Asperger's syndrome and how it affects the developing child - Research Paper Example

Asperger’s Syndrome is one of a group of neurological disorders. This is a group of five closely –related disorders which also include Autistic Disorder, Pervasive developmental Disorder not otherwise specified, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett’s Disorder. All these disorders as Phetraswan, Miles and Mesibov (2009) explain have atypical patterns of development that affect multiple areas of functioning. These five disorders have some very similar symptoms that make it difficult sometimes to distinguish between them.

This is especially so for Autism Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder which are sometimes confused for each other. Some describe Asperger’s Disorder as high functioning Autism Disorder. The terms are not always used with definite distinction made between Autism Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder and they are discussed together as Autism Spectrum Disorder where Asperger’s Disorder is included in the discussion. However it is important to distinguish between these two and know the subtle differences.

Generally Asperger’s Disorder displays less severe autistic behavior. There is a more subtle impairment of language; there is not the delay in language development that is commonly seen in Autism Disorder. Also there may not be any cognitive delays; children with Asperger’s Disorder have normal IQs. The major characteristics of Asperger’s Disorder are social impairment and patterned, repetitive and focused behavior. Typically children with Asperger’s Disorder have underdeveloped social skills.

This is manifested in their difficulty in forming friendships and relating to peers. Gibbons and Goins (2008) describe it as a “lack of understanding of social cues, which may lead to difficulty understanding the purpose of social interactions”. These authors go on to explain some of the other characteristics of Asperger’s Disorder or the difficulties