Asperger’s syndrome is named for an Austrian psychiatrist, Hans Asperger. In the mid 1940s, Asperger published a series of papers that detailed the characteristics of a condition found primarily in boys. In 1980, his paper was translated into English, and he received international acclaim for his findings; this was the beginning of what is presently called Asperger’s syndrome. Recent research puts the rate of Asperger’s syndrome at 1 in 300, and the ratio of diagnosed boys to diagnosed girls at 10:1. Generally, the Asperger’s syndrome characteristic is considered to be a form of high-functioning autism.
The characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome have remained constant since Dr. Asperger published his study. In the early 1990s, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published a list of diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s syndrome.
1 Social interaction impairment
2 Social communication impairment
3 Impairment or absence of social imagination, imaginative play, or flexible thinking
4 No significant delay in cognitive development
5 No delay in language development
For those who live or work with children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome, it is imperative to receive training and acquire knowledge of the unique characteristics and educational needs of these children.
There are several distinguishing characteristics of children with Aspereger’s syndrome. The most noticeable characteristic is their awkwardness in social situations. Because children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome are unable to “read” social cues such as tone of voice or body language, they don’t utilize them in their own communication. Thus, a child with Asperger’s syndrome may seem odd in social situations. Likewise, he or she has no interest in playing with children their own age. They might avoid eye contact and might not respond to affection or touching. Children with Asperger’s syndrome don’t display the same language developmental problems that other autistic children do; in fact, their language skills may seem advanced for their age. Additionally, a child with Asperger’s syndrome will often have an obsessive interest in a very narrow subject, and enjoy speaking extensively on it, though they won’t necessarily hold a conversation.
The characteristics of the learning style of children with Asperger’s syndrome are important to consider. Obviously, children with Asperger’s syndrome respond and behave differently than non-autistic children. Educators and parents need to be aware of this so that the child’s behavior is not misconstrued as purposeful bad behavior or as manipulative behavior. A parent, educator, friend, or relative needs to understand the way that education and training can be tailored to the strengths of the autistic child, such as creating lessons that rely heavily on visual learning as opposed to aural learning, since autistic children don’t understand the nuances of speech. Often, a team of trained professionals will work with the child, including teachers or former teachers, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, teacher aides and most importantly, the child’s parents.
Other characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome include difficulty with motor skills, and “mindblindness.” Mindblindness is related to empathy, and refers to the inability of children with Asperger’s syndrome to infer what another is thinking. For children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, the world exists in black and white; no shades of gray. This rigidity of thought makes it difficult for the child with Asperger’s syndrome to engage in traditional education and activities.
