Print This Article Post Comment Add To Favorites Email to Friends Ezine Ready

Understanding The Differences Between Aspergers And Autism

By: Jon M Arnold Home | Health-and-Fitness


Autistic Disorder or Autism is a developmental disability that has a crucial impact on the normal development of the brain. It affects the cognitive portions that are significant for social integration and everyday living skills. People who suffer with Autism have deficits in the areas of social interactions and communication skills.

Children and adults alike who are diagnosed with Autism typically have difficulty with normal verbal or non-verbal communication such as eye-to-eye contact, facial expressions, body postures and general gestures associated with simple interactions.

Basically, normal peer relationships are diminished due to the lack of social skills. People with Autism tend to migrate toward exclusive activities. Unfortunately, this disease also affects self-help daily living skills. It affects toileting, feeding, dressing and/or brushing teeth, etc. Moreover, one person with Autism may experience very different symptoms and behaviors than the next.

Due to this broad range of symptoms, Autism has been called the "Spectrum" Disorder. Specifically, a person that is suffering with mild autistic symptoms is at one end of the spectrum. A person with severe autistic symptoms is at the other end of the spectrum. Autism is now often referred to as the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One of the conditions of ASD is the Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger's Syndrome is a form of the Autistic Disorder where people have relatively fewer developmental delays. Asperger's Syndrome is actually said to be hereditary by researchers as it has been simultaneously diagnosed with depression and bipolar diseases. Asperger's Syndrome is applied to identify the mildest and highest functioning end of Autism spectrum. It is a high functioning form of Autism. Therefore, it is at the mild spectrum of Autism. There is no prescribed regimen of treatment for this disease; however adults may live productive, independent lives.

Three basic aspects of development are affected by Aspersers. They are the use of language for communicative purposes and certain behaviors with stylistic characteristics, social relatedness and social skills, and a limited, but intense range of interest.

Interestingly enough, the language is lucid before age four. Although speech is sometimes repetitive, the grammar is usually very good. Their voices tend to be flat and emotionless. Individuals with Aspergers are obsessed with complex topics and are often described as eccentric. Ironically, they are in the above-average range in verbal agility, yet many have dyslexia, writing problems as well as difficulty with mathematics. The Autism Asperger individual is socially aware, however displays inappropriate reciprocal interaction. Their movements may be clumsy or awkward and they present odd forms of self-stimulatory behavior.

The main characteristic of Aspergers Syndrome that makes its children unique and fascinating is their peculiar areas of "special interest". This is very different from typical Autism in that those children's interests are more likely to be objects or parts of objects.

The Asperger's Syndrome children are fascinated with the intellectual dynamics of subjects. Even prior to attending school, these children will display an obsessive interest in areas such as math, science, reading or even some aspect of history or geography.

Another major characteristic that identifies Autism Aspergers from the typical Autism is the socialization deficit. In most cases, children with AS express a desire to fit in socially. Typical Autism victims suggest complete exclusion and seclusion. In fact, AS individuals tend to become frustrated because they aren't able to interact appropriately.

Lastly, the use of language skills is can be used to determine if a child should be diagnosed with the Autistic Disorder or Asperger's Syndrome. AS children have language skills that are very strong and tends to be very concrete. AS children have difficulty dealing with humor; tendency not to get jokes or laughing at odd times because they have difficulty with give or take with conversations, since their conversations tend to be self-oriented. Thus, these are differences that identify each disease as separate afflictions as they are very difficult to diagnose.



Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

About the Author:
For more insights and additional information about Autism and Aspergers please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

Tags: , , , ,

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Health-and-Fitness Articles Via RSS!

Recent Related Articles From Health-and-Fitness

  • Autism And Asperger's Syndrome
    By: Richard G M Taylor | Nov 2nd 2006
    It is every parent's nightmare for a child to be born with some form of disability. In the case of most physical disabilities this can be obvious or at least quickly diagnosed by a doctor. However, less obvious are disabilities or abnormalities associated with the child's brain. Autism is such an abnormality and asperger's ... Read

  • How To Identify The Signs Of Autistic Disorder
    By: Jon M Arnold | Jul 13th 2007
    You need to be aware of the signs of Autistic Disorder, since current estimates are that autism affects 1 in about 160 children today. Learn what the signs are and how to recognize them so you can get a diagnosis and help as soon as possible. Read

  • Does Your Child Suffer From Asperger's Syndrome?
    By: Nitin n | Mar 24th 2009
    Asperger Syndrome (AS) generally a neurological disorder, is a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD) which represents by basic skills like weak social interaction, obsessions, poor use of imagination and unusual speech. Asperger's syndrome affects the child's ability to interact and communicate with others effe ... Read

  • How To Use Early Right Brain Education Asperger Symptom Syndrome Treatment
    By: Steven Yap | Feb 21st 2008
    Definition of Asperger syndrome by Medicinenet.com is an autistic disorder most notable for the often great discrepancy between the intellectual and social abilities of those who have it.

    Asperger Symptom Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by an inability to understand how to interac ...
    Read

  • Asperger Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
    By: James S Pendergraft | Feb 26th 2011
    The Asperger's Syndrome was named after a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger. In 1944, he explained the reason behind inefficiency in social behavior but normal intelligence in his male patients. This is a neurological disorder in which the person suffering shows a number of typical characteristics like odd patterns in sp ... Read

  • Add: Is Asperger's Syndrome Just A Form Of Add?
    By: Tellman H. Knudson | Sep 27th 2007
    Though some members of the medical establishment may see Asperger's Syndrome as very similar to attention deficit disorder or even existing simultaneously in one person, but studies have found that ADD and Asperger's are quite dissimilar. Yet, there seems to be no agreement in the medical community over where the two disord ... Read

  • Maybe It's Not Autism
    By: Adam Cox | Apr 2nd 2006
    Maybe It's Not Autism?

    Most would agree that public awareness and access to medical information is critical to public health. Destigmatizing mental illness and focusing attention on under-diagnosed problems has been a particularly important stride of the past 30 years. Yet sometimes, publicity leads to anxiet ...
    Read

  • What Is Autism?
    By: John Nowly | Oct 14th 2006
    The following article is an excerpt from the free online course "Understanding Autism" and covers information related to what autism is. Read

  • Important Things To Remember About Autism
    By: John Nowly | Jan 19th 2007
    The following article covers important things to remember about Autism. Read

  • Autism And A Transitioning To Adulthood

    Around the age of fourteen, parents should begin thinking about how their autistic child will make the leap from school to adulthood. Ultimately, the goal for the child should be to lead as normal and independent a life as possible. As with your child's elementary and secondary school's education, good planning is a key fac ... Read


Copyright © 2005-2011 eArticlesOnline, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy