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Medical Edge Newspaper Column from Mayo Clinic
ASPERGER SYNDROME: SOCIALLY IMPAIRED ‘LITTLE PROFESSORS’
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Please give me some information on Asperger syndrome
— cause and especially treatment. I have three children who exhibit at
least some of the symptoms. — Seattle, Wash.
ANSWER: Asperger syndrome is a neurologically based developmental
disorder characterized by social impairment, and restricted and unusual
patterns of behavior and interest. Asperger syndrome is usually not diagnosed
until a child nears school age or enters school. That’s when it becomes
apparent that he or she has extreme difficulty interacting with others
and reading social situations through nonverbal cues, such as eye contact
and body posture.
While parents may have noticed these traits in their toddlers at home,
they may have shrugged them off as mere quirks. At school, the traits
are undeniable and can become true impairments, because children with
Asperger syndrome are at risk of being teased and isolated due to deficient
social and communication skills and atypical behavior and interests. Often,
children with Asperger syndrome have both fine-motor and gross-motor clumsiness
and nonverbal learning disabilities.
Children diagnosed with Asperger syndrome vary widely in the kind, degree
and severity of symptoms they express. The cause of the syndrome is not
known, though there is a genetic component. Data show it occurs more often
in boys than girls. Estimates suggest it occurs in as many as 20 to 25
out of 10,000 children.
The syndrome was first described in 1944 by the Viennese physician Hans
Asperger. In his reports, Dr. Asperger noted the following similarities
in some of his young male patients: normal or above-normal intelligence
and verbal abilities; pronounced social awkwardness; and consuming interest
in a single topic, such as electromagnetism or hoofed mammals. Because
of this talent for acquiring encyclopedic information, Dr. Asperger referred
to them as “little professors.” While described decades ago, Asperger
syndrome did not become an official diagnosis until 1994.
Treatment consists of special education programs and behavioral counseling
to help the child and family improve the child’s social abilities and
nonverbal communication. Therapy may also help these children modify atypical
behaviors and promote positive interpersonal interaction.
For example, as children and adults, people with Asperger syndrome characteristically
communicate their knowledge in a torrential discharge of information with
little regard for the listener’s interest or ability to continue listening.
In this example, social-skills counseling could include lessons aimed
at teaching children not to interrupt and to pace communication of what
they know, so as not to overwhelm the listener.
Children with Asperger syndrome love details and factual information,
and they tend to take things very literally. They thrive on clarity, structure
and consistent routines. Over time and with persistent effort, they may
learn to generalize from successful communication and social experiences
in small to large groups. However, Asperger syndrome tends to be a chronic
disorder, and it is rare for individuals with Asperger syndrome to develop
strong social abilities.
If you are concerned that your children exhibit signs of Asperger syndrome,
you should have them evaluated by your pediatrician or family doctor,
who may refer you to a developmental pediatrician, child neurologist or
child psychiatrist for further evaluation. You should also request that
your children’s schools perform psychoeducational assessments of your
children to determine their eligibility for special education services.
— Robert Voigt, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics,
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Additional Resources:
Asperger Syndrome
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Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t
replace regular medical care. To e-mail a question, go to www.mayoclinic.org,
or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite
114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
© 2004 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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