Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism. People with it can be highly functional. They can talk, think, reason, and take care of themselves. However, they are limited in various aspects in these areas.
Those with Asperger’s have a difficult time with social interactions. They have a lack of empathy. They don’t understand feelings or emotions. They aren’t capable of showing interests in others and what they are doing. Much of their social interaction with others is awkward or strained. Many times, they don’t know how to react appropriately in social situations and don’t look people in the eye. Because of this, they may have a difficult time making friends.
Someone with Asperger’s may develop an inflexible routine, which they do not vary. If for some reason they have to vary it, they get greatly upset. Typically, they develop a very unusual narrow interest such as memorizing camera model numbers without having any interest whatsoever in photography.
The speech and language development of an individual with Asperger’s is fairly normal. However, they have speech abnormalities such as sudden transitions in topics that are abrupt to those they are speaking with. They speak loud and have an odd pitch or intonation and often are very talkative.
While they understand the words that others speak, they have a difficult time understanding the difference in nuances. If someone said, “I could cry for joy,” they would expect to see someone really crying. They take things literally and don’t understand metaphors.
Treatment for those with Asperger’s generally includes training of social skills. They are given speech therapy to understand how to carry on a normal conversation. They learn what types of behavior is acceptable and what isn’t. They are taught how to manage their stress and their feelings of anxiety. They learn how to control their repetitive routines and obsessive interests. Sometimes medication is prescribed for their depression or they hyper activeness.