Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome was named for Dr. Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician whose paper describing the disorder, "'Autistic Psychopathy' in Childhood," was published in 1944 in German. It did not become widely known until Dr. Uta Frith translated the paper into English in 1991. In the most basic terms, Asperger Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by what psychiatrist Dr. Lorna Wing terms a "triad of impairments affecting: social interaction, communications, and imagination, accompanied by a narrow, rigid, repetitive pattern of activities" (Wing, 1998). Asperger Syndrome shares these qualities with several disorders that are, like it, classified as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Although we have yet to learn the cause of Asperger Syndrome and other pervasive developmental disorders -- which include autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder -- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) -- because their symptoms can be similar, they are grouped together under the now common but unofficial term autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Asperger Syndrome differs from other pervasive developmental disorders in that those children who have it usually hit major developmental milestones on time or early. In most cases, a child with AS appears to be normal, although with interests and styles of social interaction, communication, and play that are obviously different from those of his same-age peers. It is usually not until a child with AS reaches school age or finds himself in situations outside his "comfort zone" (usually) home, that the characteristics and deficits that define AS become blatantly apparent.
We know that AS is more common among boys than among girls. Four out of every five persons diagnosed with AS are male. However, as awareness grows and more children are diagnosed appropriately, an increasing number of women and girls are being identified as having AS.
Asperger Syndrome and other pervasive developmental disorders are neurological disorders. A person with AS may have no more control over how he or she views the world and interprets what is seen, heard, felt, and understood than a person who has suffered a stroke or developed Alzheimer's disease. Although some of the behaviors associated with AS may resemble "emotional difficulties" or just plain "bad behavior," it is easy to assume that these behaviors are volitional, under the person's control, or that they can stop them if they want to. Because persons with AS usually have average to above average intelligence and may be well-spoken, it may difficult for others to fully understand the extent of their disability. Asperger Syndrome is the result of anomalies in the physical brain, not emotional or behavioral problems. Although effective interventions can help people with AS learn to understand the world more clearly and learn to respond in ways that are more acceptable by the majority of persons who do not have an autism spectrum "viewpoint," it is debatable to what degree we can help a person with AS fundamentally change how he views the world and what it means to him. When we speak of treatment and intervention, we are referring to methods of addressing specific AS-related issues, not effecting a "cure." Barring a miraculous scientific breakthrough, a person with AS will probably always be a person with AS. And it is very important to bear in mind that many with AS do not feel that it is necessarily a bad thing.
Technically, you can identify Asperger Syndrome (AS) by the symptoms, behaviors, and deficits that constitute the diagnostic criteria. However, it is almost impossible to extrapolate from that information what it means to have AS. A complete, "official" medical diagnosis of AS is made when a mental health or medical professional concludes, based on observation, interviews, and perhaps some neurological testing, that an individual meets the diagnostic criteria for AS as outlined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. For the DSM criteria and a good explanation of AS, please click here to link over to a great OASIS page. Dr. Tony Attwood developed the Australian Scale for Asperger Syndrome, a clear, direct, and very easy to use scale. You can find the Australian Scale, along with a discussion of AS and the scale's development at Dr. Attwood's must-see site (click here).
In addition, there are other symptoms and behaviors that, while not specifically so describe in the DSM-IV-TR, are familiar to those who know someone with AS.