1. PSY 441/541 JANNA BAUMGARTNER, KATIE HOCHSPRUNG, CONNIE LOGEMAN Asperger’s Syndrome in Childhood

2. History

3. Signs and Symptoms

4. How is Asperger’s Different from Autism?

5. Causes/Suspected Causes Possible Causes: Hereditary—Asperger’s often runs in families. Linked to depression Associated with bipolar disorder Environmental Factors, such as pesticides, viruses, and chemicals Suspected Causes: Emotional Deprivation in infancy Vaccines *Both of these suspected causes have been refuted by extensive research; however individuals continue to disagree. Researchers are still investigating the potential causes of Asperger’s Syndrome. Mental Health Experts support that there are many contributing factors to this disorder…

6. Diagnosis Process Physician refers a child to a specialist Specialist performs a “psychosocial” analysis, including: *Assessment of when symptoms were first noticed *Evaluation of motor skills and language development *Behavioral and personality assessment *Emphasis on social development

7. Typically Developing Children Children with Asperger’s Syndrome Children at the age of four begin to understand forms of irony Eye contact begins in infancy By one year of age, infants point to and request objects of interest Impaired ability to use and understand irony Restricted Eye Contact Lack of sharing interests and/or enjoyments with others Communication Milestones of Typically Developing Children Vs. Children with Asperger’s Syndrome

8. Statistics

9. Treatment

10. A Child’s Future with Asperger’s

11. References Healthwise Staff. (2010, April 12). Asperger’s Syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.cigna.ca/healthinfo/zq1008.html#zq1012 KidsHealth. (2011). What Causes Asperger’s Syndrome?. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html KidsHealth (2011). Diagnosing Asperger’s Syndrome. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html# Kutscher, Martin, L. (2006). Asperger’s Syndrome Retrieved from http://www.pediatricneurology.com/autism.htm#Asperger’s Syndrome Living With Aspergers. (2008). The Prevalent Theories. Retrieved from http://www.livingwithaspergers.com/causes-of-asperger-syndrome.html Moore, Matthew. (2010, Sep 15). Children 'can understand irony from age of four’. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8004253 Owens, Robert, E. (2009). Language development, an introduction. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Higher Education, Inc.