The Asperger syndrome is a pervasive disorders of the development. It is a syndrome that is included within the disorders linked to autism.
The term Asperger syndrome was proposed by Lorna Wing in 1981, in honor of pediatrician and psychiatrist Hans Asperger.
Human beings who do not suffer from this disorder manage to notice the emotions of other people, which is known as empathy. This interpretation arises from a kind of analysis of the language of the body and the conditions of the environment. Those who have Asperger’s syndrome, on the other hand, do not have this capacity and, therefore, they are not empathetic.
People with the most intense syndrome may not even understand what a smile or any other gestures that transmit some type of communication means, making it difficult to develop social ties. On the other hand, those affected by Asperger fail to grasp what is said between the lines or suggested indirectly.
A lot of research has been done about this syndrome to, among other things, be able to determine the causes that originate it. The studies carried out have not determined a specific cause for it to appear, however, a series of ideas have been established in this regard. In this sense, it has been made clear that it may have its origin both in the history of close relatives suffering from autism and in a genetic component, which normally emanates from the father.
For all this, the following can be established as the usual identifying symptoms that a specific person suffers from this syndrome: naivety, inability to carry on a conversation with another individual, clumsiness regarding the motor apparatus, a lot of memory for which they are small details, non-verbal communication problems or rapid alteration if there are changes in the daily routine.
Likewise, they should be joined by another series of very frequent symptoms, such as the tendency to walk or sway when concentrating, and various peculiarities in both language and speech.
As for the treatment of the Asperger patient and more specifically the child who suffers from it, it is essential that both his family and the teachers he has and the rest of the environment work together to help him. Among the basic guidelines established to develop such treatment, some stand out, such as, for example, encouraging the child to participate in conversations, expressing clearly and simply the rules that must be followed or developing very specific teachings.
It is important to note that although people affected by autistic symptoms such as Asperger syndrome are often considered to be gifted, the truth is that the brain only manages to focus intensely on some specific issues. Therefore, this disorder is mistakenly associated with a special quality.
Among the personalities who have been diagnosed with this syndrome are the Nobel Prize winner Vernon Smith, actor Dan Aykroyd, the late singer Syd Barrett and also musician Craig Nicholls, leader of The Vines.
Asperger or sprinkle, finally, is a verb that refers to the action of spraying or spreading drops of a liquid.