Asperger's Syndrome (아스퍼거 증후군)

In 1944, the Austrian pediatricion Hans Asperger (1906-1980) described a puzzling tendency he noted among certain children in his practice. These children displayed impressive vocabularies and formal patterns of speech―but encountered difficulties in carrying out basic social interactions. "Little professors," Asperger called them.

 

Asperger's syndrome (AS), as this pattern of behavior is now known, is a common form of autism, a spectrum of disorders that typically involve language and social deficiencies coupled with obsessive interests and, sometimes, high intelligence.

 

For instance, children with AS often have a singular interest in a particular topic, to the point where they converse about nothing else―memorizing catalog after catalog of camera model numbers, for example, while caring little about photography.

 

Autism disorders are believed to form early in fetal development, and symptoms are usually present by age 5 or 6. Unlike children with other forms of autism, those with AS retain their early language skills. AS is distinguished by inappropriate behavior in social settings, unusual speech patterns, and difficulty understanding body language.

 

Children with AS may also exhibit clumsy or repetitive motor movements such as hand flapping or twirling and may find it difficult to perform physical tasks that others take for granted, such as riding a bicycle. With effective treatment, however, they can learn to cope in the workplace as adults―though personal interactions often remain difficult.

 

Individuals with AS may also suffer from anxiety and depression, and treatment often involves medication for those conditions. Therapy also seeks to address obsessive tendencies and communication problems, and it often includes training on social interaction. Most professionals agree that intervention should start as early as possible.

 

Prevalence estimates for AS vary widely, partly because it can be hard to distinguish between AS and high-functioning autism. one school of thought―led by the University of Cambridge professor Simon Baron-Cohen―argues that these two conditions should not be thought of as disabilities, but rather as interesting and unique ways of thinking.

 

Individuals with AS often have excellent auditory and visual perception and may notice tiny changes in patterns and arrangements. However, they may have deficits in tasks involving spatial perception or visual memory. They may also be unusually sensitive―or insensitive―to touch, texture, taste, smell, and other stimuli.

 

AS, as well as milder forms of awkward behavior and communication problems, appears to run in families. Scientists believe that a number of inherited genes combine to help determine the severity and symptoms of AS.