What is The Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome?
At this point, many experts still disagree about a clear definition - the actual difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome, which seems to be a matter of degree, mostly dealing with communication issues. Autism is widely known as a “spectrum” illness, as it has a rather broad range of symptoms and associated conditions, which usually involve very limited or impaired social skills, an incredibly narrow scope of interest and a variety of sensory problems.
The majority of autistic patients display very rigid behavior with fairly limited imagination. Generally, autism is characterized by extremely limited verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with a difficulty in understanding or comprehending normal social relationships. When presented with a social interaction situation, for instance, they might seem to be indifferent or they may utilize repetitive functions or comments as a way of dealing with the issue. Also, the listening skills of children with autism are usually quite poor.
Basically, Asperger’s syndrome can be thought of as a less extreme form of autism. While the primary characteristics of autism still remain, people with Asperger’s syndrome appear to be relatively good at expressing themselves most of the time, occasionally they can have average or above-average IQ, and sometimes they won’t experience or display any obvious learning difficulties. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of the syndrome isn’t really possible until the child is at least five years of age. You may notice subtle signs, however, such as the tantrums daily routine, which is often a way for the Asperger’s child to exhibit serious frustration and can be far more noticeable and severe than if it were exhibited by a healthy child.
Whereas children with autism suffer from intense communication difficulties, those with Asperger’s syndrome are much better at speaking, but will find it difficult to skillfully exhibit their abilities in a social situation, play and physical activity.
Some experts define Asperger’s syndrome as simply autism with a functioning language, whilst others believe that they are two distinct issues. Autism, they say, is a left brain illness, whilst Aspergers is an affliction of the right brain. It may be possible to help differentiate between the two by observing early communication skills. For example, monitor your child’s development each year and see whether he or she has the correct range of language at that age.
An Asperger child often becomes obsessed with things, and this can range from statistics to obscure or little known facts. As this obsessive behavior can sometimes take over control, it can lead to impaired development within the social arena. Many experts believe that children with autism can improve and take on the characteristics of children with Asperger’s syndrome and become virtually indistinguishable in comparison.
It is very important to conduct individual assessments and correctly diagnose your toddler, as there’s a very wide range of individual disorders within the overall spectrum. Some children might require very specialist care for extended periods of time, whilst others may successfully be integrated within a mainstream school. The debate will no doubt continue as experts try to more fully define the difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome.
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