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Asperger Syndrome

Understanding and challenging Austism Behaviors Photo courtesy of Raising Children NetworkOpens in new window

Asperger syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by autism-like abnormalities in social interactions but with normal intelligence and language acquisition.

Children with Asperger syndrome are marked by social and behavioral abnormalities that makes it difficult for them to establish friendships or function effectively in groups. Intellectually, they show intact cognitive skills, but they also exhibit motor clumsiness, and subtle language abnormalities such as odd prosodyOpens in new window, pedantic speechOpens in new window, or formal adultlike speech (Asperger, 1944).

The disorder is named for Austrian physician Hans AspergerOpens in new window, who first described the symptoms in 1944 as belonging to a condition he called autistic psychopathy. Today, Asperger syndrome is considered an autism spectrum disorderOpens in new window.

Asperger’s syndrome was formally placed in ICD-10 (WHO, 1992)Opens in new window and DSM-IV (APA, 1994)Opens in new window along side the four other PDDsOpens in new window in the early 1990s.

The characterization and criteria for Asperger syndrome remain unchanged in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000). Generally speaking, these criteria involve:

  1. qualitative impairment in social interactions (e.g., impaired use of nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-apppropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous sharing of enjoyment, interests, or achievements with others; and lack of empathy;
  2. restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (e.g., intense preoccupations, inflexible adherence to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals, stereotyped or repetitive motor behaviors, or preoccupations with parts of objects);
  3. clinically significant impairment in one or more major areas of functioning;
  4. lack of clinically significant general delays in language, cognitive development, development of self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than social interactions), and curiosity regarding the environment; and
  5. criteria not met for another specific PDD or schizophrenia (adapted from APA, 2000, p. 84).

Asperger syndrome occurs in roughly two in every 10,000 individuals, and the disorder is about three to four times more common in boys than in girls.

Symptoms may be apparent after age three, though diagnosis is most frequent in children between ages five and nine.

In contrast to patients with autismOpens in new window, individuals with Asperger syndrome usually do not have major cognitive difficulties—their IQ is in the normal or even high range—and they do not exhibit a delay in language acquisition.

However, children with Asperger syndrome do display repetitive behavior patterns similar to those observed in children with autism, and they often avoid eye contact, have poor control over fine motor movements, give an impression of clumsiness, and have an obsessive interest in a single object, such as a computer or a type of car. This obsession generally manifests as a persistent desire to learn and speak only about the object.

Children with Asperger syndrome may become upset when instructed to focus on task not related to their obsession and when their day-to-day routines are disrupted even in only minor ways, such as drinking from a cup that differs in color or texture from the cup the child normally uses.

Some individuals with Asperger syndrome also are affected by anxietyOpens in new window and depressionOpens in new window in adolescence and adulthood. In many patients symptoms may go unrecognized for years. In the absence of a formal diagnosis, individuals affected by Asperger syndrome may be perceived as simply absent-minded, socially and physically awkward, or highly intelligent.

Causes and Treatments

The cause of Asperger syndrome is unclear; however, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the presence of structural and neuronal abnormalities in certain areas of the brain in Asperger patients. These abnormalities likely contribute to the unusual thinking patterns and behaviors associated with the disorder.

Asperger syndrome is best treated through early intervention methods aimed at improving social skills, physical coordination, and communication. Many people affected by Asperger syndrome improve significantly with effective treatment programs. In addition, because people with Asperger syndrome may develop a high level of expertise in a very specific area or about a single device, may are able to find jobs at which they can be successful.

See also:
  1. Asperger, H. (1944). Die ‘autistischen psychopathen’ im kindesalter. Archiv fur Psychiatric under Nervenkrankheiten, 117, 76–136.
  2. Chmiel, A. J., & Mattsson, A. (1975). Heller’s syndrome: A form of childhood psychosis of multicausal origin: Case report and review of the literature. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 14, 337 – 347.
  3. Casanova, M.F., Buxhoeveden, D. P., Switala, A. E., & Roy, E. (2002b). Asperger’s syndrome and cortical neuropathology. Journal of Child Neurology, 17, 142–145.
  4. Asperger, H. (1944). Die ‘autistischen psychopathen’ im kindesalter. Archiv fur Psychiatric under Nervenkrankheiten, 117, 76–136. Translated by U. Frith (Ed.), Autism and Asperger syndrome (1991; pp. 36 – 92). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
  5. Szatmari P, Tuff L, Finlayson MA, Bartolucci G. Asperger’s syndrome and autism: neurocognitive aspects. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1990; 29: 130-6.
  6. Barnhill, G., Hagiwara, T., Myles, B.S., & Simpson, R. L. (2000). Asperger syndrome: A study of the cognitive profiles of 37 children and adolescents. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 15, 146 – 153.
  7. Frith, U. (1991). Asperger and his syndrome. In U. Frith (Ed.), Autism and Asperger syndrome (pp. 1–36). Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univeristy Press.
  8. Firth, U. (2004). Emanuel Miller lecture: Confusion and controversies about Asperger syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 672 – 686.
  9. Ghaziuddin, M., Butler, E., Tsai, L., & Ghaziuddin, N. (1994). Is clumsiness a marker for Asperger syndrome? Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 38, 519 – 527.
  10. Bennett, T. A., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S.E., Volden, J., Zwaigenbaum, L., Vaccarella, L., et al. (2008). Differentiating autism and Asperger syndrome on the basis of language delay or impairment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 616 – 625.
  11. Ehlers, S., Gillberg, C., & Wing, L. (1999). A screening questionnaire for Asperger’s syndrome and other high-functionign autism spectrum disorders in school age children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 129–141.
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