Signs Of A Pervasive Developmental Disorder Known As Asperger’s Syndrome

A child who has a hard time socializing with others, thinking clearly, who participating in emotional outbursts and having intense focus on one or two topics of choice showcases signs of a pervasive developmental disorder known as Aspergers. Aspergers falls on the high end of the Autism spectrum. The word autism is the catch-all term that many people use when referring to the spectrum of autistic disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders include five diagnoses, including Aspergers. Aspergers is not to be confused with high-functioning autism. High-functioning autism has classically been described as a condition in which an individual shows signs of autism in early childhood but later develops greater social, communication, and adaptive behavior skills.

In contrast, Asperger’s syndrome has been described as a condition in which an individual has social and communication difficulties and restricted interest but a high intellectual level. Sometimes the distinction is purely academic. (book 8)The history of AspergersAsperger’s syndrome was first formally defined by Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician in 1944. Asperger studied a small group of children who had difficulty interacting in socially acceptable ways. He studied their social interactions, communications and their unique personalities. He quickly noted that these children were intrinsic and preferred to keep to themselves. They were highly articulate, fascinated with certain objects and participated in repetitive physical actions.

Asperger published his findings in a paper titled “Autistic Psychopathy.” Asperger's findings were the first documented collection of traits now used to diagnose Asperger's syndrome. However, It wasn't until 1981 that British psychiatrist Lorna Wing revived Hans Asperger's findings in a research paper of her own. This eventually led to the reclassification of autistic experiences in the clinical document titled Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or, as it is more commonly referred to, DSM). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published in the United States by the American Psychiatric Association. The fourth edition, published in 1994, was the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to formally recognize Asperger's syndrome, which was categorized under the general heading Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).

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Diagnosis Asperger's began to appear in the diagnostic literature in the English-speaking world in 1994. Therefore, there are several instances of children receiving the incorrect diagnosis and therefore being treated incorrectly. In these cases the critical time for early intervention was lost. The delay in Asperger diagnosis can have a significant impact on the mental state and the academic progress of the individual with Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome can be found in one of one hundred and ten children and it occurs in boys four times as often as it occurs in girls. To qualify for an Asperger's syndrome diagnosis, a child must demonstrate impairment in social interaction, shown by at least two of the following.

Impairment in the use of nonverbal behaviors (such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures) during social interaction, lack of development of relationships with peers, failure to seek to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (for instance, by not showing objects of interest to others), Failure to reciprocate emotions or social gestures. The child should also demonstrate “restrictive repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities,” shown by at least one of the following: unusually intense preoccupation with one or more stereotyped interests, obsessively following specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals, repeated motions, unusual preoccupation with objects. (book 1) Symptoms of aspergers are seen in every setting, including at home, in the classroom, on the playground, and in after-school and extracurricular activities.

Virtually every area of the child’s life is affected. Symptoms of Aspergers may begin to develop as early as age two; however, it is most often recognized after the child starts school, where their unusual manner of talking and failure to play appropriately with their peers begins to surface. The combination of symptoms results in a child who is identified by others as “odd” and is quickly rejected by their peers. (book 7) A specialist will conduct a “psychosocial” evaluation of the child, noting when symptoms were first noticed, taking into account the development of motor skills, personality and behavioral traits as well as language patterns.

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