Asperger syndrome refers to the forms of autism, at least, this is how it is designated in the medical literature. This dysfunction is diagnosed most often in childhood, between the ages of 4 and 11 years. It can be said that Asperger syndrome is expressed in a person's perception of the world in inappropriate social behavior, as well as in non-standard attitude to communication. People who have this disorder experience certain difficulties in three areas: social communication, social imagination and social interaction.
To determine at first glance a person who suffers from Asperger's syndrome or, as it is also called "autism spectrum disorder", is almost impossible. These people do not have any visible abnormalities, you can notice the presence of the disease only in the process of communication. In medical sources, this syndrome is classified as a violation of social interaction, which directly affects the normal functioning of the individual in the process of his life.
The main difficulties
It is necessary to know that people suffering from Asperger's syndrome can lead a completely normal and full life in creating optimal conditions for them. Although some scientists believe that the syndrome may have much in common with autism, since people with Asperger's syndrome may be mentally retarded, the general picture shows that this disorder is more related to the disruption of social interaction. Many people who have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome as a child, as they grow older, adapt more and more to living in society and some symptoms recede into the background.
In fact, the main difficulties of such people are the following:
- difficulties with the social imagination - they may not fully understand what other people are saying, can not imagine the further course of development of events, as well as relationships, it is difficult for them to interpret the thoughts and feelings of others. People with Asperger's Syndrome understand everything literally, do not react to jokes and do not perceive the meaning of stable expressions (phraseological units and aphorisms);
- difficulties with social interaction - these people may want to communicate, but because of their illness they are constantly experiencing similar difficulties. They hardly have friendly relations, they can not always support the conversation, they can start talking on a completely detached topic or ask inappropriate questions. Often, people with Asperger's syndrome frighten other people by being too abrupt and close to approaching another person, behaving incorrectly, or being detached from all without cause.
- difficulties with social communication - such people can not always understand facial expressions, tone of voice and intonations of other people. When speaking words that are hard to pronounce (for example, scientific terms) or when composing complex sentences, they may not fully understand their meaning.
Otherwise, these people can have a rich imagination, talents and even become outstanding artists, doctors, lawyers and so on. The level of their intelligence, often, is not lower than that of other, quite healthy people. Sometimes it reaches a level above the average. Speech skills of such people in most cases do not differ from the skills of other people. In addition, people with Asperger's Syndrome can fixate on one particular subject or phenomenon and study it deeper and deeper. In industries in which it is necessary to perform automated actions, day after day doing the same routine work, such people too can succeed.
Features
People who were diagnosed as "Asperger syndrome" can still be selected from the crowd for certain reasons, except those for which they are identified only in the process of communication. These attributes include: the fascination with a certain subject, the emergence of such a hobby, to which a person devotes all his time, the desire to collect, sensory difficulties (problems with sensations, sight, smell and other sense organs), love for order and for a certain planned course of life .
In the first case, such an enthusiasm can develop not only intellect and skills, but also establish social communication, if a person's hobby is at least somehow connected with people or society. This "fixation" can grow into a deep study, and later in the profession. As for the love of a certain plan and order, it can simply simply relieve people with autistic disorder from stress and fears, because they see us and the world in a different way, with their own eyes and it seems to them in most cases frightening.
Sensory difficulties can manifest themselves in highly developed or vice versa, in underdeveloped vision, smell, hearing. For example, too loud sounds, bright colors can cause fear or stress. Also these people experience difficulties with the sensation of their bodies, they do not orient themselves well in space, they do not always correlate how closely they can approach others. Also, there are often those who do not tolerate touch, people with autistic disorder can experience real pain from such touches.
Is it possible to heal?
This illness is usually diagnosed in childhood and the person is forced to live with it all his life. Sometimes when growing up people get rid of some symptoms, but it is impossible to completely cure the syndrome. Drugs that could "heal" to date do not exist. It is possible only to use non-medicinal methods that will not cure, but will be able to support a person in the state closest to the condition of healthy people. These methods can improve the quality of a person's life, and also help him develop communication skills and abilities. Such methods include: cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, physiotherapy exercises to improve coordination of movements, training of social skills. If necessary, treatment of concomitant diseases, such as stress, depression, neurosis, is also carried out.