What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome was first identified by Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, in 1944. It wasn’t until 1994 that the American medical community formally classified it as an entity within the Pervasive Developmental Disorder group. It is frequently considered to be synonymous with High Functioning Autism, although debate continues to exist on if this is true or not. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome often present with some or all of the following:

 

Social Interaction Difficulties

    • lacking in tact

    • poor proxemics (too close or too far)

    • social rule difficulties

    • egocentric

    • misinterpreting jokes

    • overly literal

    • naive

    • obsessive interests

    • reduced and restricted range of interest

    • poor play skills

    • dislike physical contact

    • gullible nature

 

Social Communication Difficulties

    • pedantic speech (speaks like a “Little Professor”)

    • conversational difficulty

    • unusual intonation and prosody

    • get stuck (perseverate) on questions

    • poor abstract reasoning

    • poor non-verbal communication

 

Social-Emotional Regulation Difficulties

    • easily stressed

    • low self-esteem

    • depressed

    • overwhelmed by change

    • overly anxious (although they may not express it through typical means)

    • ritualistic

    • sensory overload