Asperger's Syndrome

What is Aspergers?

Aspergers, is a developmental disorder characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

Some of the symptoms include

lack of social awareness;

lack of interest in socializing/making friends;

difficulty making and sustaining friendships;

inability to infer the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of others;

either gazing too intently or avoiding eye contact;

lack of changing facial expression, or use of exaggerated facial expressions;

lack of use or comprehension of gestures;

inability to perceive nonverbal cues or communications;

failure to respect interpersonal boundaries;

unusually sensitive to noises, touch, odors, tastes, or visual stimuli;

inflexibility and over-adherence to or dependence on routines; and

stereotypical and repetitive motor patterns such as hand flapping or arm waving.

Celebrities with Aspergers

Dan Aykroyd – Comedic Actor

Hans Christian Andersen – Children’s Author

Benjamin Banneker – African American almanac author, surveyor, naturalist, and farmer

Susan Boyle – Singer

Tim Burton – Movie Director

Lewis Carroll – Author of “Alice in Wonderland”

Henry Cavendish – Scientist

Charles Darwin – Naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist

Emily Dickinson – Poet

Paul Dirac – Physicist

Albert Einstein – Scientist & Mathematician

Bobby Fischer – Chess Grandmaster

Bill Gates – Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation

Temple Grandin – Animal Scientist

Daryl Hannah – Actress & Environmental Activist

Thomas Jefferson – Early American Politician

Steve Jobs – Former CEO of Apple

James Joyce – Author of “Ulysses”

Alfred Kinsey – Sexologist & Biologist

Stanley Kubrick – Film Director

Michelangelo – Sculptor, Painter, Architect, Poet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Classical Composer

Sir Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, & Physicist

Nikola Tesla – Inventor

Andy Warhol – Artist

Difficulties

People with Asperger's syndrome may experience challenges such as specific learning difficulties, anxiety or other conditions. However, people with Asperger's syndrome will not have a learning disability, as they will have an average or above average intelligence. Individuals with AS are predisposed to violent or criminal behavior has been investigated, but is not supported by data.More evidence suggests that children diagnosed with Asperger syndrome are victims rather than offenders

How can we help

Social skills training. In groups or one on one sessions, therapists teach children how to interact with others and express themselves in more appropriate ways

Parent education and training.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)