Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism. It is an inherited developmental neurological disorder – it can affect areas of development such as memory, attention, language, problem-solving, perception, and social interaction.
While the cause of Asperger syndrome (AS) isn’t fully understood, evidence shows a strong genetic connection, with more cases occurring in people with first-degree relatives with ASD (parents and siblings).
In this article, we talk about all things Asperger’s, including:
- What Asperger syndrome is
- Signs of Asperger’s syndrome in adults
- The difference between Asperger’s and autism
- Asperger’s in women
- Treatment options for people with Asperger’s syndrome
- Advice for adults with Asperger’s syndrome
What Is Asperger’s Syndrome?
Asperger’s syndrome was first described in 1944 by Hans Asperger, an Austrian psychiatrist, and was later reported to the scientific community by the British psychiatrist Lorna Wing in 1981. Before 1944, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) did not include Asperger syndrome.
At this time, it was listed in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnosis and DSM-5 as unique to autism. It wasn’t until 2013 that they combined Asperger syndrome with autism under the umbrella term “autism spectrum disorder.”
While most individuals with AS don’t struggle cognitively or with language delays, and some may be considered “gifted” with higher-than-average intelligence, they typically face other difficulties that affect their daily life. Specifically, AS is generally characterized by difficulties with social behavior, especially in the areas of verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as social interactions.
A person with Asperger’s syndrome, or an “Aspie,” may be affected by “mental blindness” for everything that concerns social cues. As a blind person learns to find his way around a world he does not see, an Asperger’s child or adult must learn the social signals they may miss.
Asperger’s Syndrome in Adults: What Are the Signs?
Adults with Asperger’s syndrome tend to display symptoms in three areas of functioning:
- Emotional and behavioral symptoms
- Communication symptoms
- Other symptoms
It’s important to note that, like autism, AS occurs on a spectrum – some people have more autistic traits than others, showing more symptoms of AS than others. This means that no two people with AS are the same – everyone experiences it differently, depending on their unique amalgamation of symptoms.
However, the diagnostic criteria for AS – as per the DSM-5 – states that to receive a diagnosis for AS, individuals have to show “severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities that must cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.”
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Emotional and Behavioral Signs
- Repetition: Individuals with AS tend to engage in repetitive behaviors – this means that they become very comfortable with schedules and routines but struggle when unexpected changes occur. They may also engage in behaviors such as turning the light on and off a “lucky” amount of times, etc.
- Sensitive to sensory stimulation: An individual with AS may be over- or under-sensitive to certain sensory experiences such as bright lights, scratchy clothes, and touching people.
- Difficulty understanding others’ emotions: AS is often characterized as difficulty stepping into another person’s shoes and seeing the world from their perspective. This may be the case for some individuals, but not all.
Communication Signs
- Issues around social interaction: It is believed that AS can impair an individual’s ability to understand social nuances such as non-verbal social cues. They may also struggle with non-literal language, taking things literally even when they are said sarcastically or as an over-exaggeration.
- Reduced eye contact: Individuals with AS have shown that they are less likely to make eye contact than neurotypical individuals.
- Speech problems: It’s common for people with AS to have “robotic” or “stiff” language, using the same words and phrases repetitively. They may also struggle to change their language based on their environment. For example, they may find it challenging to understand the essentiality of changing your language when you’re going for an interview compared to chatting with your friends.
Other symptoms commonly associated with AS include clumsiness due to poor coordination and motor skills and hyperfocus (also known as “obsession”).
These symptoms can affect adults with Asperger’s syndrome in different ways. For example, in relationships between couples, difficulties may arise because an individual with AS may not understand their partner’s point of view – only their own. A person with AS might also struggle in high-pressure communication situations, like job interviews.
However, their hyperfocus can mean that they excel in technical roles requiring extreme attention to detail, such as engineering, computer programming, science, and creative arts.
As in any disorder or disease, the sooner it is diagnosed, the better to treat it properly. Some people can reach adulthood, and it’s not been detected. That is why we must all be prepared to treat Asperger’s in adults, to know how it manifests itself later in life, and to consider the advice we follow.
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Asperger and Autism: What’s the Difference?
Autism is distinguished from Asperger’s syndrome by intellect and language. Children with Asperger’s syndrome do not usually have language delays or intellectual disabilities. Some Asperger’s cases – but not all – are sometimes endowed with impressive intellectual abilities (often mediatized in mental calculation or memory).
We can summarize the symptoms of Autism by major characteristics:
- Difficulties of verbal and non-verbal communication: difficulties in understanding abstract concepts, irony, puns, the figurative sense, metaphors, facial expressions, interpretations literally, what may be “valuable language” is missed.
- Socialization challenges: uncomfortable in groups, difficulties understanding social rules and conventions, can’t perceive the needs and emotions of others and recognize and manage their own emotions.
- Sensory and motor skill difficulties: clumsiness, poor eye contact, an often frozen face, difficulty looking into the eyes, heightened sensory perceptions, including hypersensitivity to noise or light, odors, intolerance to certain textures, sensitivity to detail.
As you can see, there is a lot of overlap between the two, making a distinction between the two difficult without adequate testing.
Note that Asperger’s with autism differ in terms of communication and social meaning and are known for their honesty, frankness, loyalty, lack of prejudice, and sense of detail. All of these are considered assets in our current society.
However, the difficulties of communication and social integration experienced by people with Asperger’s Syndrome can be disabling and cause anxiety, withdrawal, social isolation, depression, or even suicide attempts in the elderly. Hence the importance of early diagnosis is often experienced as a relief for the person himself and his family.
Female Asperger and Less Noticeable Symptoms
To diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder, doctors and psychologists use a variety of tests and questionnaires. These symptoms can be more or less marked according to the individuals, particularly for girls and women.
Several types of research tend to show that girls with autism or Asperger’s are more difficult to diagnose than boys. Why is this? According to a recent article in ‘Autism Parenting Magazine,’ autistic girls tend to find it easier to ‘blend in’ because they mask. “Masking” refers to the ability to mimic the behaviors of neurotypical people around them. Girls may form templates in their minds of how people “normally” respond in certain social situations and mimic this in their own lives. This helps them blend into the crowd – more so than boys with AS, who don’t typically display this level of masking.
Asperger females generally also mask rituals and stereotypes better than males and often have strong interests in more “socially acceptable” themes, such as psychology, animals, etc. In contrast, Asperger males are more often attracted to specific, less common interests.
The difficulty of the diagnosis is, therefore, greater for girls with Asperger’s syndrome, to the point that some Aspergers may go unnoticed until adulthood or forever.
Asperger’s Syndrome Support
Once the diagnosis of Asperger’s has been made, there are several treatment options:
- Speech therapy: A speech therapist (or ‘pathologist’) can help an individual with AS develop their speech, including their voice control and modulation.
- Therapy: Individuals with AS may face difficulties in everyday life due to their “differences” – traditional, in-person therapy can help individuals with AS process their emotional response to these challenges.
- Medication: Medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), stimulants, and antipsychotics, can help individuals with AS manage their symptoms. AS also commonly co-occurs with other conditions such as anxiety and hyperactivity – medications can help ease the symptoms of these comorbidities, too.
Advice for Adults With Asperger’s Syndrome
A person who thinks they have Asperger, or a person who knows someone who may have symptoms of this disorder, should see a doctor as soon as possible to be diagnosed. The following tips can be followed for all ages:
- In social relationships, where empathy is important, they may be able to use their intelligence to compensate for their lack of ability and learn how to act in each case.
- When talking to a person with Asperger’s, do not use abstract terms like “throwing in the towel,” because they may understand it literally.
- AS individuals typically benefit from knowing about changes in advance, rather than off the cuff. For parents with autistic children, preparation and organization are generally key.
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