Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a high functioning form of autism typically clumped together with all other forms of autism for the sake of simplicity in a diagnosis.
So what is Asperger’s literally?
It is a neurological disorder. All this means is that the neurological structure in the mind of someone with Asperger’s is different from the average person.
These differences do not impact intelligence. While people with Asperger’s don’t always have above average intelligence, they do have as good a shot at it as anyone. (or at least there is no statistically significant number of people who miss this definition).
What are the characteristics of someone with Asperger’s?
Typically a higher sensitivity to sensory inputs such as lights, sounds, smells, and touch exists. This often results in sensory overloads and/or sensory meltdowns.
Slow development of Social Skills is super common among Aspies.
How to know if someone has Asperger’s
There really is no true way to be 100% sure someone has Asperger’s without getting a professional diagnosis.
However, if there is a bit of doubt or hesitation at that proposition I would recommend you take the Autism Spectrum Quotient. It WILL NOT prove if someone has autism, but it can approximate whether a person has autism or not.
Social hindrances
Any person with Asperger’s is likely to also struggle with social interactions.
In my own life this is most likely a result of sensory information being so challenging for me, often leading to overloads or the like.
I would highly encourage anyone interacting with someone they know has or believe has Asperger’s to show a mercy period as it may
P.S. Adult Aspies like myself typically have a lot of social stuff figured out already, it might still take a bit longer for us but we tend to be able to cover up those mistakes reasonably well.
Why is it so hard to find good information on Asperger’s?
This one sucks, but the answer is simple. No one really understands what exactly is going on with Asperger’s. We don’t know what causes it, we don’t understand why social development is a problem, and we don’t know why sensory inputs are so hard for Aspies to process. All we have are guesses, and not very good ones.
That’s why I started this blog. Being an Aspie myself (someone with Asperger’s Syndrome), I’d like to share what I’ve learned from experience and living with it. This blog was never aimed to be solely scientific or entirely emotionally based. I want to mix both with my experiences to provide the most accurate view of Asperger’s I can, so that I can help those who are confused about all this as much as I can.
I’m always open to those wanting to ask questions. Just send them to me at “wouldaspie@gmail.com” and I’ll do my best to answer them.