Asperger's syndrome: what it is and how to recognize it
Asperger's syndrome (abbreviated to SA, or AS in English) is a neurological developmental disorder similar to autism, but more moderate. According to some classifications it belongs to the autism family, while for other specialists it is a problem in its own right. According to the theories of some experts, and in particular according to the English clinical psychologist Tony Attwood, the increase in the frequency of this disorder among children could be linked to the age of the parents. Today, men and women become mothers and fathers at an increasingly advanced age and this could affect the neurological development of children, predisposing them to the disorder.
Asperger's syndrome, for sure, has in common with autism the fact that it is a neurological disorder. However, while autism has more marked manifestations, the subject with Asperger's is considered more than anything else a "somewhat bizarre character", lacking empathy and therefore with difficulty in making friends, despite an intense and highly developed inner emotionality.
Symptoms
The symptomatology of this disorder can be grouped into 3 areas:
- Problems at the level of social interaction. In many cases, people with Asperger's syndrome are socially isolated; although they may show interest in friendships and social relationships, they define themselves as "lonely people".
- Problems at the level of communication models. As a rule, the language of subjects suffering from Asperger's syndrome, while not presenting compromises, has peculiar characteristics. Those affected by the disorder often tend to "talk too much", are generally monothematic and have a tendency to introduce themselves into speech in ways that are rarely appropriate. Furthermore, the so-called non-verbal communication is not easily interpretable.
- Limited interests. Another of the characteristics of those suffering from Asperger's disorder is the tendency to accumulate information and data relating to limited and often unusual topics and of relative interest to the majority of people.
How to recognize it
The etiology of Asperger's syndrome is unknown. Many scholars believe that the disorder has genetic origins; currently, however, not all the genes that could be responsible for its onset have yet been identified.
In general, however, one cannot really speak of Asperger's syndrome until after seven to eight years of age. Later, the characteristics of the syndrome may become more evident, mainly because they differentiate a child's behavior from that of peers. Parents may notice, as can teachers or the pediatrician, but for a more certain diagnosis it is advisable to subject the child to a series of specific tests at a hospital neurology department.
How to cure it
A specific cure does not exist, but the parents of children with this syndrome do not have to worry excessively: these subjects can in fact be real geniuses in their field of interest. Hans Asperger, the German neuroscientist who first hypothesized the existence of the syndrome, called children "little teachers".
Some curiosities
The disorder is more frequent than one thinks and it seems that in the past personalities of the caliber of Michelangelo, George Washington, Mozart, Immanuel Kant, Alfred Hitchcock, Marylin Monroe suffered from it. It also seems that two computer geniuses like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, are not immune.
