Aspergers Syndrome: Academics, Characteristics, etc.

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Interesting site on Aspergers Syndrome:

http://www.k12academics.com/asperger_characteristics.htm

The most common and important characteristics of Asperger syndrome

can be divided into several broad categories: social impairments,

narrow but intense interests, and speech and language peculiarities.

Other features are commonly associated with this syndrome but not

always held to be necessary for diagnosis.

Although there is no single feature that all people with Asperger

syndrome share, difficulties with social behavior are nearly

universal and are perhaps the most important criteria that define the

condition. People with Asperger syndrome lack the natural ability to

see the subtexts of social interaction and also lack the ability to

broadcast their own emotional state.

Non-autistic's are able to gather a whole host of information about

other people's cognitive and emotional states based on clues gleaned

from the environment and the other person's facial expression and

body language, but people with Asperger syndrome have an impairment

in this ability, sometimes called mind-blindness. To be mind-blind is

to find it difficult or even impossible to figure out things a person

implies but does not say directly (more colloquially, to " read

between the lines " ). This is not because they cannot imagine the

answer but because they cannot choose between the possibilities; the

mind-blind person cannot reliably gather enough information to do so

or does not know how to interpret the information he or she does

gather.

Along with this difficulty in reading the nonverbal communication of

others, most people with Asperger's have difficulty expressing their

own emotional state via body language, facial expression, and nuance

as most people do. Such people have emotional responses as strong as,

or perhaps stronger than, those of most people, although what

generates an emotional response might not always be the same; the

difficulty is in expressing these feelings, although it sometimes

comes across as lacking them. For example, many people with Asperger

syndrome have difficulty with eye contact. Some make very little eye

contact because they find it overwhelming, whereas others have un

modulated, staring eye contact that can cause discomfort to other

people. Similarly, the use of gestures may be almost nonexistent or

may seem exaggerated and differ from what would normally be

considered appropriate for a situation.

It is worth noting that because it is classified as a spectrum

disorder, some people with Asperger syndrome are nearly normal in

their ability to read and use facial expressions and other subtle

forms of communication. However, this ability does not come naturally

to most people with Asperger syndrome. Such people must learn social

skills intellectually, delaying social development.

Narrow, Intense Interests

Asperger syndrome can involve an intense and obsessive level of focus

on things of interest. For example, one person might be obsessed with

1950s professional wrestling, another with national anthems of

African dictatorships, and another with building models out of

matchsticks. Particularly common interests are means of transport

(such as trains), computers, and dinosaurs. Note that all of these

last items are normal interests in ordinary children; the difference

in Asperger children is the unusual intensity of their interest.

Sometimes these interests are lifelong; in other cases, they change

at unpredictable intervals. In either case, there are normally one or

two at any given time. In pursuit of these interests, the person with

Asperger's often manifests extremely sophisticated reason, an almost

obsessive focus, and great memory for apparently trivial facts

(occasionally even eidetic memory). Hans Asperger called his young

patients " little professors " because he thought his thirteen-year-old

patients had as comprehensive and nuanced an understanding of their

field of interest as university professors.

Some clinicians would not entirely agree with this description; for

example, Wing and Gillberg both argue that there is often more rote

memorization than real understanding of these areas of interest,

despite occasional appearances to the contrary. However, such a

limitation is not required for diagnosis, even under Gillberg's

criteria.

Speech and Language Peculiarities

People with Asperger syndrome often have little patience for things

outside these areas of interest. During the school years, many are

perceived as highly intelligent underachievers or overachievers,

clearly capable of outperforming their peers in their field of

interest yet persistently unmotivated to do regular homework

assignments (sometimes even in their areas of interest). Others, in

contrast, may be hyper motivated to outperform peers in school. This

adds to the difficulties of diagnosing the syndrome. In more serious

cases, the combination of social problems and intense interests can

lead to unusual behavior, such as greeting a stranger by launching

into a lengthy monologue about a special interest rather than

introducing oneself in the socially-accepted way. However, in many

cases adults can outgrow this impatience and lack of motivation and

develop more tolerance to new activities and meeting new people.

People with Asperger syndrome often are noted for having a highly

pedantic way of speaking, using language far more formal and

structured than the situation normally would be thought to call for.

A five-year-old child with this condition may regularly speak in

language that could easily have come from a university textbook,

especially on her or his special area of interest.

Literal interpretation is another common but not universal hallmark

of this condition. Attwood gives the example of a girl with Asperger

syndrome who answered the telephone one day and was asked " Is

there? " . Although the in question was in the house, he was not

in the room with her, so after looking around to ascertain this, she

simply said " no " and hung up. The person on the other end had to call

back and explain to her that he meant for her to find him and get him

to pick up the telephone.

Many people with Asperger syndrome also make idiosyncratic use of

words, including new coinages and unusual juxtapositions. This can

develop into a rare gift for humor (especially puns, wordplay,

doggerel, satire) or writing. Another potential source of humor is

the eventual realization that their literal interpretations can be

used to amuse others. Some are so proficient with written language as

to qualify as hyperlexic. Tony Attwood refers to a particular child's

skill at inventing expressions, e.g. " tidying down " (the opposite of

tidying up) or " broken " (when referring to a baby brother who cannot

walk or talk)

Other Characteristics

Those affected by Asperger's may also manifest a range of other

sensory, developmental, and physiological anomalies. It is common

(but there are exceptions) for children with Asperger's to evidence a

marked delay in the development of fine motor skills. Some may

display a distinctive waddling or mincing gait when they walk and may

walk with their arms held out in an unusual manner. Compulsive

finger, hand, or arm movements, such as flapping, are also observed

with some people with AS: however again, there are many exceptions.

In general, orderly things appeal to people with Asperger's. Some

researchers mention the imposition of rigid routines (on self or

others) as a criterion for diagnosing this condition. It appears that

changes to their routines cause inordinate levels of anxiety for at

least some people with this condition.

Some people with Asperger's suffer from varying degrees of sensory

overload and may be pathologically sensitive to loud noises or strong

smells or dislike being touched; for example, certain children with

Asperger's exhibit a strong dislike of having their head touched or

their hair disturbed. Sensory overload may exacerbate problems faced

by such children at school, where levels of noise in the classroom

can become intolerable for them. Some are also unable to block out

certain repetitive stimuli, such as the constant ticking of a clock.

Whereas most children stop registering this sound after a short time

and can hear it only if they consciously listen for it, the child

with Asperger's can become distracted, agitated, or even (in rare

cases) violent if the sound is not removed.

There seems to be a strong correlation between those with Asperger

syndrome or high-functioning autism (HFA) and the INTP type of the

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): description 1, description 2.

Another theory states that Asperger's correlates to the INTJ

personality type, whereas high functioning autism correlates to the

INFJ personality type

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