What Is Asperger’s Syndrome, A Developmental Disorder?

Although it was little known a few years ago, Aperger’s syndrome has now come to the fore. This is largely due to television, with characters such as Sheldon Cooper (from the series “The Big Bang Theory”), cinema, the biographical film of Alan Turin or the field of technology, for example, with Mark Zuckerberg. Learn more about Asperger’s Syndrome in this article.

There are still many things we do not know about this condition. The various fictional works and rumors about celebrities have generated a mixture of information that can confuse us. Find out below what Asperger’s syndrome is and what the main manifestations are!

The causes of Asperger’s syndrome are unknown

First, it was found that the onset of Asperger’s syndrome is not related to lack of disease. For a long time, those who did research to find out what Asperger’s syndrome was believed that the way these people behaved was evidence of a lack of affection. Currently, we have more detailed information about the disease due to medical imaging.

People with Asperger’s syndrome have structural and functional differences from a neurobiological point of view. Despite this, the reason for these changes is still unknown.

In terms of functioning, these people are different in terms of certain aspects, such as social interaction and emotion control.

What is Asperger’s Syndrome and what are its symptoms?

Although the syndrome belongs to autism spectrum disorders, the symptoms vary from case to case. However, there are a number of symptoms that occur more frequently than others.

The affected person has a different behavior in social interaction

Many families realize the child’s different behavior when they see him in the school yard. While all the children play together, he prefers to be alone. He doesn’t talk to his classmates. He can spend his break walking or noticing something that captures his interest. This is due to the fact that the little one has difficulties in developing relationships with colleagues. In fact, he prefers the company of adults, although in the first years of his life he encounters problems in this regard as well.

Also, the child starts talking late. The late development of language is related to the problem of social interaction. That is why many parents turn to psychologists and speech therapists at the same time.

It presents an unusual way of thinking

The child has difficulty understanding the double meanings, jokes or ironies. Given that most children’s games are based on imagination, it is possible that this element is the explanation for the fact that the little one prefers the company of adults.

The advent of video games has proven to be a great help in the social integration of children with Asperger’s syndrome. Relying more and more on logical thinking, these games offer an ideal opportunity for children’s development. In addition, the little ones become subjects of norms that guide them to desired situations, which involve cause-effect relationships.

But sometimes the previous symptom and this way of understanding the world can cause problems. Many people consider these children uneducated and disliked.

They have difficulty understanding emotions

It is normal to mention things like “you seem to be sad today” or “why are you so sullen?”.

However, Asperger’s syndrome is an obstacle in the interpretation of facial expressions. Therefore, we tend to believe that the sick are insensitive people, but this is not the case. This idea is reinforced by the fact that looking at their faces, they do not show their feelings either.

If this still happens, patients express themselves with the help of tics or stereotypical movements, such as gnashing of teeth, movements of the hand or other parts of the body. This shows that when we no longer see them as “insensitive,” neither can we understand their body language.

If we think about it, we sometimes wonder, aren’t we limited in the same way?

She loves routine

As I mentioned, their unusual way of thinking causes patients to seek order above all else. They need to know what they are doing now, why they are doing it and what is to come next in order to feel safe.

Otherwise, the lack of these habits confuses them. For them, improvisation is a leap into the void and they also acquire a feeling of dizziness.

I often pursue my own interests

This does not mean that they have a lack of imagination. Conversely, when they find a topic of interest, patients want to know everything about it. After that, many of them want to create something in that field.

Alan Turing or Temple Gradin have shown that when faced with a dilemma, they will do everything in their power to solve it, regardless of the consequences. So Asperger’s Syndrome is a version of what it means to be different, at least statistically.

Also, finding out what Asperger syndrome is is an opportunity to realize our prejudices and the limitations they impose on us, similar to the walls that people with this syndrome build.