...General Psychology Asperger’s Syndrome Tiffany Beach Asperger's syndrome is defined as a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Doctors group Asperger's syndrome with other conditions that are called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders, these disorders affect social skills and communication. A good thing to keep in mind Asperger’s syndrome is generally thought to be at the milder end of the autistic spectrum disorders. There is no cure for Asperger's syndrome, but if your child has the condition treatment can help him or her learn how to interact more successfully in social situations. Children with Asperger's syndrome usually don't have delays in the development of language skills, but can develop delays in their motor skills. While children with Asperger's syndrome engage in conversation they may feel awkward and lack usual give and take, also showing signs of not wanting to form friendships. Despite all of this a child with Asperger’s syndrome can be quite active. Here are a few questions to help determine if your child may have Asperger’s syndrome: * Does your child engage in one-sided, long-winded conversations and not notice if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject? * Do they show an intense obsession with one or two specific subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, or weather? * Have they appeared to...
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...Married To Asperger’s Introduction We all remember the awkward kid in school who was a loner and unable to sustain friendships. What happens when this kid grows up, will they marry, can they marry, is it possible for this person to have a successful marriage? What barriers are there and how can they be dealt with so an other-centered extravert can have a fulfilling marriage with a self-absorbed person with Asperger’s syndrome? People with Asperger’s syndrome have difficulties in relationships in general. Marriage is probably is the most interpersonal of all relationships. I believe it may be difficult for an extravert to have a fulfilling marriage. Asperger’s syndrome is one of the Autism spectrum disorders that are characterized by abnormalities of social interaction and communication. Those that are diagnosed with the syndrome often associated exhibit restricted behavior or activities such as being fascinated and glued to a certain activity and often have a general delay in the development of their speech (Janzen, 1999). Because of this, there is a very high likelihood that the people diagnosed with this syndrome will have a problem when it comes to the development of friendships (IAP, 2011). They may engage in a one sided conversation about their topic of interest without necessarily taking into consideration the feeling of the listener and whether he or she is interested in their topic of discussion...
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...psychologist at MacGregor Specialist Center in Australia, with twenty-five years of experience in the field of Asperger's Syndrome. I had the opportunity to join over 200 other participants at the day-long Asperger's Conference. Participants came from as far away as Africa to assist with organizational tasks and to listen to Dr. Attwood's presentation, as well as his answers to questions from the audience. Dr. Attwood, who has worked with Asperger's patients and lectured around the world, commented, "I have always been impressed by their patience and ingenuity in achieving abilities others acquire without a second thought." Where does the name Asperger's Syndrome come from? Over fifty years ago, a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger, published the first study of youngsters, mostly boys, with a common pattern of abilities and behaviors: lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversations, intense absorption in a special interest (obsession) and clumsy, repetitive movements. For nearly fifty years, Dr. Asperger's work was largely ignored. Until the 1990s, "Parents and teachers often noticed the unusual behaviors of certain children, but had no idea why they behaved as they did," writes Dr. Attwood in his book Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. What is Asperger's Syndrome?...
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...The history of Asperger’s and its impact on my life and family Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder falling in the autism spectrum, its affects social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, a difficulty to accept change, inflexibility of thought and a very narrow area interest. They tend to have very good memory skills and excel in math and science there is a range of severity of the symptoms in this syndrome. Children with this syndrome often go undiagnosed because they appear odd or eccentric. the symptoms are : having one –sided long winded conversation without noticing if the listener actually cares or is listening, showing unusual nonverbal communication such as lack of eye contact few facial expressions and awkward posture, they show an intense obsession with one or two specific subjects ( such as my little brother who has an intense interest in busses , cars, and septa schedules) they don’t seem to understand , empathize with or be sensitive to others feelings (may come off as cold hearted and rude) , also they have a difficult time reading other people’s emotions and understanding humor or sarcasm . my brother Kenneth is 9 years old and was diagnosed with Asperger’s and adhd when he was 3 years old he also had speech delay because he went deaf in his left ear he can hear now but he had to get tubes put in his ears and years of speech therapy . he doesn’t really show the symptoms listed above if you first meet him he just seems like a normal 9...
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...Assisting People with Asperger Syndrome Develop Social Skills For most people, an ordinary day consists of numerous subconscious decisions relating to behaviour in specific and immediate social interactions. Although everybody, from time to time, struggles with being “socially awkward”, few people struggle as much those with Asperger Syndrome. Even though they may be intellectually advanced, these people constantly battle with the lack of comprehension and awareness for commonly understood socials skills. Although this lack of awareness can be hard to overcome due in part to a complex system of social expectations, when given opportunity to learn through focused training, people with Asperger Syndrome can learn appropriate social behaviours....
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...Abstract This paper will cover children with Asperger syndrome also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first indication of Asperger syndrome was observed in four children, recognized by a pediatrician named of Hans Asperger in 1944. Hans referred to the disorder as “autistic psychopathy”. Asperger syndrome was not well known until 1981 and was named by an English doctor, Loma Wing. Wing then published studies showing symptoms of Asperger syndrome. It took nearly four years before it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The cause of Asperger syndrome is unknown; In fact, many researchers have believed that it develops in the fetus. And that twins have been known to have the syndrome....
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...diagnose Classic autism). Autism Disorder. This is the most severe kind of autism- remembering that Rhett's and C.D.D. are very rare. It is characterised by social impairments. Communication difficulties, restricted and particular patterns of behaviour. The most classic sign is impaired social interactions. A person with A.D. may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on a single item. They find it difficult to follow what people are saying or thinking as they can't pick up social cues, such as body language and tone of voice. They may fail to respond to their names and avoid eye contact. They may engage in repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning or flapping their arms. Even in self abusive behaviours like head banging and biting. Asperger Syndrome (A.S.) this is often mistaken with high functioning autism. Often "Aspirs" aren't diagnosed until after three years of age. This is due to having no difficulty...
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...“Will, let’s go, we have to go to the shelter,” cried out his mom. Will was in deep concentration looking at his model F-16 Fighting Falcon plane. He’s addicted to planes. He has made nearly 35 models and has almost 50 books on different types of planes. Will ignored his mom. He didn’t want to go pick up his therapy dog, Rizzo. Will has Aspergers, which therefore makes him easily frightened by loud sounds, has immense trouble making friends because of his social awkwardness, and is overly routine oriented. He can also become easily fixated on topics of interest, like planes. Will can hear his mother’s feet stomping up the stairs. She opens the door and says in a particularly soft voice, almost a whisper, “William we need to go the shelter to pick up Rizzo, he’s expecting us.” She knew that he wouldn’t react well if...
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...Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder in which an individual “maintains adequate cognitive and language development but becomes severely impaired in social interaction”. Individuals with Asperger syndrome also develop “restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities” (Halgin & Whitbourne, 2010, p. 347). The most common misconception that many people seem to have about Asperger Syndrome is that all individuals with Asperger syndrome are exceptionally talented. One reason might be that Asperger Syndrome is not yet widely recognized by the people. Meanwhile, popular media, such as TV, movies, and magazines often portray characters that are diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as wacky geniuses. Also, there have been a lot of speculations about many historical figures having Asperger syndrome; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, and Vincent Van Gogh are some of the most well-known historical figures who may have had Asperger Syndrome. Despite all these, it is important for people to understand that not all people with Asperger Syndrome are gifted and not all people who are extremely talented have Asperger syndrome. Asperger syndrome is categorized into a disorder called Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Other diagnostic categories include autistic disorder, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2010, p. 86). Individuals with...
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...Disorder is only one of four recognized disorders in the autism spectrum. The others included in the spectrum are Asperger Syndrome(AS), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome are not met. In an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2011), over the last twelve years, prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased 17.1% which equals about 1.8 million more children in 2006 through 2008 as compared to a decade earlier. Additionally, prevalence of Autism increased 289.5% while the prevalence of ADHD increased 33.0%. With this increase, more research and studies are being done to learn more about a disorder that is relatively recent. Specifically, the focus of this paper is on Asperger Syndrome, which is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and motor coordination, and unusual or restricted patterns of interest or behavior. Clinically, the distinction between Autistic Disorder and Asperger Syndrome is often made in terms of severity and in the qualitative expression of the criteria. Both syndromes are characterized by social interaction deficits, impaired communication skills, and unusual or bizarre behaviors. However, in Asperger Syndrome, motor deficits are more pronounced, onset...
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...Syndrome Asperger’s Syndrome Cynthia Brownlee Eng 101 October 30, 2011 Abstract Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a relatively new disability to the United States. The awareness of the disability is about twenty years old. However, the increase of the number of individuals being diagnosis is rapidly growing. This paper defines the characteristics of an AS individual and provides information for educators as far as strategies and accommodation needed to make the classroom successful. The education arena holds the responsibility of learning strategies and interventions in assisting an individual with AS. Asperger’s Syndrome According to Lee and Park (2007), “‘Autistic psychopathy’ (as cited in Asperger, 1944, p.76) was the first term used to describe Asperger’s Syndrome” (p. 132). In 1943 the condition of autism was discovered by Dr. Leo Kanner. His description of autism reflects the lack of involvement of children socially with other people, but reflects the consistency of routines and differences in mannerisms. In 1944 Dr. Hans Asperger, who was unknowing of Kanner’s work with autism, introduced children with a milder form of Autism. He published his work; however, the audience of the research was very limited. Asperger revealed in Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) when his works were published in Germany. The United States was not introduced to this disability until the work of Dr. Lorna Wind...
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...Adam Lanza. After having to support by brother through the intense fear of being looked at differently for his disability following the shooting, I found the topic of the media scapegoating Asperger Syndrome as a main factor in school violence relevant to our class. As school violence has grown in the past twenty-five years, the media has similarly sensationalized the many killers, often times looking to diagnose them with some sort of mental illness instead of digging deeper into the environment of the individuals who commit these acts of violence. In particular, I am interested in examining the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, as well as the UC-Santa Barbara shooting. What I am particularly interested in learning more about is the media’s reaction to these two shootings in conjunction, as one was done at an elementary school with children ages 5-11, whereas the other was done on a college campus. This interests me because Asperger Syndrome is a social disorder, and the social scene of an elementary school is quite different from the social scene of a university. By providing statistical data, victim and killer testimonials, and historical data, I will make the main claim that the media has sensationalized school shootings and too often jumped to the conclusion that Asperger Syndrome is to blame, instead of investigating the environment surrounding the killer. Moreover, I look to prove the point that the media is, instead, a large enabler of these violent activities...
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...People feel the need to label Christopher because labeling has become apart of today’s society and everyday life. When one person looks at another, chances are that they end up giving them a label. Whether you are fat, skinny, dumb, smart, etc., you are guaranteed to be associated with a certain adjective that describes you. In the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, the main character, Christopher, is not labeled. The positive aspect of not being told a description of Christopher, the reader is then able to make their own inference on what they believe Christopher has as a disorder. With the amount of evidence given, one could conclude that Christopher would have Aspergers. Christopher does not understand...
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...Autism has many different characteristics which helps identify the disorder but unfortunately where the disorder is from is still unknown. However, with constant research and with the information that is known treatments are being introduced to those who are diagnosed with Autism. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, the rare condition called Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group” (Ninds.nih). Another way to describe Autism is the “lack of ability for the...
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... 2 Autism Spectrum Disorders Autism is a disorder that use to affect an estimated 3.4 out of every 1,000 children ages 3-10. And now research suggests that autism now affects 1 out of 110 children. These types of Disorders can cause disruption in families and unfulfilled lives for many children who have this disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorders range from a severe form which is called autistic disorder to a mild form known as Asperger syndrome. The risk for this disorder is higher for males than females. In 1942 while working at John Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Leo Kanner conducted a study with a group of 11 children and at the end of the study introduced the label of “early infantile autism” into the English language. During that same time frame and half way around the world, Dr. Hans Asperger described a lesser form of the disorder that became known as “asperger syndrome”. These two disorders have been described and are currently listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as two out of five pervasive developmental disorders and are often referred to as autism spectrum disorders. These disorders are categorized by the variance in the degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patters of behavior. Usually by the age of 3, autism spectrum disorders can be reliably detected...
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