asperger's syndrome

[poadster]

What is it? (12345678910)

[Tinker]

It's like a milder version of autism. A really good fiction book, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' (Mark Haddon) is written through the eyes of 'Christopher' a 15 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome. It's about him trying to solve the murder of a neighbour's pet and how he uncovers other secrets cloder to home. It's a good book for trying to understand more about the way people with Asperger's Syndrome think.

[headlesspets]

useful website for info and support : www.nas.org.uk/

[andy hughes]

As my colleague advises, Asperger's Syndrome is a form of autism, explained wonderfully in the aforementioned novel. Sufferers can use all their senses, but do not interperet the information they receive in the same way. they can develop single-minded obsessions with colours, foods, words, and behaviours. They find it extremely hard to relate to people because they don't process any body language signals, and sometimes take all verbal information completely literally. In tandem with that is a prodigious mental power of the type exhibited by savants, often linked to maths and number concepts. I strongly advise you to read the book, it's awesome.

[bernardo]

I have Asperger's syndrome. It is a form of autism first described by Dr Asperger in Austria in 1944. The main symptoms are (a) taking a great interest in one or two specialised subjects and accumulating vast amounts of information about them (b) causing offence when none is intended (c) not being able to relate to people very well (d) eye contact is uncomfortable and therefore avoided (e) not being able properly to read other people's minds and body language in the same way that other people can (f) the combination of [a] and [e] means that one can launch into a long monologue about a fascinating subject and be oblivious to the boredom of the audience (g) wanting to stick to a routine, and feel uncomfortable about changes.

Research by the University of London has found that Asperger people use a different part of the brain from other people when having a conversation, so interpreting what someone is saying and working out an appropriate response is more like soving a mathematical problem rather than an instinctive ebb-and-flow type thing. As a child I was very shy and not very interactive, but I have become much more confident about talking with people as a result of years of practice in Student Union politics (and subsequently in real politics).

[coemgen]

Thanks for your answer Barnardo. My son has Asperger's syndrome and I am really heartened to hear that he could develop a way of interacting with others successfully as an adult. A book I found helpful for anyone with Asperger's kids is "Freaks,Geeks and Asperger's syndrome" By Luke Jackson.