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Aspergers Syndrome
Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is classified as an autistic spectrum disorder. People with AS typically have difficulty with social interactions, exibit repetitive behavior, have significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, have average or above average intelligence, exhibit difficulty with motor coordination, and other differences from the general population.
577 Questions
Is there a test for Asperger's?
Autism is diagnosed by observation of the known characteristics in a person; there are several checklists and simple activities that can be used to aid this diagnosis either way. However, direct testing of an individual cannot define whether a person has autism or an autistic spectrum disorder, only whether it is not likely, likely or very likely that they do. This is because scientists are still not sure exactly what can and can't cause autism or ASD, and accordingly can't test for something whenthey don't know what to look for.
How are Paraneoplastic syndromes diagnosed?
PS should be evaluated clinically by a coordinated team of doctors, including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, endocrinologists, hematologists, neurologists, and dermatologists.
Are there any nations that permit a person with Aspergers Syndrome to join their military?
An Autistic person can join the military just like a person of any other neurology.
Functioning labels such as 'high functioning' are offensive and prejudice against Autistic people, they also say absolutely nothing at all about the individuals symptoms or severity of their symptoms. Please do not use functioning labels, if you don't understand the reason please educate yourself.
Could your baby be born with Asperger's Syndrome?
Most cases of autism or Asperger's Syndrome have nothing to do with prenatal exposure to drugs. I must emphasize this.
A mother who uses drugs while pregnant is a little more likely to give birth to a child with autism or a related disorder than one who does not use drugs. For example, children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - caused by heavy drinking during pregnancy - are more likely to have autistic traits. Also, certain seizure medications have been associated with autism in a few cases.
Still, please do not assume anything about parents or families of children with any type disabilities (some people do). Like I mentioned, the great majority of mothers of children with Asperger's Syndrome had nothing to do with drugs while pregnant. The exact causes of autism and Asperger's Syndrome are unknown, but it does run in families so there is probably a genetic component.
What are the facial features of children with Sotos syndrome?
In infants and toddlers, the face is round with the forehead being prominent and the chin small. As the child grows older and becomes an adolescent, the face becomes long with the chin being more prominent, usually with a pointed or square shape.
Who can get Asperger's Syndrome?
Knowing exactly who has Asperger's and who does not is currently not possible for most people in so-called "normal" society.
A:There are visible signs of the condition, mostly displayed in the behavior of those who have it. Such people can be said to have Asperger's, and many of them crack that it, however, does NOT have them.
A:Asperger's Syndrome can affect people of any race, gender, religious background, nationality, social class, etc. It can be inherited or be a spontaneous genetic mutation. It is more often diagnosed in males than in females.
What percentage of people have aspergers?
At the moment it's quite difficult to say as scientist yet don't know all about aspergers and autism. Also, many Experts, Scientists, Psychologists Psychiatrists etc. will believe that there are more persons with aspergers than diagnosed with it, so this also would effect the percentages.
What is the difference between Social Anxiety Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome?
Schizoids do not want friends but are generally not anxious around people and can act "normal". This does not mean that they do not suffer from social isolation, or that they do not feel lonely. People with Aspergers want to fit in but find it hard because of their bad social skills and awkwardness.
More important, people with Aspergers have characteristically rigid thought patterns and a limited range of interests. This makes it difficult to comprehend metaphor, which is taken literally. It also presents difficulties for engaging in abstract thought. Schizoids, on the other hand, are richly introspective and often have elaborate 'inner worlds' that they use to engage indirectly with the world, responding to its challenges by proxy. They are fully capable of abstractions and do not have the rigid thought patterns characteristic of the autistic spectrum.
What is the mildest form of autism?
Some would claim that 'Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified' (PDD-NOS) or 'Atypical Autism' is the least severe (note: I did not use the term 'mildest' as Autism is never mild) form of Autism, but it has become widely acknowledged of recent that these separate categories are best included under the heading of 'Asperger's Syndrome' as there are no real valid reasons left existing for them to have separate labels.
More and more, professionals are realising that the differences between people with Asperger's syndrome, and their developmental differences especially, are the result of the myriad of strategies such people employ to cope in an often hostile or aversive world, a result of the unlikeliness of any given person with AS being influenced much by those around them, a result of the wide range of impacts their environments and upbringing have on them. E.g. it is possible for a person to be mute at one end of the Asperger's spectrum and yet another to be prosaically articulate and exceedingly verbose at the other end. With every permutation imaginable between.
What are the simptoms asperges syndrome?
The symptoms, or diagnosis to be specific, of Aspergers may include many or all of the following attributes.
Note: These were from Wikipedia but have been, as far I can understand, correct considering experience with this area.
- Some difficulties or impairment in social interaction, such as poor communication skills, one-sided conversations (where they may not know when the listener does want to listen), or speech may be unusually fast, jerky or loud. Some can even display selective mutism, were they do speak at all to most people and only excessively to certain or specific people, or even choose to talk only to people they like.
- Restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests, such as a routine. Preservation or obsessive can also describe this.
- This is not required for Aspergers, but atypical use of language is often included. A sophisticated vocabulary at a young age has been noted, and is often accompanied with a tendency to use language literally. But as for nonliteral language, such as humor, irony, and teasing is more difficult to comprehend. Though most Aspergers can usually understand the basis of humor, they can often lack the understanding of the point of humor to share enjoyment with others.
- Limited empathy with their peers. This does not always mean lack of emotion, but lack of understanding of how to share or possible care for another's feeling, thoughts, or emotions.
- Many believe that Aspergers is a genetic basis, were the Aspergers affected individual got it from either of their parents' family tree. It may not always be aware the family has it, because it can be carried on, but it might not dominant in the genes in all cases.
- The pursuit of specific and narrow areas of interest is one of the most striking features for Aspergers. They may often collect much data on a fairly narrow topic or interests without much understanding of the larger or broader topic itself. Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject is also common in this. This can first occur at ages 5 or 6 (typically in the USA), but can go unnoticed. These interests may often change and vary, but often become odder or narrower as time goes on. This can decrease or dominate social interaction in most Aspergers people.
- Similar to social interaction, they can also have difficulty in nonverbal behaviors in areas such as eye contact, facial expression, posture, and gesture. Other people can easily misunderstand the Aspergers person's expression, posture, etc. for something else accidently.
- Emotions are more difficult to comprehend, but some have shown to be able to understand or have a vague understanding of other people's emotions. However, they have trouble using and acting on this knowledge in a real-life situation.
- Aspergers people often analyze and distill their observation of social interaction into rigid behavioral guidelines, but this most of the time appears rigid or socially naive.
- Aspergers children can often desire for companionship, but often become numbed through a history of failed social encounters or attempts at friendship.
Extra: These are often accompanied but not official part of Aspergers Syndrome.
- Excellent auditory and visual perception and other scenery, such as unusually sensitive or insensitive to sound or light.
- Physical clumsiness, such as being poorly coordinated. Others include having an odd gait or posture, poor handwriting, or problems with visual-motor integration. Hand-eye coordination is another.
- They are more likely to have sleep problems. This includes difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings.
Do aspergers do a rocking motion?
One possible answer is that repetitive action is comforting. This can get quite complicated, but remains true.
When I was little, I would start an afternoon by picking a number - it could be any number, even the same one I had picked the day before - and then spend the rest of the afternoon computing its powers. Before I learned to multiply, I was quite capable of staring at a table of addition for quite some time - the patterns were fascinating.
A relative of mine went on a cruise of the Aegean Sea, with days spent in many different ports of call. He liked the sea, even though it was a bit monotonous. His preference for the ports of call was not to go ashore with his wife, but to read one of the several hundred patent documents he brought with him. He liked reading patent documents, even if they were a bit monotonous.
If the rocking is bothersome, you might try giving the person something else to do that could also be found comforting. A piece of really soft cloth might be nice, to rub their hands on. A stack of drawings to trace might also do, though it requires attention you might want them to apply to a school subject.
These are just my thoughts, of course. I would be interested in what others say about it.
A:The student could be suffering stress and be rocking back and forth because he or she finds it relaxing, as the first respondent said.
Another possibility is that the action helps the person focus. Doing something physical, such as tapping fingers or rocking, can help some people with Asperger's Syndrome focus mentally.
Is paranoia a symptom of aspergers?
Paranoia can become a symptom of AS (more oftenly during teen years as they become more aware of themselves in public).
Paranoia is not a rare thing for people with AS as some may have it due to not being able to understand what to do in a social event.
What are the complications for a person with asperger's syndrome?
Someone with Asperger's might have a hard time interacting with people around them and can feel isolated from other people. Another sign that a person might have aspergers is that they can be slow at time. Also aspergers can effect everyday life situations such as work and school
lessons learned from inquiries into serious failures of health and social care practice
Can one have both schizophrenia and aspergers?
Yes because aspergers is a syndrome and schizophrenia affects a different part of the brain, possible but very rare.
How do you get tested for Asperger's Syndrome?
Asperger's Syndrome isn't something you "get", it's something you're born with, like being left-handed. It is often referred to a milder form of autism, though that definition is under some debate. AS is a difference in the way the brain processes information, which makes it hard for the individual to connect with most people socially. Many aspies are very intelligent, even gifted, but often have a limited range of expertise. Many successful engineers, computer programmers, journalists, artists and scientists have Asperger's Syndrome.
Is Asperger's Syndrome a type of autism?
Asperger's Syndrome is related to autism. Both are in the family of autism spectrum disorders. The two conditions have very similar symptoms, but Asperger's Syndrome is less likely to have a delay in the development of language use. When a child has the symptoms, autism is often diagnosed when IQ is below average, while Asperger's Syndrome is more likely to be diagnosed when IQ is known to be average or above average.
Can people with Asperger's Syndrome live normal lives like normal people?
See the related link for more information.
ADDENDUM by Parker Gabriel, person with AS: "The most I can do, personally, is attempt to get through each day as it occurs. I have found that having been a "little professor," as the herr doktor called us, has its advantages; one is that I have been able to train myself to notice details that others would probably miss.
But socially, it is NOT easy because of my condition; that much too I can acknowledge from first-hand experience."
AnswerI have known the symptoms of AS since I was 10, discovered the beauty of such things as a slide rule or a row of wheat back pennies neatly ordered by date, and discovered that no one else could understand. The "disorder" was first named when I was about 35, and I first heard of it when I was about 55. All my life I have been coping, but since I learned what it was, I have been coping a lot more successfully. I developed some tricks that work.First off, always remember that the most attractive attributes a person can have are a nice smile and a friendly attitude. Smile a lot and be friendly - don't just act friendly - be friendly. There is a huge number of very nice people in the world, and they can all be your friends. When they are, there is no need to feel lonely. And by the way, if you are friendly, they will very often accept the fact that you are different and let you fit in anyway.
I could always remember faces, but never names. Part of being friendly is that you remember people's names. The first time I hear a person's name, I say, "I really have a hard time remembering names, but I want to remember yours, could you repeat it?" Then I repeat it after them. They regard this as a friendly act, and it helps you remember, but it also gives you an out if you forget.
Greet everyone you pass on the street by name if you can. Greet everyone else who looks like they might be friendly and looks your way, if only by smiling.
Always remember that everyone has faults, even the most popular people. I have found out the faults of some popular people, and would much rather be who I am.
Almost everybody has things they are really interested in. When talking to people whose interests are different from yours, ask yourself a question, "What is it about this that this person finds interesting?" And try to find out. It is a much better approach that simply deciding that the persons interests are boring.
One of the really hard things for me to learn has been that even if I was convinced I was right about something, I could still be wrong. Look at it this way. Even if you actually are right about something, there may be some validity about a disagreeing view, or that view might need to be understood and accounted for. If a person's ideas disagree with your own, learn what they are, and what they are based on. It will make your own understanding more complete, even if that person is wrong. It will help you become right, if they are right. Also, understand that two statements that seem to be completely at odds with each other, are sometimes both true.
And remember this: There are as many universes as there are people, and every person necessarily lives at the center of a universe of their own. Try to imagine what that other universe is like.
AnswerOnce I saw it as more of a way of life, it was a piece of cake; because in my case, it carries advantages.Is asexuality a sign of high-functioning autism?
Not necessarily.
Asexuality refers to a lack of an inherent desire to have sex. (Not to be confused with celibacy, which is not having sex even though you desire it.) It does not necessarily imply anything about any other aspect of the person's personality.
Autism and asexuality go together more often than would be expected by chance, especially in women. However, most high functioning autistics are not asexual, and most asexuals are not autistic. Both conditions are seen in only about 1% of the population. I don't know stats for rate of autism in asexual, but I do know that about 5% of high functioning autistic women are asexual. It's less common to find an asexual autistic man. (Not that there aren't asexual men out there, but it seems to have less of a link with autism.)
Autistic people, due to their poor social skills, are more likely to be involuntarily celibate even if they do have sexual desire. Romantic relationships are tricky for anyone - they're even trickier if you have a disability affecting your social skills. But it's important to remember that being asexual is not the same as being celibate. (In fact, there are some asexuals who have sex, usually because they have a partner who wants it.)
Are there any cures for Asperger's Syndrome?
A:
Asperger's is not a disease. Therefore any cures for it = void
A:
There are no cures for Asperger's, and Asperger's is not an ailment. I am an aspie and I know that it is more likely to to be an ailment to not have Asperger's then have it.
There is no known cure for AS as yet, but there are many behavioral techniques to improve the quality of life for people with AS.
There are many people would say that even asking if there is a cure implies that AS is even a disease, which those people claim that it is not. It is an alternate way of thinking, according to them, and perhaps does not need to be "cured." The goal of most people with AS is to learn how to interact with other people, not to change who they themselves are.
A:
Although orthodox medicine generally maintains that Asperger's Syndrome cannot be cured; there are other professions who are trying and succeeding. I have a twelve year old son who was recently diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome by a chiropractic neurologist. This particular chiropractic neurologist is trained in Brain Based Therapy (BBT) as taught by Dr. Ted Carrick, DC. http:/www.carrickinstitute.org We had to drive over two hours to get to my son's chiropractic neurologist, but it was worth it. We has to complete a very thorough twenty page history form and his examination took two hours. Our son's pediatrician also wanted him to see a medical neurologist. The medical neurologist took a brief history, did an extremely basic examination that lasted ten minutes and then told us he disagreed with the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome and ADD.
Fortunately, my son's pediatrician paid attention to the findings and conclusions of the chiropractic neurologist and was willing to prescribe a medication to help him as he goes through the treatment program set up by his chiropractic neurologist and his parents.
We have found the book Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo to be a valuable resource. Dr. Mellilo is a chiropractic neurologist also and his book outlines things that parents can do to help a child who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), such as Asperger's Syndrome.
Those who approach ASD from the standpoint of BBT, work to balance the functioning of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. There are many non-invasive ways to do this. Another therapy we are using on my son is Neuro-feedback Therapy. http:/eegspectrum.com
Interactive metronome therapy has also been found to be useful in treating ASD.
Anyone dealing with ASDs needs to be managing the patients nutrition. Generally, gluten-free and casien-free diets are beneficial.
I hope this is beneficial. Dr. Melillo reports many success stories in his book, so I would advise being optimistic and seeking out alternatives to orthodox medicine.
How does Asperger's Syndrome affect the person?
It's different for everyone. I, myself, don't drive because I don't coordinate well and can't respond instantaneously in dangerous situations, so I take public transportation. I also worry a lot about "misbehaving" in public places.
A:
As the above person says, it's different for each and every individual person. There are many habits that I, myself, follow - such as avoiding large groups of people and resorting to pacifistic behaviour. While I know one or two people with Aspergers that would "lash out" at others and stand up for themselves, most I know (including myself) would either walk away or put up with it. However, the rare times we do lose our temper, we're known to have no empathy or sympathy for others - showing no mercy as we attack the opponent with a flurry of punches and kicks.
As for lying, we are completely honest and only lie when we know for certain the other person knows it's a joke. Unlike many people in today's society, we have standards and moral ethics. Even if we lie we'll confess within 10 minutes of lying, we'll open doors for others politely, we'll (rarely) disobey authority, we'll do things honourably (E.G: Forget "gangs" and "weapons", if we're forced into fighting - we'll only do so one-on-one, if that.), we hate groups - trying to avoid them as much as possible, we're terrible socially, we react terribly to danger and, most importantly, we need alot of convincing that "friends" are actually kind and will stick by us before we can trust them fully (Which is brilliant for today's society, but it doesn't make us very popular. We take it to the extremes where we judge everyone on first impressions and act unsociably towards them to begin with. We have a "the world is against me" mindset - as we really don't know who we can trust.).
Also, in my case, I fear authority - so it may restrict my actions slightly (E.G: I would never fight unless I'm certain that the teachers, police etc. would allow it - and even then, only if absolutely necessary). This may also make us appear gullible (and, in some situations, we are incredibly gullible), but that could just be us agreeing with everything the person says - attempting to make friends while not disagreeing in-case a fight breaks out or the "friend" stops befriending you.
This is quite normal for someone with Asperger's. Computers seem to be very popular amongst this group, because they are logical and rational -- black and white...
Facial cues are difficult for someone with Asperger's. Computers allow us to socialize without face-to-face interaction. Do not, however, isolate from society -- it will be a sad life. If you must obsess, find as many healthy obsessions as you can. Make one of those obsessions running or walking.
What are the symptoms of Asperger's in kids?
Asperger's Syndrome (AS) has many characteristics in common with autism and is thus viewed as a variant of it. It is a neurological condition. If a person has an IQ under 70, it is typically labeled as autism. If a person has average or above average IQ, it is typically labeled as AS. Asperger's Syndrome is also known as high-functioning autism, although there is some disagreement about whether they truly are the same. Some people describe AS as a mild version of autism, but actually it is just as severe. (The conditions are similar but have differences, and both autism and AS can range from mild to severe.) One difference is that the people with Asperger's Syndrome have better language abilities and typically have higher intelligence; thus, they might be more able to compensate to function in society.
Here is a list of some of the possible signs or symptoms in those who have AS (many of which are also common to autism), compiled from several sources. No person with AS has all these traits, and they do not have them at the same levels. Some traits are opposites, but stem from the same underlying issue. Although neuro-typical people (ones without an autism spectrum disorder) might experience some of these characteristics, the problems are usually tenfold to a hundredfold worse for the person with AS or autism. These characteristics are based on observation of males with AS; it is thought that females could exhibit AS in different ways because they might react to the same difficulty in a different manner. In adults, some of these traits only occur in specific situations or when under stress. Compensating for some traits and learning ways to do some things can be accomplished with explicit instructions. Some of these characteristics usually occur only in children because adults have learned to compensate through trial and error or observation of other people. Some of these characteristics are comparisons to the development of neuro-typical children.
Social interactions
- seems content when left alone
- does not understand social cues and thus might act inappropriately, appearing rude, uncaring, and tactless
- might be able to function in one-to-one interactions but not with multiple people
- has strong sense of loyalty; very loyal to friends
- has strong sense of social justice; tends to defend others and causes
- achieves social success by intellectual analysis rather than intuition
- often has a sense of humor as an adult that is not frequently understood by others, often a very dry sense of humor
- might or might not desire friendships; most seem to desire friendships but the stress involved makes them decide it is not worth it
Child development:
- does not play turn-taking games
- is more likely to play by him- or herself, or next to other children, than with them
- uses adult's hand as a tool
- does not interact socially with same age group; indifference to peer contacts; difficulties interacting with peers
Verbal communication
- rarely initiates communication; might speak only when discussing favorite subjects (special interests)
- when trying to participate in conversations, it might seem odd or awkward; does not know how to keep a conversation going
- understands and uses words literally, resulting in misinterpretations; might not understand idiomatic expressions and metaphors; might not pick up double meanings; might not understand subtle satire and irony; might not understand when exaggeration is being used; is often the last person to understand the point of a joke
- discusses objects and facts, not feelings
- might sound overly formal or excessively technical; pedantic; includes too much detail
- is more comfortable writing than speaking; more comfortable in situations where body language is not an issue, such as in the dark or back-to-back
Child development:
- fails to imitate actions or sounds
- might have echolalia - repeats or echoes words and phrases just heard
- might have delayed language acquisition; might have precocious language acquisition
Nonverbal communication
- eye contact is limited/fleeting, staring, or otherwise seems atypical; might make appropriate eye contact when talking but look away when listening or processing an answer; more likely to look at mouth than eyes
- has atypical body language; does not accurately express intents, thoughts, and feelings via nonverbal language
- might not use gestures; gestures might seem stilted or clumsy; gestures might be exaggerated
Child development:
- has a deficit in joint attention; does not point at object to share interest and does not realize that gaze should be directed where other person is pointing
Relating to surroundings (including change)
- is upset by or resists changes; inflexible; desires predictability; should be warned about changes to environment and routines
- develops rigid routines; prefers to know rules for all situations; seemingly simple activities that are not part of the routine, such as going out to eat, can be extraordinarily stressful
- might be reluctant to enter unknown places or visit friends' homes because of not knowing the "rules" for that place
- has a tendency to collect objects or information / facts
- tends to notice patterns; tends to notice license plates numbers; often notices details that other people do not
- might refuse to eat foods that are touching other foods on the plate
Child development:
- play is repetitive
Responses to sensory stimuli
- usually has sensory integration disorder - unusual perception of sensory input, sensory processing abnormalities
- might be oversensitive to sound, hearing sounds most people do not or panicking at certain sounds, or undersensitive to sound, appearing deaf at times
- might be oversensitive to sight, preferring dimly lit rooms or certain colors, or undersensitive to sight, desiring lots of colors and interested in flashing lights
- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to taste, preferring either extra spicy or very bland foods, or preferring sourness such as lemon slices
- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to touch; might become very stressed by light touches, but less stressed by firm ones; might feel calmer in Temple Grandin's "hugging machine"
- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to smell
- might be under or oversensitive to balance (vestibular stimulation); might frequently twirl or might easily become dizzy
- might have proprioceptive dysfunction - insufficient processing of information from muscles and joints so is unaware of where body is in space; might hit, kick, or bang head against objects intentionally to gain awareness of where one's body parts are in space; might watch one's feet or hands to be aware of where they are
- might prefer to wear the same clothing day after day (because of how it feels, as well as preferring the same routines)
- might prefer to sleep under many blankets for the pressure of the weight or similarly to wear heavy clothes for the comforting pressure
- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to pain
- is often very inactive or very active
Child development:
- plays with light and reflections
- flicks fingers before eyes
Motor clumsiness
- has a lack of coordination in physical activities; cannot synchronize leg and arm movement; might be described as clumsy or accident-prone
- might have problems with both fine and gross motor control; might have fine motor control but not gross motor control or vice versa
Child development:
- is behind age group performance on neurodevelopmental examination
Special interests
- are all-absorbing, narrow interests done to the exclusion of other activities, done with repetitive adherence, or done with more rote than meaning (as a child)
- often include a fascination with facts or numbers, science, or something related to transportation
- often involve a couple lifelong primary special interests; might include short-term, but very intense, secondary special interests; might acquire more primary interests over time so adults might have 4 or more
- are calming and reduce stress (as opposed to an obsession), but might give appearance of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Thinking and memory
- has excellent long-term memory for facts and routines; often have an excellent memory for dialogue
- might have difficulty with short-term memory
- is logical and detail-oriented; easily able to identify errors
- can focus on tasks intensely; persistent; difficulty leaving tasks unfinished
- often has poor imagination as a young child; might have extraordinary imaginative abilities as a teenager and adult
Brain differences
- the amygdala (the brain's social and emotional control center) is enlarged during early childhood and then shrinks; resulting in an amygdala that appears the same as the amygdala in children who were subjected to physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect; a person with a "damaged" amygdala might sense danger when there is none
- researchers believe that children with autism related disorders suffer chronic stress from fear of people that results in the atypical development of the amygdala
Child development:
- larger than normal head circumference is common
Other characteristics
- often only minimally affected by peer pressure, so does what is comfortable for him or her; or, tries to fit in by doing anything peers suggest without realizing peers' true intentions
- has an aversion to being interrupted; compulsion for completion
- is often very spiritual, but not necessarily religious
- is a perfectionist
- has an impaired fight or flight response - possibly because fight or flight is already activate in almost all situations; often does not recognize dangerous situations
- has difficulty making friends; often might misinterpret kindness as friendship; might never form long-term intimate relationships due to lack of social skills and ability; might invent imaginary friends, worlds, or scenarios due to social difficulties
- unusual attachment to objects; is attached to one particular object; might be preoccupied with parts of objects
- might be especially sensitive to mind-affecting medicines, such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant ones; might have atypical side effects from medicines, such as codeine causing insomnia
- might have nicknames such as "little professor" and "encyclopedia" (more often male) or "little philosopher" (more often female)
- the combination of misunderstandings due to taking words literally, possessiveness and intense loyalty to perceived friends, and socially odd or inappropriate behavior can make others feel as if they might be being stalked
- often has family members with a smaller number of these traits or learning disabilities; has a genetic factor to autism related disorders which is probably then triggered by environmental factors
Other conditions that might occur with Asperger's Syndrome
- might suffer anxiety disorder and panic attacks due to effects of Asperger's
- might suffer depression and have suicidal tendencies due to effects of Asperger's
- might suffer post-traumatic stress disorder due to victimization which is due to effects of Asperger's
- might have prosopagnosia (face blindness) - difficulty with facial recognition
- might have learning disabilities
- might have dyspraxia, also known as sensory integration disorder (difficulty planning and performing complex movements such as drawing, writing, buttoning, or other fine motor skill tasks)
- might have sleep problems
- might have dietary intolerances, such as gluten, casein, or lactose intolerance; greater risk of immune system disorders related to digestion, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease; food allergies
- might not process B6 vitamins efficiently; a study on children with autism showed that they seem to benefit from what are normally toxic doses of B6, but this is not something to try at home
- might have chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation for years
- other co-existing conditions include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), antisocial personality disorder (APD or ASPD), and Tourette's Syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders
- has a slightly greater incidence of epilepsy
- has a greater incidence of tuberous sclerosis (benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs)
- has 10 times greater incidence of savantism, often in the form of mental calculation or fast computer programming skills
Sources include, among others:
- The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood
- The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome: Advice, Support, Insights, and Inspiration by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby
- Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Volumes I and II, 3rd Edition edited by Fred R. Volkmar
- Understanding the Nature of Autism: A Guide to the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition by Janice E. Janzen
- Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood et. al.
- Asperger's Syndrome and Sensory Issues: Practical Solutions for Making Sense of the World by Brenda Smith Myles et. al.
- Asperger Syndrome & Your Child: A Parent's Guide by Michael D. Powers and Janet Poland
- Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind by Simon Baron-Cohen
Can weed make someone with autism more social?
Yes, it is clear to me that marijuana can positively reduce both the social anxiety and the strange sense of having an empathy deficit and lack of emotional intelligence. Hey... we really are all connected... !
