Asperger Syndrome »
According to the Simple English Wikipedia, Asperger Syndrome is a term that is used when a person has a hard time talking with other people in the usual way. Doctors see Asperger syndrome as a mild form of autism. It is sometimes called "high-functioning autism". This means somebody with autism who looks like they do not have autism, but their brains still works differently than that of other people. Doctors often make mistakes about whether someone has Asperger syndrome, and they often believe by mistake that the person has schizophrenia, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, or mental retardation instead.
What does this have to do with anything? We have frequently been told to have our youngest son should be treated for ADHD, and we don't really subscribe to the idea. So we went looking for some alternate explanations. One of the best descriptions we came upon was Asperger Syndrome.
Interestingly, the article above also says "People with Asperger syndrome tend to be better than most people at things like math, writing, and computer programming." Hmm. I was starting to get a little concerned about myself. I've never been a math whiz, but I've never had any problems at it. And I do enjoy writing - this is a blog you know - and I am a computer programmer. Maybe I should look at myself too. So I found this quiz.
Frankly, I think the quiz could make anyone out to have Asperger Syndrome. But then again, maybe it just makes sense to me because I actually have Asperger Syndrome. What does it mean if you do? Here's a list:
* Special interests/hobbies such as computers, math, or science
* Have a lot of trouble making friends
* Don't like changes in school, work, home life
* Like to be alone more than with lots of people
* Can be more often bullied in school
* Learns to read very early (called hyperlexia)
* Might be clumsy when walking and/or playing sports
* Might have trouble understanding someone who uses puns or does not say something literally
Out of those eight, I can probably check off five to six of them. Our son, maybe three. So I'm glad that we found the article, but now I'm more concerned about my own self - though the article does mention that those with AS can generally learn to cope with it, and even be successful, it does seem that I can fit the bill!
