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This page offers a very brief description of Autism and Asperger Syndrome.
Our 'definitions' have been summarised from reputable sources (which are listed
below under the heading 'sources') but we recognize that the descriptions given
will not necessarily completely describe any one individual with an Autistic Spectrum
Disorder. Therefore these descriptions should not be used for diagnostic purposes
but only as a reference.
What is Autism?
In the 1940s in the USA, child psychiatrist Leo Kanner, published work on
a group of children with behaviours and characteristics that we now recognize
as 'Autistic'. Initially believed to be caused by 'cold' or 'poor' parenting,
research has now shown that autism is a neurological disorder caused by the brain
functioning in an abnormal way. Autism is therefore not caused by poor parenting,
emotional trauma or other environmental factors. The reason for why the brain
has abnormal functioning is an area of much debate and research. Some findings
support genetic factors and viruses as being causes. As yet, no one answer has
been found.
Autism is found around the world in families from all racial, social, and ethnic
backgrounds. It is more common in boys than girls (about 4:1) and occurs in approximately
15 out of every 10,000 births. In the UK around 500,000 people have autism and/or
an associated disorder.
Autistic people have severe difficulties in three main areas. These are:
- Social Communication.
Autistic children usually always start talking late, if at all. If they use language,
they often have problems expressing themselves and in understanding the meaning
of what is being said to them.
- Social Interaction.
Often autistic children do not notice people around them or acknowledge others
when they are being spoken to. Eye contact tends to be very poor. Facial expressions
are often practically non-existent and/or inappropriate. Body posture is often
'stiff' and awkward. Some autistic children are profoundly withdrawn from other
people, resisting contact.
- Social Imagination.
Flexible thinking and pretend play are rare for autistic children. Their play
tends to be repetitive and stereotypical (eg: copied from videos). Often obsessive
behaviours occur in ways such as lining up toys, and spinning objects (or themselves).
Autistic children tend to play by themselves and not interactively with other
children.
Other features commonly associated with Autism are:
- Learning difficulties: often either severe or moderate.
- Obsessive interests: eg in cars or collecting odd things (like bottle tops)
- Need for routines: often autistic children get very distressed with changes
in daily routines.
- Patchy profile of abilities: eg: some autistic children are very good at complex
tasks (such as computer games) but are unable to dress themselves.
- Odd mannerisms: commonly - hand flapping, tiptoe walking, spinning or jumping
up and down when excited. Some children rock back and forth, bang their heads
or self injure (pick at skin or bite themselves).
What is Asperger Syndrome?
Around the same time that Kanner was publishing his work in the USA, Hans Asperger
had published papers in Austria. It took many years for his work to be translated
into English and to gain recognition in the West. He identified a group of behaviours
in some children very similar to those that Kanner did. The group that Asperger
identified, however, did use language (and usually did not have a delay in acquiring
it). The Asperger 'group' also had similar difficulties in the three areas listed
above, but they were not as severe as those experienced by the children with autism.
In addition, Asperger's children did not have general learning difficulties (but
some have a specific learning difficulty). The children that typically fit
the criteria for Asperger Syndrome are those that have the following traits (as
outlined by Lorna Wing at the National Autistic Society in 1981):
- Impairment of two-way social interaction and general social ineptitude (eg:
misreads body language - doesn't understand 'personal space');
- Speech which is odd and pedantic, often stereotyped (as if has a 'data base'
of possible phrases to fit different situations), but not delayed;
- Limited non-verbal communication skills - little facial expression or gesture;
- Resistance to change and enjoyment of repetitive activities;
- Circumscribed special interests
- Good rote memory
- Poor motor co-ordination, with odd gait and posture and some motor stereotypies.
How do the three areas of difficulty present in Asperger Syndrome?
- Social Communication.
Children with Asperger Syndrome often take things literally. Because of this,
phrases such as 'I laughed my head off' or 'it's raining cats and dogs' are very
confusing for these children. They have difficulty in understanding idioms, irony,
sarcasm and humour and therefore often use language inappropriately or very formally.
- Social Interaction.
Because of their difficulties in understanding meanings 'behind the words' and
not being able to 'intuitively' pick up on social cues (facial expressions, body
language), these children often don't understand the social world of their peers.
They often have problems making and maintaining friendships and are often isolated
- 'not fitting in'.
- Social Imagination.
Like Autistic children, those with Asperger Syndrome have difficulty in flexible
thinking and imagination. The main difficulty is in understanding how other people
feel or think about situations (eg; putting themselves in someone's shoes). Because
of this, role play and improvising in play is difficult for them. Children with
Asperger Syndrome often prefer to play alone pursuing solitary hobbies (such as
collecting things or memorizing facts).
What is the 'Autistic Spectrum'?
The term 'Autistic Spectrum' encompasses both sub-groups of autism noted above.
Both the children identified by Kanner and Asperger. However, not all children
neatly fit into one sub-group or the other. Some identified early in their life
as being like those in Kanner's group, are more like Asperger's sub-group once
they are adolescents. The idea of a 'spectrum' thus recognizes that there are
no clear boundaries between Autism and Asperger Syndrome. All children (or adults)
who are diagnosed as having an Autistic Spectrum Disorder do, however, all have
major difficulties in each of the three main areas which are called the 'Triad
of Impairments':
- Social Communication
- Social Interaction
- Social Imagination
Some useful sites for further information
It is quite common for children on the autistic spectrum to be diagnosed with
other associated difficulties such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD), Hyperlexia and other speech and language disorders. There are also some
other conditions which are similar to autism. Below are some links to web sites
offering information on these:
- For details about ADHD try these sites: ADDNET
UK, Add+Up, Born
to Explore, and Thanet ADDers.
- Hyperlexia occurs when a child is able to read at an early age (and above
average for age), but without comprehension of what they are reading. Some children
with autistic spectrum disorders show signs of this. The
American Hyperlexia Association's web site explains all about it.
- Non-Verbal Learning Disorders (NLD) manifest in impaired abilities to organize
the visual-spatial field, adapt to new situations and understand or 'read' nonverbal
signs and cues. For the most part, children with Asperger Syndrome have difficulties
in these areas. Check the following sites for further information: NLD
on the Web and NLDline.
An informative paper is written by Sue Thompson, MA, CET and can be found here.
- AFASIC is a charity
for people with communication impairments of all kinds. Semantic Pragmatic Disorder
(SPD) occurs when a person is unable to understand the meanings of words or the
structure of language. This is a key area of difficulty for most children with
an autistic spectrum disorder. AFASIC gives a good description of SPD here.
- Rett Syndrome and
Llandau-Kleffner
Syndrome are two other conditions that have some similarities to autism.
Sources
Information for this page has been gathered from the following sources:
- The web site for The National Autistic Society (Surrey Branch)
- Asperger Syndrome. A Practical Guide for Teachers by Cumine, Leach and Stevenson.
Published by David Fulton Publishers, 1998.
- The autistic spectrum - a handbook 1999 published by The National Autistic
Society, 1999.
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