Lack of appropriate social and emotional responses to others “Marked impairment” regarding nonverbal social cues (doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t understand others’ body language, etc) In order to be diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a person must show two of these 4 traits: Because “Aspie” children are not mentally slow, doctors usually do not diagnose them until they are in the early elementary school grades. It is a lifelong condition and occurs in boys four times as often as girls. Thus both disorders are combined and the treatments suggested should serve your child well. The two conditions have very few differences, and research proves which treatments are relevant to High Functioning Autism and also applicable to Aspergers Syndrome. There’s a point where it just merges into part of your personality.” The mind can either develop to be more thinking and cognitive or it can be developed to be more social. There’s no black and white dividing line between a mild case of autism and geek and nerd. Asperger’s is just the milder end of the continuum. Temple Grandin: “I want to emphasize that Asperger’s and Autism are not separate conditions. So once we understand from whence the challenges occur then we can begin to lead them on the path from Coping to Excelling. Also the neurological pathways fire differently in Asperger patients than that of a typical brain function.īottom line, High-Functioning Autistic and Aspergers diagnosed individuals receive their gifts and struggles from a physical and medical basis not behavioral, as you may have been pressured to believe. Recent studies with MRI imaging document an actual physical difference in some areas of the autistic brain verses that of a neuro-typical brain.

Medical reports reveal a profound discovery in the brain of those with High-Functioning Autism. Pooled information from experts in the field of Autism is provided below so we, as parents, can successfully guide our child through a social and judgmental world. The challenges may be great, but so can be the results. My name is Jennifer Allen and my son, Sam has Aspergers Syndrome.

The disgusted and disapproving looks you and your child may be receiving when in public or with extended family only adds to the frustration and pain. These people have always been viewed as eccentric or odd displaying repetitive behaviors and totally lacking in their social skills. Over 50 years ago, Austrian pediatrician, Hans Asperger, revealed to the medical and scientific community a form of high-functioning Autism later named Aspergers Syndrome. UNDERSTANDING HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM & ASPERGER’S SYNDROMEĪn amazing discovery still being uncovered and understood involves a revolutionary find in the human mind. We hope this aids you in your on-going quest seeking information on HFA and AS as well as the knowledge you are not alone in your plight to succeed under the diagnosis.

Children with Asperger Syndrome usually have normal to above normal intelligence and do not have the language problems typical of autism.īelow are excerpts taken from countless hours of interviews for the documentary, Coping to Excelling: Solutions for school-aged children diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. Because it is relatively mild, it’s often diagnosed in teens and adults. But the term is still widely used to describe people who have milder or less disabling versions of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Asperger syndrome, sometimes called the “Geek syndrome,” is no longer an official medical diagnosis under the DSM5. It is part of a category of conditions called Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Asperger Syndrome is a neurological condition resulting in a group of social and behavioral symptoms.

My checklist for hfa