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For those who know someone with Asperger’s Disorder, you may be wondering if Asperger’s is the same as autism and what the difference is between someone with Asperger’s and someone with autism.
Asperger’s Disorder is often termed as a less sever version of autism or a high-functioning form of autism. In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it started to separate Asperger’s Disorder as being separate from autism, but many professionals still associate the two as being the same. On the spectrum of autism, Asperger’s is on the high-functioning end of the disorder.
One of the main reasons why Asperger’s is separated is the severity of the symptoms as well as not having language delays like children with autism have. For those who aren’t trained to look for the signs of Asperger’s, many would see a normal child who is a bit odd. Unlike with children who have autism, children with Asperger’s want to fit in and have interaction with others, but they lack the social skills to do so easily. For some reason, they aren’t able to pick up on social cues that come naturally to others such as how to interpret body language or how to engage in a conversation.
When they talk, those with Asperger’s have very good language skills, but their speech patterns may be unusual and they may lack inflection. It’s hard for them to understand abstract concepts including humor or irony. Most with Asperger’s possess average or above average intelligence.
Children with Asperger’s might become obsessed with specific subject such as plants or animals and may want to wear the same thing every day such as a costume. It’s hard for them to make friends with others and they are often picky about how food is prepared (such as wanting eggs prepared in the orange frying pan and not the red one).
Overall, early diagnosis is helpful with all children with autism because the earlier it’s diagnosed, the sooner that their behavior can be helped and worked with. Parents can also learn how to help their children function better.