Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism.
People with Asperger’s Syndrome are very often of high intelligence but have difficulty understanding how to interact socially, which can lead to social isolation and eccentric behaviour.A person with Asperger’s syndrome may also find it very hard to make friends.The person may show signs of difficulty when it comes to reading or communicating through non-verbal cues such as facial expressions as well as show signs of difficulty understanding social cues.
What are the causes of Asperger's Syndrome?
Most people communicate naturally and instinctively.
However, communication is actually a very complex process and requires the automatic co-ordination of a number of different functions.
Verbal communication – to speak naturally and effortlessly requires that the cerebellum has hard wired the process of turning our thoughts into speech easily.
Listening skills – to understand what we are hearing requires that what we hear is automatically turned into comprehended thoughts.
Reading Body Language – reading body language accurately requires that we learn and automatize the meaning of non-verbal cues, for example smiling or frowning.
Emotional controls – to be comfortable socially requires that we learn how to control our emotions and use them in a way appropriate to the circumstance.
For people to be “natural” the above skills need to be fully developed and “automatised” – this process is determined by the development of the appropriate parts of the cerebellum – the skill learning center of the brain.
Difficulty with social imagination
People with Asperger’s syndrome can be imaginative in the conventional use of the word. For example, many are accomplished writers, artists and musicians. But people with Asperger’s syndrome can have difficulty with social imagination. For example they may be unable to imagine alternative outcomes to situations and find it hard to predict what will happen next. They also have difficulty understanding or interpreting other people’s thoughts, feelings or actions. Some children with Asperger’s syndrome may find it difficult to play ‘let’s pretend’ games and prefer subjects rooted in logic and systems, such as mathematics.
Helping with Asperger’s
There are over half a million people in the UK with an autism spectrum disorder such as Asperger’s Syndrome – that’s around 1 in 100. People with Asperger’s Syndrome come from all nationalities, cultures, social backgrounds and religions. However, the condition appears to be more common in males than females; the reason for this is unknown. There are many approaches, therapies and interventions, which can improve an individual’s quality of life.
These include communication-based interventions, behavioural therapy and dietary changes.
