Inside a glass house with Aspergers Syndrome

Some relationships take time and effort to grow and mature, while some relationships seem doomed from the start. 

It’s him, not you

In some cases, the line, “it’s not you, it’s me” actually is more than an excuse to hit the road and move on to the next romantic relationship, because if your beau suffers from Asperger Syndrome (AS), you can be sure your dreams of white picket fences in suburbia will never become an actuality.

It is difficult to tell if an adult has Asperger Syndrome because although AS is linked to autism, individuals with AS seem to be normal functioning citizens except for their inability to properly assimilate themselves into healthy societal relationships.

In a lot of recorded instances, individuals with AS are in fact usually very smart and because the onset of the disorder is usually later manifested than other PPDS, it is difficult to be able to detect this disorder.

Also, other characteristics of individuals with AS in comparison to other PDDs such as autism are: a more positive outcome in adulthood; social and communication deficits are less severe; circumscribed interests are more prominent; verbal IQ is usually higher than performance IQ; clumsiness is more frequently seen; family history is more frequently positive; and neurological disorders are less common.

PDD is not a rap artist   

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), as opposed to specific developmental disorders (SDD), refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. Parents may note symptoms as early as infancy and typically onset is prior to 3 years of age.

There are five (5) known PDDs, one of which is Asperger’s Syndrome which is commonly referred to as a form of high functioning autism. In very broad terms, individuals with Asperger's are considered to have at least normal intellectual capacity and an atypical social capacity.

The etymology

Hans Asperger (February 18, 1906 – October 21, 1980) was an Austrian pediatrician who published the first definition of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) in 1944 when he identified in four boys, a pattern of behavior and abilities he called “autistic psychopathy” (autism: self; psychopathy: personality disease).

About the pattern, he mentions, "a lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversation, intense absorption in a special interest, and clumsy movements." Because of their ability to talk about their favourite subject in great detail, Asperger called children with AS "little professors".

Late bloomers

This is the reason why Asperger's Disorder is usually recognized somewhat later than Autistic Disorder. Although motor delays or motor clumsiness may be noted in the preschool period, difficulties in social interaction may become more apparent in the context of school and it is during this time particular idiosyncratic or circumscribed interests (eg: a fascination with train schedules) may appear or be recognized as such.

As adults, individuals with the condition may have problems with empathy and modulation of social interaction. This disorder apparently follows a continuous course and, in the vast majority of cases, the duration is life-long.

Hans Asperger followed one child, Fritz V., into adulthood. Fritz V. became a professor of astronomy and solved an error in Newton’s work he originally noticed as a child.

Straight from the horse’s mouth

Ironically, as a child Hans Asperger appears to have exhibited features of the very condition named after him. He was described as a remote and lonely child, who had difficulty making friends. He was very talented in language, and he was particularly interested in the German poet Franz Grillparzer.

Males win over females

Like other conditions classified as autism spectrum disorders, Asperger's syndrome appears somewhat more prevalent among males than females, with males comprising approximately 75-80 percent of diagnoses. Although, many clinicians believe that this may not reflect the actual incidence among females;.

A well-known Asperger's syndrome expert, Tony Attwood suggests females learn to better compensate for their impairments due to differences in socialization (Attwood, pp 151-2).

Some preliminary evidence for this is found in the Ehlers & Gillberg study, which found a 4:1 male to female ratio in the cases they felt definitely had Asperger's, but a much less lopsided 2.3 to 1 ratio when merely suspected or otherwise borderline cases were included.

Trapped

Given that like for autism, there is no known cure for Asperger Syndrome, individuals with AS usually endure it throughout their lives. While some can learn to adjust better than most, it is best to detect the syndrome early on in childhood to be able to get better results in therapy.