Comp
Research Paper
November 18, 2012
Asperger’s Syndrome
Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average intellectual skills but severely impaired social skills with repetitive patterns and interest. There are several other disorders that are related to Asperger’s. These include other autism spectrum disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Syndrome and others (Bashe 68).
Since Asperger’s is a recent disorder, the cause of AS is not clear. Scientists are still investigating why Asperger’s occurs. Nevertheless, few theories have surfaced. Some believe brain abnormalities or a hereditary component result in AS. The cause could also be factors that include brain development. Nevertheless, scientists have eliminated child immunizations, lack of intelligence, or “bad parenting” as the cause for Asperger’s. (Weiss) AS is also not due to emotional deprivation or other psychogenic factors that originate from a person’s thinking.
A possible reason for an unidentifiable cause is the symptoms for Asperger’s Syndrome are nearly unlimited. Furthermore, with AS one can exhibit few or multiple symptoms. Still, the core symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome are poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive behavior, and physical clumsiness (Weiss). With