Asperger syndrome: Brief overview
Brief Overview
- Symptoms: typical signs from about age 3, often delayed motor development, clumsiness, stereotyped behavior, decreased ability to interact, few facial expressions, often talks to self. Often conspicuous “special interests.”
- Causes and risk factors: Probably several factors involved, including genetic factors, older age of parents, maternal infections during pregnancy, possibly premature birth, maternal diabetes, use of medication during pregnancy.
- Diagnostics: Detailed anamnesis (collection of previous and family history), external observations, psychiatric and neurological examinations, autism tests.
- Treatment: behavioral therapy, communication training, supportive occupational therapy, physiotherapy
- Prognosis: Asperger’s is not curable, but suffering and social interaction can be favorably influenced.
Asperger syndrome: symptoms
Nevertheless, Asperger’s syndrome is often not discovered in children until they are preschool or school age. Those affected have problems with social interactions, which can be seen, for example, when playing together with peers. For example, they have difficulty empathizing with the thoughts and feelings of their peers and have great difficulty adjusting to other people and social situations. It is difficult for them to correctly interpret the facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice of others. They themselves often hardly show any facial expressions.
Often, children with Asperger syndrome are also unable to carry on a two-way conversation. They talk when they want and about topics that interest them themselves, without adaptation to the listener. They do not understand subtle signals from the other person, for example, to change the subject or end the conversation. Often Asperger’s autistic people also talk to themselves.
Other possible Asperger’s syndrome symptoms are unusual marked interests and knowledge, often in a narrowly defined and sometimes not very practically relevant area (insular talents). This highly specific interest may be in batteries, church steeples, or the melting point of metals, for example. Affected individuals may be so fixated on one area of interest that they have little curiosity or attention for anything else (for example, at school). Because of this attention deficit disorder, Asperger’s syndrome children are often poor students despite having good intelligence.
In addition, disorders of sensory perception sometimes show up in Asperger’s autism. For example, some of those affected are very sensitive to certain smells, sounds, surfaces or touch stimuli. In everyday situations, this can lead to a real sensory overload for the affected person.
Despite all the difficulties, people with Asperger’s syndrome often try not to stand out and compensate for their social skills problems. This can be very exhausting and overwhelming in the long run, and can cause Asperger’s autistic people to withdraw from others.
Strengths in Asperger syndrome
People with Asperger syndrome also have many strengths. For example, language development usually begins early in them: Affected children can often speak before they can walk freely. Over time, they develop a very sophisticated, versatile language with a large vocabulary.
In addition, people with Asperger syndrome usually have good intelligence, which is above average in some areas. The above-mentioned special interests and insular talents can be well utilized by some in their professional life.
Sincerity, loyalty, reliability, and a strong sense of justice are often cited as additional strengths in Asperger’s syndrome. Children with Asperger syndrome often respond to praise and recognition with motivation and gratitude.
The fact that language development and intelligence are usually normal in Asperger syndrome is an important distinction from early childhood autism, which is another form of autistic disorder.
Asperger syndrome: symptoms in adults
The striking behaviors in Asperger’s autism are often not as noticeable in adult patients as they were in childhood. However, adults also usually have a grammatically correct, polished style of speech and a detailed narrative style that, however, hardly distinguishes between what is important and what is not.
Difficulties in social interaction sometimes also influence the topic of partnership. Those affected often appear cold and egotistical. Many find it difficult to make contact with potential partners. If a relationship works out, many find it difficult to meet the partner’s demands for intensive communication and sympathy.
Asperger’s syndrome can also affect sexual life: Some affected persons have only a slight need for physical closeness or even an aversion to it. Others definitely have a desire for sex, but are very insecure in concrete situations, because sexual intimacy results from an intense mutual empathy. Nevertheless, Asperger’s syndrome in adults does not mean that a stable partnership and starting one’s own family are not possible.
In other cases, however, Asperger’s syndrome in adults has a beneficial effect on professional development. Namely, when those affected can use their pronounced special interest (for example, in the field of computer science) beneficially in their work. In addition, many Asperger’s autistics are able to achieve professional and private goals thanks to their often high cognitive abilities.
Concomitant diseases (comorbidities)
People with Asperger’s syndrome may develop additional illnesses or disorders, especially during times of crisis such as relocation, retraining, puberty, birth, or death in the family. The most common of these are ADHD, motor control disorders, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, affective disorders (such as depression, anxiety), personality disorders, aggressive behavior, and sleep disorders. Tics / Tourette’s syndrome, eating disorders, muteness (mutism), self-injurious behavior, and schizophrenia may also accompany Asperger’s autism.
There are different forms of the profound developmental disorder autism – Asperger’s syndrome (Asperger’s autism) is one of them. What causes it is not yet known. Experts suspect that the interaction of several factors is responsible when someone develops Asperger’s syndrome.
It is assumed that genetic factors play a role in the development of Asperger’s syndrome. Many affected people have close relatives with Asperger’s autism or similar behaviors. Several genetic changes are now known to increase the risk of developing an autistic disorder such as Asperger syndrome.
Research suggests that older age of the father or mother also increases the likelihood of Asperger’s autism and other autism spectrum disorders.
The use of certain medications during pregnancy is also discussed as a risk factor. For example, drugs against epilepsy (antiepileptic drugs, especially valproate) are suspected.
Neurological and biochemical abnormalities also seem to play a role. These include, for example, irregularities in the electrical brain currents, deviations in the structure of various brain regions, and an altered proportional composition of the nerve messengers (neurotransmitters).
Parents and vaccines are not to blame!
The old hypothesis that autistic disorders such as Asperger syndrome are due to a lack of love from parents is wrong. The type of upbringing and attachment to parents also do not increase autism risk. The same applies to alcohol consumption and heavy psychosocial stress on the mother during pregnancy.
Asperger’s syndrome: examinations and diagnosis
Asperger’s syndrome is often difficult to distinguish from other abnormalities, such as pervasive developmental disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, schizotypal disorder, or schizophrenic disorder. Therefore, a detailed medical examination is necessary to make a diagnosis. A doctor of child and adolescent psychiatry is responsible for Asperger syndrome in children. The expert for Asperger syndrome in adults is a specialist in psychiatry or psychotherapy.
A detailed examination for suspected Asperger syndrome includes:
- Discussion with patient and family members
- Information about previous or current illnesses
- Reports and findings from other physicians
- Information from others who know the patient (teachers, friends, educators, therapists, etc.)
- thorough physical, psychiatric, neurological, and laboratory examinations
Asperger Syndrome Test
Various screening questionnaires and assessment scales support the diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. For children, for example, there is the Australian Scale for Asperger’s Syndrome (ASAS) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). The ASAS is a questionnaire designed for children of primary school age. It is designed to assess behaviors and skills typical of Asperger syndrome at that age. In the ADOS, on the other hand, various situations are created for the child that prompt social interaction. The assessor estimates the extent to which the child complies with this request.
Important: Each Asperger syndrome test serves only as a rough estimate. No diagnosis can be made based on the test result alone!
Asperger’s syndrome: Diagnosis in adults difficult
Diagnosing Asperger syndrome in adults is much more difficult than in children. This is because the problematic behaviors are usually more pronounced in childhood and often change as the person grows up. In addition, many affected people can no longer remember the difficulties they had as children.
Asperger Syndrome: Treatment
Asperger’s syndrome cannot be cured so far. One can only try to support those affected in their everyday life with the right support and help them, for example, to improve social skills. However, not every Asperger syndrome has “disease value” and must be treated. The decisive factors are the extent of the symptoms and the degree of suffering of the person affected.
Individual therapy plan
Asperger’s syndrome therapy is made up of various components. It is adapted to the individual needs of the patient. The age of the affected person, the severity of the Asperger’s autism with the individual symptoms as well as possible concomitant diseases or disorders play a role.
Other therapy measures can also be helpful, for example training social and communication skills in a group. Those affected can train social rules, practice conversational skills and generally gain social experience.
Occasionally, procedures such as occupational therapy and physical therapy may also be useful. Some parents also report that their Asperger syndrome child benefits from equine therapy or active (possibly supported) recreational activities. The latter can be, for example, membership in a chess club, sports training, playing music or dancing.
Asperger’s syndrome: Other measures
The following applies to Asperger’s syndrome and all other autistic disorders: those affected need a manageable, predictable environment in order to feel secure. Clear and permanent structures as well as routines in everyday life are therefore important.
The older a child with Asperger syndrome is, the more important it is to understand his or her own weaknesses and problems: The child should be educated by the treating physician or therapist about his or her autistic disorder (psychoeducation).
For adolescents and adults with Asperger’s syndrome, finding a profession or vocational adjustment is also important for the success of the therapy and the quality of life. Occupations with intensive social contact are usually not advisable. Adapted to the individual possibilities, however, suitable occupations can be found or one’s own special abilities can be used specifically in an occupation.
Asperger’s syndrome: course of the disease and prognosis
Possible concomitant diseases or disorders have a great influence on the prognosis of Asperger’s syndrome. They can significantly impair the further course and developmental possibilities of the affected person. Therefore, they should be treated early and professionally.
