Asperger’s is a neurological disease typified by consequential impediments in non-verbal communication and social interaction along with restricted and repetitious sequences of interests and behavior. As opposed to other ASDs, Asperger’s is characterized by a comparatively normal intelligence and language. Signs of Asperger’s normally begins at an early age (before 2 years old) and often lasts throughout an individual’s life. The precise cause of Asperger’s disorder has not been specified. Although partially inherited, the intrinsic genetics have not been ascertained conclusively. Environmental characteristics are also presumed to play a significant role. Brain imaging studies have not revealed a common pre-eminent issue associated with the disorder. The treatment of the disorder is aimed at ameliorating poor skills in communication, physical clumsiness, and repetitive or compulsive routines ( Stip , Black , Ekoe & Mottron, 2017). According to Stip , Black , Ekoe & Mottron (2017), intervention may incorporate physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications for associated complications, for instance, anxiety and mood, social training, and parental training. The condition of many children with Asperger’s disease usually becomes better as they grow. However, their communication and social complications often persist. Various researchers have recommended a shift in attitude towards the perception that ASD is a difference as opposed to a disorder that ought to be cured or treated. Approximately 37.2 million individuals were affected by Asperger’s disorder globally. Asperger’s syndrome was named after Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician. The contemporary conceptualization of the Asperger syndrome was initiated in the year 1981, subjected to a phase of popularization and became a standardized prognosis during the early 1990s.
Characteristics of Asperger’s Disorder
As a prevalent developmental disorder, Asperger’s is differentiated by a sequence of symptoms as opposed to a single symptom. Asperger’s syndrome is distinguished by qualitative impediment in social interaction through constrained and stereotyped behavioral patterns, interests, and activities and by the lack of a clinically consequential delay in language or cognitive development ( Jeste , 2011). Extreme preoccupation with a restricted subject matter, physical clumsiness, limited prosody, one-sided loquacity are characteristics of the condition but aren’t prerequisite for diagnosis. Suicidal deportments appear to prevail at rates parallel to those without ASD.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Social Interactions
The lack of exhibited empathy impacts features of communal living among individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Persons with Asperger’s Syndrome are normally faced with difficulties in implementing the fundamental aspects of social interaction, for instance, lack of emotional and social reciprocity, impeded non-verbal deportments in aspects such as gesture, eye contact, posture, and facial expression, difficulties in finding shared achievements with other individuals, and the difficulties in developing friendships. Individuals suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome may not be very introverted around others; this failure to conduct oneself expediently around others may be mistaken for a disregard to other individuals’ feelings and may be considered insensitive. However, some of the people diagnosed with Asperger’s tend to exhibit selective autism (Peter & Brook, 2016). The cognitive capacity of children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome usually allows them to express social standards in a laboratory setting, where they may be capable of displaying a theoretical insight of other individuals’ emotions. However, they often experience difficulties in acting on this knowledge in adjustable actual-life situations. Individuals with Asperger’s disorder may perceive and express their viewing of social interaction into invariable behavioral guidelines and implement these guidelines in uncoordinated ways. The speculation that persons diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome are susceptible to criminal or violent departments has been studied but has not been validated by data. Substantial evidence proposes that children diagnosed with the syndrome are casualties as opposed to malefactors. A study carried out in the year 2008 revealed that an extensive number of reported aggressive offenders with Asperger’s disorder had been diagnosed with other accompanying psychotic psychiatric diseases, for instance, the schizoaffective disease (Peter & Brook, 2016).
Repetitive and restricted behavior and interests
Individuals diagnosed with Asperger syndrome may exhibit activities, interests, and departments that are restricted and repetitious and are at times atypically extreme. These individuals may stick to unvarying routines, progress in repetitive and stereotyped ways, immerse themselves with compulsive deportments such as lining up objects to create a sequence. The pursuit of definite and restricted areas of interest is among the most prominent possible aspects of Asperger’s syndrome. Persons diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome may gather an extensive amount of detailed information on a comparatively narrow-gauged subject, for example, whether without essentially having an authentic comprehension of the general subject; this behavior is normally vivid by the age of six or five ( Jeste , 2011). In spite of the fact that these particular interests may transform over time, they usually become more distinctive and narrowly focused and usually influence their social interactions extensively to an extent that the entire family becomes immersed. Since narrow subject matters usually capture children’s interests, this particular symptom may not be recognized. Repetitive and stereotyped motor deportment are a crucial part of Asperger’s syndrome’s diagnosis and other ASDs. An example of these motor behaviors include hand movements, for instance, twisting and flapping and complex movements of the entire body which are normally replicated in prolonged bursts and appear more discretionary as opposed to tics which are typically fast, less symmetrical, and less rhythmical. Substantial evidence exhibits a deprivation of interest in fiction and an affirmative predilection towards non-fiction is characteristic among adults with Asperger’s disorder ( Jeste , 2011).
Language and Speech
Although people with Asperger disorder usually develop language skills without noticeable delay and their articulation lacks noteworthy abnormalities, their development and use of language is considered abnormal. Abnormalities include abrupt transitions, misunderstanding of nuance, verboseness, literal interpretations, utilization of metaphor relevant to the speaker unusually distinctive speech, deficits in auditory perception, and eccentricities in prosody, intonation, rhythm, and pitch. Echolalia is a characteristic that has also been identified among people with Asperger disorder. The three features in their communication patterns that are considered of clinical concern include circumstantial and tangential speech, distinguished garrulity, and poor prosody ( Jeste , 2011). Although intonation and inflection may be perceived as monatomic compared to classic autism, individuals with Asperger’s syndrome usually have a restricted intonation scope; their speech may be remarkably loud, jerky, or fast. Speech may project a sense of inconsistency or incoherence; their style of conversing usually incorporates soliloquies about subjects that lacks room for comments bore the listener or lacks the capacity to suppress one’s internal thoughts. These people may fail to perceive the concentration capacity of an individual during a conversation which in turn, impacts the rationality of the conversation. Children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome may be typified with a sophisticated vocabulary at a very tender age but experience difficulties in comprehending the figurative language aspect and often use language verbatim. These children seem to have specific weaknesses in the scope of non-literal language such as humor, sarcasm, teasing, and humor. Despite the fact that these people comprehend the cognitive purpose of humor, they often lack the perception of the intention of humor (Peter & Brook, 2016).
Sensory and Motor Perception
Persons with Asperger’s syndrome usually exhibit excellent visual and auditory perception. Children diagnosed with ASD normally display an enhanced perception of small dynamics in sequence, for instance, the organization of objects or familiar images; this is usually domain-specific and it incorporates the organization of fine-grained attributes. Unlike persons with high-functioning autism, people with Asperger syndrome demonstrate deficiencies in certain tasks that incorporate visual memory, auditory, and visual-spatial perception. These individuals may demonstrate atypical perceptual and sensory competence and experiences. There is also substantial proof of reduced responsiveness to receptive stimuli ( (Mazzone , Ruta & Reale, 2012 ). These children may exhibit delays in the development of skills that demand motor dexterity. These children may also demonstrate difficulties with apposition of the finger-thumb, proprioception, tandem gait, and balance. These children may also experience sleeping problems and often characterized with increased alexithymia levels.
The Understanding of the Disorder from a Neuropsychological Perspective
There are various neuropsychological theories that have been developed to provide to provide an integrated account of the diversity and complexity of the behavioral manifestations of Asperger’s disorder. Some of the theories include the Right Hemisphere Dysfunction theory, Executive Dysfunction theory, and the mind deficit theory (Mazzone , Ruta & Reale, 2012 ).
Executive Dysfunction Theory
Executive functions relate to high-order proficiencies incorporated in the regulation, online readjustment, sound execution, and invigoration of goal-oriented departments. Executive functions consist of processes, for instance, decision making, cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibition, and reasoning. Quotidian activities cannot be effectively executed if one’s executive functioning is impeded. Executive function has been associated with fluid intelligence and the capacity to thrive during the performance of non-routine problem-solving duties that require fluid thinking and the development of novel solution approaches. In spite of the traditional perception concerning the development of executive functions later on in one’s childhood, there is an advancing body of research that documents the establishment of executive control procedures during pre-school years and infancy ( Jeste , 2011). Deficiencies in executive control have traditionally been linked to the acquired damage to on the prefrontal cortex. However, many researchers recommend that discoveries of executive dysfunction with reference to developmental diseases shouldn’t be presumed to indicate damage, especially to the frontal lobes since it may emerge from interconnected cortical damage, subcortical brain structure damage, or protracted brain damage. As opposed to being located in the prefrontal cortex, the abilities of executive control may rely upon the coordinated functioning of numerous overlapping but different neural structures. Due to these complexities, studies analyzing executive dysfunction in Asperger’s syndrome has, therefore, been mainly concentrated on the behavioral and neuropsychological analysis levels with minimal reference to neuropathy (Peter & Brook, 2016).
Theory of Mind Deficit
ToM is a prominent postulation that has been initiated to account for the disparities in the cognitive performances of persons within the autistic scope. ToM relates to the capacity to project relationships amid internal mental states and the external presentation of affairs; this may also be recounted by the mentalizing conceptualization which is perceived as the automatic mind activity. When behavior is discerned, deductions are drawn automatically with reference to the impacts and causes of the specific behavior (Peter & Brook, 2016). The capacity to pretend and comprehend pretense in other people is a ToM precursor commonly referred to as meta-representation. Meta-representation relates to the capacity to describe the mental state of other people. Studies indicate that the crucial aspects of social deficiencies is the lack of reciprocity with reference to the incapacity to feel, think, and perceive the world in a way that is disparate from oneself. Other components that impact social deficiencies include the deprived capacity to understand social cues, the inability to respond and use communication gestures, and the incapacity to develop peer relationships (Mazzone , Ruta & Reale, 2012 ).
Right Hemisphere Dysfunction Hypothesis
The theory is associated with the restricted capacity to interpret and express emotional information. The specialization of the right hemisphere is responsible for visuospatial processing and is directly correlated with the capacity to identify and interpret facial expressions and gestures and to the modification of prosody and intonation (Peter & Brook, 2016).
An Understanding of the Disorder from the Christian Perspective
The Catholic teachings on the issue regarding disability has often been demonstrated in multiple documents in the contemporary times. The most current documentation sums up all the long-established views regarding the moral status of individuals with disabilities. The documentation affirms a fundamental principle that a disabled individual is entirely human and is characterized by an idiosyncratic dignity like any other human being. The perception is established on the Biblical anthropology that humans were created in God’s likeness and therefore, the solution to human dignity doesn’t rely upon human reasoning, human anatomy, or the capacity to make decisions for oneself. Rather, human dignity is established on the actuality of being human, the only creature in God’s image, and the capacity to know the creator and love him. The documentation also declines the conceptualization that God might have instituted a mistake when he created children with disability. The document argues that an individual’s dignity is neither decreased by the severity of the handicap nor ascertained by the difficulties encountered when communicating with others ( Stip et. al. , 2017 ). The dignity cannot be withdrawn or lost and it endures throughout an individual’s lifetime. The document highlights that humans have a transcendent vocation that advances beyond time and history and due to this reason, an attempt to terminate a disabled person’s life because of sympathy or for financial reasons is unacceptable. The Catholic Church teachings specifies that people with disabilities, in this case Asperger’s syndrome are unique people, part of the supreme variety like any other human being, created in God’s image, and possess basic rights, talents, gifts, and rights to share and be perceived as individuals of inherent value and ought to be involved in every aspect of the Life of the Church (Peter & Brook, 2016).
Treatment and Assessment Considerations
The Assessment of Asperger’s Syndrome is usually based upon observations and interviews. The individual’s family, counselors, and teachers may also be interviewed. The diagnostic criteria for every identified psychiatric condition is usually conducted using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, which is published by APA (American Psychiatric Association). The DSM-IV manual has particular diagnostic standard for Asperger Syndrome. In the revised version of DSM-IV, Asperger disorder is included in a common diagnostic grouping as individuals with pervasive and autism developmental disorders. The treatment accorded to individuals with Asperger’s syndrome incorporates a multidisciplinary approach. Medical therapy is not an efficient method for treating the disorder although medical prescriptions may be recommended to aid in the control of troublesome symptoms or symptoms associated with psychiatric conditions which tends to co-exist with Asperger disorder. In certain instances, selective SSRI (Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor) medications are utilized for anxiety relief or depression relief. Medications associated with ADHD may be recommended in instances where one experiences distraction or hyperactivity. Various educational and behavioral interventions may assist individuals with Asperger disorder. The type of selected interventions ought to be based upon a person’s needs and age. Forms of interventions that have proved to be beneficial include social skill training programs, self-advocacy training, adaptive-skills training, attempts to decrease over-stimulation and educational supports. An approximation of the Asperger’s syndrome’s prognosis is quite difficult because affected people often exhibit variable impairment levels and the treatment provisions spectacularly improve one’s long-term outlook ( Jeste , 2011).
Developmental Cause of the Disorder
Asperger, an Austrian scientist recounted common symptoms amid the family members of his patients particularly fathers. Substantial evidence substantiates this specific observation and implicates a genetic contribution associated with Asperger’s syndrome. Despite the fact that no stipulated gene has been distinguished, numerous components are presumed to be responsible in autism expression with reference to the phenotypic variations observed among children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. The proof of a genetic connection in the modification of the disorder has been associated with the propensity of Asperger’s syndrome to exist in various families and a perceived high occurrence of behavioral symptoms considered similar to Asperger’s syndrome among family members ( Jeste , 2011). Multiple behavioral genetic studies implicates that every ASD has a common genetic mechanism but Asperger disorder may exhibit a stronger genetic element than autism. A few cases of ASD have been associated with teratogen exposure during the initial 8 weeks after conception. In spite of the fact that this doesn’t eliminate the likelihood of ASD being initiated in one’s later stages, it provides a strong proof that it develops at a very early stage. Multiple environmental aspects have been postulated to act subsequently after birth, but no hypothesis has been concluded through a scientific investigation.
References
Jeste , S., S. (2011). The Neurology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Curr Opin Neurol , 24(2): 132–139. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160764/
Mazzone , L., Ruta, L & Reale, L. (2012 ). Psychiatric comorbidities in Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism: diagnostic challenges. Ann Gen Psychiatry , 11 (16). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3416662/
Peters, R., & Brooks, R. (2016). Parental Perspectives on the Transition to Secondary School for Students with Asperger Syndrome and High-functioning Autism: A Pilot Survey Study. British Journal of Special Education , 43(1), 75-91.
Stip , E., Black , N., Ekoe , J, M & Mottron, L. (2017). Fahr's disease and Asperger's syndrome in a patient with primary hypoparathyroidism. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry , 68(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.68.1.115
