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Aspergers Syndrome and
Autism
What is Aspergers?
Aspergers is a form of
Autism, which affects the
way a person communicates
and relates to others.
People with Aspergers often
don't always have
accompanying learning
difficulties which can be
associated with autism, in
fact most Aspergers people
have an average or above
intelligence. They may find
it difficult to make friends
or maintain a relationship
and understand non verbal
signals, including facial
expressions, they may also
lack imagination but often
excel at learning facts and
figures, having a obsessive
interest in a hobby or
collection Sudden changes in
a routine they may find
disrupting and upsetting.
Those with AS have a normal
IQ and many individuals
(although not all), exhibit
exceptional skill or talent
in a specific area. AS
people are often viewed as
eccentric or odd and can
easily become victims of
teasing and bullying
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Some Characteristics of Aspergers
Syndrome may be:
Speech
Delay
Difficulties at School
Odd gestures (tremors, posturing)
Poor motor skills
Repetitive behaviours
Anxiety in response to stress
Often overly sensitive to sounds,
tastes, smells, and sights
difficulty reading nonverbal cues
(body language)
difficulty determining proper body
space
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Myths about
Aspergers
Aspergers
is caused by poor parenting……Aspergers
is not the result of the way one is brought
up. Current research has determined that
there is a genetic component. Parents of
children with Aspergers often possess many
Aspergerish traits. For example, a father
may be preservative and a mother display
rigidity. The child diagnosed with Aspergers
has the combination of traits from both
parents that combine together to fit the
Asperger diagnosis.
Those with
Aspergers Syndrome are uncaring and rude and
unable to empathize with others……Often,
because of their inability to perceive
other’s intentions and perspectives and
their impaired capacity to read the unspoken
gestures and nuances in everyday social
communication, individuals with Aspergers do
not respond or do not respond appropriately.
This is not the result of not caring but
rather the result of not responding to what
they do not *see*. Communication is a two
way street. We cannot expect someone to
recognize, acknowledge and respond to that
which they are unaware of.
Some people
with Aspergers don’t make eye contact and
ignore people…..It
is true that some individuals with Aspergers
make limited eye contact or their eye
contact does not appear meaningful; however,
this is not the result of making a choice to
ignore someone but rather a result of an
impaired “theory of mind”.
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The Importance of Support
Sharing your
experiences with others that have a understanding
of Learning Difficulties Aspergers and ADHD issues
will give you encouragement and a knowing you are
not alone!
Check out the
Links page
for Aspergers
Australian web site.
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OASIS Aspergers Web site
Tony Attwood
Aspergers Victoria
Aspergers Webpage
Richard Lavoie
FDS does not run a
support group for Aspergers/Autism,please call the
Autism Association for your nearest group or contact
FDS for referrals.
Aspergers Syndrome in the
Library
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