From “Look Me In The Eye,” John Elder Robison’s New York Times Best Seller, we learn:
“Asperger’s syndrome isn’t all bad. It can bestow rare gifts. Some Aspergerians have truly extraordinary natural insight into complex problems… It was a lonely and painful way to grow up… I hope readers-especially those who are struggling to grow up or live with Asperger’s- will see the twists and turns and unconventional choices I made led to a pretty good life…”
John Robison was not diagnosed with Asperger’s until he was in his late 30s. John is very successful today and provides valuable insight into what it was like growing up without a diagnosis.
The twist of Asperger’s is that children with Asperger’s may be very bright and develop normal communication skills, within the typical range and may present strong verbal skills. The normal development of strong verbal skills and a normal range of communication skills are components typically contrary to a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Without a major warning sign, such as language impairment, parents may not pursue an autism evaluation. As a result, Asperger’s tends to be diagnosed much later than other autism spectrum disorders. Where most autism spectrum disorders are usually diagnosed before the age of 3, Asperger’s is often not diagnosed until the child is much older, above the age of 5 and in school.
Additionally, a majority of children on the autism spectrum have co-morbidity, which means they present symptoms of multiple disorders, such as ADHD, intellectual disability or depression. Unfortunately, some Asperger’s children may be misdiagnosed and treated for other psychological disorders without addressing their underlying condition, Asperger’s syndrome.
Asperger’s is often viewed as a social disability. Most likely, in hindsight, parents can point to quirkiness in their children, such as repetitive behaviors, an unusual gate, clipped cadence and poor social skills. John Robison made a clear distinction on this issue. For him, he played alone, not because he “preferred to play alone,” rather he was alone and lonely because other children didn’t want to play with him.
According to the Autism Sourcebook:
“Early signs of Asperger’s can include an obsessive interest in a specific topic and memorization of facts related to the topic, often in rote-like fashion without any actual understanding (such as memorizing train schedules or all U.S. presidents); no show of empathy; monotonous, pedantic, inappropriate, or unusual use of speech and language; little or no interest in playing with other children; and inability to engage in two-way conversation; uncoordinated motor movements and odd posture; and difficulty understanding non-literal expressions."
The Lowcountry Autism Foundation, Inc has recently added the Asperger’s evaluation tool to their autism evaluation protocol. For more information about Lowcountry Autism Foundation, visit our Web site at www.lowcountryautismfoundation.org.
