Understanding Asperger's Syndrome: Signs, Symptoms, and Support

Introduction: Who Is Dr. Tony Attwood?

When a parent, sibling, loved one, friend, teacher, neighbor, or casual acquaintance of a person with Asperger's Syndrome wants to know more about this condition, one of the most frequently cited authorities is Dr. Tony Attwood. Attwood is the author of several books on the subject — most notably the highly respected Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals — and is a practicing clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of experience treating individuals with Asperger's Syndrome. Attwood also works with families of persons with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and, importantly, presents strategies for dealing with the condition and its many manifestations.

What Is Asperger's Syndrome?

Hans Asperger of Austria began to recognize this disability in 1944, but it did not become a subject of medical interest in the English-speaking community until a paper was published in the 1980s, opening eyes and doors to a broader understanding of AS.

AS is considered a disorder at the higher end of the autistic spectrum, yet it is widely misunderstood by those outside the medical profession. Children with AS are "typically viewed as eccentric and peculiar" by their classmates (Williams, 2001). The AS child's social skills tend to be underdeveloped, which often provokes a cruel response from classmates and peers. The AS child — most often a boy, since boys are diagnosed with AS far more frequently than girls — lacks understanding of human relationships and the rules of social convention. AS children tend to be "naïve and conspicuously lacking in common sense...[and] their inflexibility and inability to cope with change causes the AS child to be easily stressed and emotionally vulnerable."

Attwood points out in his book that, quite apart from appearing mentally deficient, an AS child "may have remarkable long-term memory, exceptional concentration when engaged in their special interest, and have an original method of problem solving." Contrasting with those strengths, however, Attwood notes that there can be a "lack of motivation and attention...assessments that indicate specific learning difficulties, and motor clumsiness." Furthermore, the child may become socially withdrawn as a result of incessant teasing by fellow students.

Signs and Symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome

Although there is no universal agreement on the precise, consistent characteristics of AS, several distinctive patterns are observed in AS children. Drawing on multiple articles within the extensive literature on the subject, these patterns include the following:

1) Anxiety about change. AS children worry obsessively when they do not understand even minimal change, when they do not know what to expect, and when they are stressed — which occurs quite easily.

2) Difficulty grasping social rules. Children with AS often demonstrate an inability to understand the rules of social interaction. As one example (Barnhill, 2001), a teacher observed that her student continued to "push rules to the limit" and insisted that "ass" is a three-letter word and therefore could not be a profanity because all such words are "four-letter words." Rather than dismissing the student as rude, the teacher considered that the boy had AS, a developmental disability. As Attwood explains, "they perceive the world differently from everyone else."

3) Restricted and intense interests. Children with AS tend to have a restricted range of interests, focusing on seemingly eccentric subjects and being preoccupied with "odd, intense fixations (sometimes obsessively connecting unusual things)...[and] tend to relentlessly lecture on areas of their interest, ask repetitive questions...[and] have trouble letting go of ideas" (Barnhill, 2001).

4) Poor concentration skills. Children with AS generally show poor concentration, frequently distracted by internal stimuli. In classroom situations, it is not always that the child's attention is wandering; rather, the child may be unable to determine what is relevant within the class topic or discussion. They withdraw into an inner world that appears more intense than ordinary daydreaming.

5) Motor clumsiness. AS children are generally clumsy and awkward, displaying poor motor coordination and having difficulty participating in normal games and physical activities with other children.

6) Academic challenges. Academics do not come easily for the AS child. Although AS children generally have average to above-average native intelligence — particularly in verbal ability — they lack the ability to think and comprehend consistently across contexts.

7) Emotional difficulties. Emotionally, the AS child struggles to cope with classroom dynamics and demands. They generally have low self-esteem, are self-critical, and are distressed by their own mistakes. They are also prone to depression and are known to have emotional outbursts for seemingly minor reasons.

Conclusion

Have solutions been made available for parents of AS children? Are there programs to teach social skills to individuals with AS? The New Zealand pilot program described above suggests that structured, creative interventions can yield positive results. However, more research is needed to help children with AS — and their families — learn to cope with the many challenges this condition presents.

References

Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the U.S. (2003). Asperger Syndrome: Some Common Questions. http://www.asperger.org.

Attwood, Tony (1998). Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Barnhill, Gena P. (2001). What is Asperger Syndrome? Intervention in School & Clinic.

Safran, Stephen P. (2001). Asperger Syndrome: The emerging challenge to special education. Exceptional Children, 67, 151.

Williams, Karen (2001). Understanding the student with Asperger Syndrome: Guidelines for teachers. Intervention in School & Clinic, 36, 287.