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Engelska - What is Asperger syndrome?

When we meet other people, we make judgements about them. Simply by looking at them, we can guess how old they are and what they are like, and by seeing their facial expressions and hearing their tone of voice, we can quickly tell whether they are happy, angry or sad, and respond accordingly. But not everyone has this natural ability. People with Asperger syndrome find it difficult to read the signals that most of us take for granted, and so struggle to interact and communicate with others.

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, a condition that affects how a person communicates and relates to others.

Key features of Asperger syndrome are difficulties with social interaction (social relationships) and communication, a lack of imagination, and fixation on limited interests.

People with Asperger syndrome normally speak uninhibitedly, but may express themselves in a formal and stilted way, sometimes making unusual use of language. Normally they are averagely or even highly gifted, but they are often very unevenly gifted. Asperger syndrome shares many of the traits characteristic of autism.

Difficulty interacting socially

Unlike people with “classic” autism, who often appear withdrawn and uninterested in the world around them, many people with Asperger syndrome want and try to be sociable and have contact with the outside world.

However, they find it difficult to understand non-verbal signals such as facial expressions, body language and gestures, which makes it hard for them to develop and maintain functioning social relationships.

Difficulty communicating

People with Asperger syndrome may speak fluently, but may not pick up on the listener’s reactions – they can talk endlessly without taking any account of whether the other person is interested or understands. In their enthusiasm for the truth, they may seem insensitive to the listener’s feelings.

Despite having good language skills, people with Asperger syndrome may sound as if they are lecturing or reading aloud when they talk. They often misunderstand jokes, turns of phrase and metaphors, which can seem confusing because they are interpreted literally. An expression like “She cut me off when I spoke” might seem frightening or incomprehensible. So one should try to be clear and concise when talking to someone with Asperger syndrome.

Lack of imagination

People with Asperger syndrome are often particularly good at learning factual information, but find it much harder to get to grips with things that require an appreciation of how other people think and feel, in other words the ability to look at things from someone else’s perspective. For example, this makes it hard for them to pick out the key message in a text, even though they may be able to recite virtually the whole text from memory.

Special interests

People with Asperger syndrome often develop an intense interest in a particular hobby or collection, and this may become obsessive. This interest will frequently include arranging or memorising facts on a particular topic, such as timetables or sports results.

Love of routines

Change is often very disturbing for people with Asperger syndrome, and sometimes quite unmanageable. Young children may impose their routines on others, such as insisting that they always take exactly the same route. At school they may be disproportionately upset by an unexpected change of schedule. This can trigger an outbreak of rage, which may seem incomprehensible to other people.

Adults with Asperger syndrome who work set hours can become very upset by unforeseen disruption, such as a traffic jam or a late train. They often prefer their day to be based around routine with no surprises. Change generally requires thorough planning to be successful.

The above are the most important features of Asperger syndrome, but because every person is unique, these characteristics will vary greatly, and some may be more prominent than others. Which traits dominate also varies with age.

Other common difficulties

Some difficulties do not currently belong to the diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome, but are so common and cause so many problems that they should still be mentioned in a presentation of the syndrome. Above all, people with Asperger syndrome may have a different perception of one or more senses, such as extreme sensitivity to sounds, smells, tastes or touch, which can cause problems with what they can eat or wear, for example. Immature and often clumsy motor function is also common. This may, for example, make it difficult to write and use a knife and fork, or do sport, especially team sports.

Causes of Asperger syndrome

The causes of Asperger syndrome are not entirely clear. It has been estimated that it affects almost one in 200 people (0.3-0.6%). Most of those diagnosed are boys, but the proportion of girls detected is rising. Hereditary factors are probably the cause in the majority of cases. It is known that Asperger syndrome is not down to emotional factors or inappropriate upbringing, but has a biological basis.

Related diagnoses

Few people have Asperger syndrome alone. It is very common for them also to meet the criteria for other diagnoses, such as ADHD, Tourette syndrome, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (see section on other common difficulties).

Is there a “cure”?

Asperger syndrome is a wide-ranging developmental disorder which affects how the brain processes information, and there is no “cure”: children with Asperger syndrome will grow up to be adults with Asperger syndrome. With appropriate education and support, though, a great deal can be done to make their lives easier. With the right methods, people with Asperger syndrome can learn to master basic skills needed in everyday life – everything from how to communicate with other people to good personal hygiene. Learning these skills often takes a long time.

Importance of early diagnosis

Since the behaviour of people with Asperger syndrome is not as obviously different as that of people with classic autism, it may take time before they are diagnosed. Often this happens only when they attend secondary school. This means that their special needs are not met at home or nursery/school, and that parents may blame themselves or their child for the child’s different and confusing behaviour. Early diagnosis and understanding can also prevent unnecessary psychological problems. For example, the demands of everyday life can easily cause people with Asperger syndrome a great deal of stress. This frequently leads to temper tantrums and severe fatigue.

Everyday life, today and tomorrow

There are currently limited special facilities for children with Asperger syndrome. Most go to a normal school, with or without the help of a support assistant. Some attend special classes for children with autism and Asperger syndrome or other small teaching groups. As their disability is not visible, people with Asperger syndrome are an easy target for teasing and bullying in school and in the workplace.

With growing age and maturity, many realise that they are different and can feel isolated, sad and depressed. People with Asperger syndrome often want to have friends and be sociable, and can suffer as a result of their shortcomings in this respect. Sometimes their special interests can be a passport to both social contact and work/employment.

Besides special skills, people with Asperger syndrome have a great deal to offer in the workplace. They are often punctual, dutiful and loyal. However, informing managers and colleagues about their challenges and special needs is the key to success.