1. Presentation by Peggy Yost

2.  Aspergers Syndrome (AS) belongs to a group of childhood disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders or autistic spectrum disorders, characterized by impairments in social interactions and repetitive behavior patterns.  It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development.  Before the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV 1994), there was no official definition of AS.

3.  Asperger syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers and were physically clumsy.  Fifty years later, it was standardized as a diagnosis, but many questions remain about aspects of the disorder.  It has been proposed that the diagnosis of Asperger’s be eliminated to be replaced by a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder on a severity scale.

4.  Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS)  Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)  Krug Asperger’s Disorder Index (KADI)  Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)  Australian Scale for Asperger Syndrome (ASAS)  Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)  Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)

5.  Prevalence estimates vary enormously  2003: epidemiological studies of children suggests indirectly that the prevalence for AS might be around 0.26 per 1,000.  Part of variance in estimates arises from differences in diagnostic criteria.  2003: The exact rate for AS has not been established, but it is thought to be approximately 2.5 out of 10,000.  AS appears to be much more common in boys, ratio 4:1.  AS appears to affect all races equally.

6.  Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject  One-sided verbosity  Physical clumsiness  Lack of empathy  Failure to develop friendships lack of social or emotional reciprocity  Impaired nonverbal behaviors, such as eye contact, facial expression, posture and gesture  Have normal or above-normal intelligence  Ability to take care of themselves  Above-average verbal skills  Fascination with obscure objects such as doorknobs, string, spoons

7.  May be unusually sensitive or insensitive to sound, light and other stimuli  May have an unusually sophisticated vocabulary at a young age  Have difficulty understanding figurative language and tend to use language literally  Particular weaknesses in areas of nonliteral language that include humor  May have excellent auditory and visual perception  Stereotyped and repetitive motor behaviors which include hand movements such as flapping or twisting and complex whole-body movements

8.  AS are predisposed to violent or criminal behavior  AS are incapable of showing affection  Children with AS never make eye contact  Children with AS never talk  AS can be outgrown  AS is caused by poor parenting  People with AS lack imagination  AS cannot be taught

9.  Individuals with AS are the same as all other ADS individuals  AS individuals are mentally retarded  Children with AS were not taught manners or social skills by parents  Children with AS cannot be mainstreamed in school due to behavior problems

10.  http://www.aspergerssyndrome.org http://www.aspergerssyndrome.org  http://www.autism.org//asperger.html http://www.autism.org//asperger.html  http://maapservices.org http://maapservices.org  http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/ http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/  Autism Research Institute. 4182 Adams Ave., San Diego 92116  Families of Adults Afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome (FAAAS). PO Box 514, Centerville, MA 02632. http://www.faaas.orghttp://www.faaas.org  National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). PO Box 8923, New Fairfield, CT 06812. http://www.rarediseases.org http://www.rarediseases.org

11.  http://www.suite101.com/content/aspergers- symptomsandsigns http://www.suite101.com/content/aspergers- symptomsandsigns  http://healthtools.aarp.org/galecontent/asper ger-syndrome-1/5 http://healthtools.aarp.org/galecontent/asper ger-syndrome-1/5  http://www.answers.com/topic/asperger-s- syndrome http://www.answers.com/topic/asperger-s- syndrome