Posted by Bret Wood

In Reply to: Asperger's syndrome posted by Larry

> What is Aspergers?

It's a subtype of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder spectrum of
disorders. Autism is the most well-known PDD. Aspergers is generally
much more mild, and is often accompanied by hyperlexia (extremely early
development of reading/spelling ability), and marked difference in
receptive language skills as compared to expressive language skills.

I have a son who is currently 5 years old, and diagnosed as PDD-NOS
which means PDD-Not Otherwise Specified. Apparently Aspergers isn't
diagnosed until 6 years old usually, but we expect that's what he
has. When he was initially tested (at about 4.3 years old), he was
able to understand spoken language as well as a 7+ year old. (The
speech pathologist said he did better than a 7 year old, but she
didn't have tests for older kids with her), but he could talk as
well as a 5 year old. Even though those are both above average,
it is abnormal for them to be so different.

He's also very obsessive about many things. We thought he might
have OCD, but the doctors said that he only has obsessions, but
not compulsions (ritualized behaviors), so his obsessions are
probably related to PDD, rather than OCD. And he is somewhat
emotionally immature. He has a difficult time seeing things
from another person's point of view. (I know that _no_ 4-5 year
old is good at it, but he has a REALLY difficult time)

Anyway, it is generally assumed that kids with Asperger's Syndrome
will tend to grow up to be somewhat socially inept, and eccentric,
but very good at logical reasoning, and visual-type thinking skills.

The diagnosis hasn't been around long enough to have an adult
population to study, but as I learn about my son, I am pretty
certain that I would have been diagnosed with Asperger's as
a child. I wouldn't be suprised if the reason for the stereotype
of "geeky" kids as being bookworms is actually because they often
have Asperger's. (Kids with Asperger's learn better from reading
than from listening, they are better readers so they usually do
better at school, and they have difficulty with social interractions)

BTW, I have another son who has autism as well. My wife and I have
considered drugs for one or both of them, but have decided against
it at this point, so I can't offer any personal info on meds.

-Bret Wood
-bretwood@cs.uoregon.edu

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