a combination of one-on-one therapy and social-skills groups. But since programs aren't yet widely available nationwide, some kids can be forced to wait a year or more for treatment.
Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia
Asperger syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, failed to demonstrate empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy. Fifty years later, AS was standardized as a diagnosis, but questions about many aspects of AS remain.[3] For example, there is lingering doubt about the distinction between AS and high-functioning autism (HFA);[4] partly due to this, the prevalence of AS is not firmly established. The exact cause of AS is unknown, although research supports the likelihood of a genetic basis; brain imaging techniques have not identified a clear common pathology.[1]
There is no single treatment for Asperger syndrome, and the
effectiveness of particular interventions is supported by only
limited data. Intervention is aimed at improving symptoms and
function. The mainstay of management is behavioral therapy, focusing
on specific deficits to address poor communication skills, obsessive
or repetitive routines, and clumsiness. Most individuals with AS can
learn to cope with their differences, but may continue to need moral
support and encouragement to maintain an independent life.[5]
Researchers and people with AS have advocated a shift in attitudes
away from the notion that AS is a deviation from the norm that must
be treated or cured, and towards the view that AS is a difference
rather than a disability.[6]
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
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