Do you find yourself unable to understand social situations? Are your interests fixated on one topic? Do you have difficulty maintaining eye contact? Then you, like many talented and smart people, may be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
It differs from other forms of autism, in particular because it is often diagnosed in adolescents and adults, in contrast to very young children. This is because Asperger Syndrome is a relatively mild form of autism that does not include problems with basic language skills. Many people with this syndrome are very bright and capable. The problems are specifically related to social and communication skills, which become necessary only when people get older and need to be able to negotiate in difficult social situations.
History of Asperger Syndrome
Hans Asperger was a Viennese child psychologist who worked with a group of boys who had similar developmental features. Although they were all smart and had normal language skills, they also had many symptoms of autismoma. He began by describing the diagnostic criteria for the syndrome, which he called his name. During World War II, Asperger's work stopped for several years. They continued it only in the late 1980s.
What does it mean to have Asperger Syndrome?
The signs of it are obviously such that many successful people can be diagnosed with this (Dan Ackroyd, for example, announced his diagnosis on the air - and there are rumors that Bill Gates may also have Asperger syndrome). This is not a disability in the classical sense. In fact, some historians have suggested that Mozart, Einstein, and Alan Turing (who invented the first electronic computer) also had Asperger Syndrome.
Due to the fact that people with this syndrome have a common set of characteristics that is associated with social interactions, it is especially difficult to diagnose it. Many "espire" (a term that defines adolescents and adults with Asperger Syndrome, which they sometimes use to describe themselves) were bullied or teased in childhood. They can be awkward with the opposite sex. They have constant problems at school, at work, caused by the inability to find contact with other people.
A Cambridge organization that studies Asperger Syndrome, the symptoms of its manifestations, has developed a simple questionnaire of ten control questions to conduct a preliminary self-diagnosis:
- social situations often baffle me;
- I find it difficult to maintain small talk;
- I never liked creative work at school;
- I select details and facts well;
- I can focus on certain things for a very long period of time;
- people often say that I am rude, although it is invisible to me;
- I have unusually narrow interests;
- it has always been difficult for me to make friends;
- there is a delay in motor development. It’s hard to learn how to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike or catch a ball. Handwriting often leaves much to be desired;
- hypersensitivity to loud sounds, light.
If you answered most of these questions positively about yourself or your loved one, you may have discovered one of the undiagnosed cases of Asperger Syndrome. For some teenagers and adults, this is a huge relief: they found the answer to many questions that have bothered them throughout their lives. And it also paves the way for support and treatment.
But no one is required to do anything at all with Asperger Syndrome. In fact, many adults feel that being an espire is a matter of pride. Some traits specific to Asperger Syndrome, such as attention to detail and focused interests, can increase the chances of a career success. Therefore, for some, this is not a diagnosis, but a lifestyle!