On International Asperger Syndrome Day, which has been celebrated since 2007, we make a brief description of this condition that has sometimes generated misunderstanding and rejection.
It’s a neurodevelopmental or behavioral disorder which is part of the Autistic spectrumand although it is much more common than other types of autism, it is also the most unknown.
“Since the release of the DSM-5, which is the diagnostic manual, Asperger’s syndrome is integrated into the autism spectrum disorder, so we no longer talk as before about classic autism, about different types of autism in childhood or of atypical autism, but it is unified to an autism spectrum disorder,” says María Victoria Isaacs, clinical psychologist at Neuraxis comprehensive neuropsychological clinic.
In this way, Asperger syndrome becomes a high-functioning level 1 autism spectrum disorder. “This was difficult for many patients because the diagnosis of autism, socially, is much less understood, there is very little information, so they ended up going from a syndrome to a disorder, but with this it was also defined that it is a condition and that There are different intensities in autism and that of high functioning, or according to the norms now, and the update in autism is that it is preferable to say that it is a level 1 autism spectrum disorder with low support needs,” adds Isaacs.
What is a person with Asperger’s like?
It is characterized by a impact on social interaction reciprocal and Verbal and non-verbal communicationfor generating resistance to accept change, inflexibility of thought and presents limited, narrow and absorbing interest, as well as unusual concerns towards a particular objective or activity.
However, it also presents a average intellectual capacity and even superior to the rest of the population, it is also Extremely good in the memory skills (facts, figures, dates, times, etc.), and outstanding in mathematics and science.
His personality may be a little strange, strange or eccentric To others, even someone who doesn’t know about this disorder might be offended by your behavior. That is why it is so important to know and accept that 44 million people in the world live with this conditionbut above all understand and respect them.
“They are much more functional people, but they meet some characteristics. The diagnosis is highly personalized, so some may have stereotypes, others may not, or at a lower level, the language will always be present in this diagnosis, but it may have a different intensity It can be a more functional, more structured language. These are people who are educated, who can develop their lives within normality, concludes Isaacs.
Prevention in time
According to activists and scientists, very little is known about this disorder. In fact, the first case diagnosed with autism in the world is still alive. His name is Donald Gray Triplett and he was 11 years old when he was evaluated.
Detection at an early age allows for better self-recognition of the condition and for the environment to provide an empathetic environment. It is not disabling or limiting, as long as all actors are aware and respectful.
Also because There are many adults who have managed to live with the disorder without any diagnosis, without understanding many aspects of their life. and that with the pandemic they experienced anxiety, stress and critical situations of depression, “Asperger’s particularly has a vulnerability to developing comorbidity,” Carlos Marcín, director of the Research and Teaching Council of Spectrum Therapy Center, explained to Excélsior.
What is the diagnosis like?
“We do not make the diagnosis of Asperger’s by simply evaluating the subject in the present, in the present, we have to back off because it has to come as a diagnosis of a developmental disorder, that is At the age of 3, this person obviously began to manifest some characteristics of autism, but it cannot be identified.“explained the specialist.
Right in the early years of development, a difference begins to be made with children who require greater resistance Because they are girls and boys who can camouflage themselves and go unnoticed in society, although within themselves they have a mental battle and feelings.
According to Nancy Anaya, mother of a teenager with autism, she highlights:
“People with Asperger’s have a hard time understanding double meanings, understanding jokes, they tend to be very literal with very rigid thoughts, if they go out of their routine they sometimes fall into anguish, anxiety, but at the end of the day they are very functional people. with high levels of independence.”
Why is International Asperger Syndrome Day commemorated on February 18?
This celebration is held in honor of the birthday of Austrian psychiatrist, Hans Asperger who discovered a similar and unusual behavior in a group of children. The description she made was the following:
“These children often show a surprising sensitivity to the personality of their teachers (…) They can be taught, but only by those who offer them true understanding and affection, people who treat them with affection and also with humor (…) “The teacher’s underlying emotional attitude involuntarily and unconsciously influences the child’s mood and behavior.”
His notes and descriptions gained value in the 1990s for studies of autism and neurological diseases in general, even though his publications were in 1943.