Aspergers Syndrome

My son has Asperger's Syndrome. It is sometimes referred to as Aspergers Syndrome, Asperger, or high functioning autism. This is a brief introduction of the syndrome. If you wish to explore the subject further, there are many resources available about Asperger's Syndrome.

The Characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome

By Marcie Ciampi @2009

Like most children with autism, a child with Aspergers looks like a typical child.

Many doctors and researchers believe Aspergers falls on the autistic spectrum, because children with Aspergers display many of the same attributes as a child with autism; however, their speech is not delayed. While other experts in the medical field believe Asperger's Syndrome is a separate condition from autism all together.

Characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome include:

1. a normal to high intelligence and language development

2. a marked differences in social and communication skills including: lack of empathy, inappropriate social interactions, pedantic speech, poor nonverbal communication, intense absorption of a subject, and clumsy and ill-coordinated movements. (1994 DSMIV)

Students diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism have complex profiles and needs.

Some children with Aspergers will have emotional outbursts and meltdowns.

A child with Aspergers may have multiple diagnosis. There might be other conditions or disorders present such as ADHD, depression, sensory intergration issues and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between one disorder and the other. And, some experts would argue, there is only one condition, that of Asperger's, and all of the child's traits are related to the one condition only.

Children with Asperger's Syndrome and children with high functioning autism can be taught social skills and techniques to communicate more effectively. Many famous people have Aspergers Syndrome
People with Asperger's can develop empathy with practice.

They tend to be effective workers because of their tendency to becoming over-absorbed in a subject.

Like other children on the autistic spectrum, they can benefit from occupational therapy, speech therapy, muscle exercises and practice of fine-motor skills.

They are often mainstreamed into a regular classroom setting. There are benefits to homeschooling, if social skills and social interactions are implemented into the home school program.

Care should be taken when considering the school environment, since children with Aspergers are highly sensitive to interactions with people and their environmental surroundings.

Fantastic website and definition of Asperger's Syndrome