Asperger's Disorder

　　　　　Asperger's Disorder or originally known as Asperger's Syndrome is one of developmental disabilities with peculiar characteristics and categorized in the same group as autistic disorder with some differences in details.

　　　　　For more than 70 years the patients had been reported and mentioned before Leo Kanner, MD., psychiatrist of John Hopkins, reported the patients with autism. Since 1934 Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician said about children who had problem socializing with others, absorbed with strange and repeated actions but they seemed to be very smart. However, the crisis after World War II, no one had continued his research. Then, it disappeared until new generations of researcher recovered it.

　　　　　Diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s disorder according to DSM-IV issued by The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorder - Forth Edition, 1994 has put Asperger's Disorder into a group of PDDs (PDDs – Pervasive Developmental Disorders).

Diagnostic Criteria

A. Show abnormal social interactions in which at least 2 of the following symptoms are observed.
　　　1. Abnormalities in manners (e.g. eye contact, facial expression, action or posture or personality)

　　　2. Inabilities to build relationship with friends at the proper age level
　　　3. Lack of enthusiasm to join fun activities or show interests or achieve task with others. (e.g. no expressions, no comments or indifferences)
　　　4. No expressions or emotions or social response relationship

B. There are limited, patterned and repeated behaviors, attentions or activities with at least 1 of the items below.
　　　1. Adhere to only one repeated behavior (stereotyped) upwards and have limited attention which is abnormal in terms of severity or stimulation.
　　　2. Attach to routines or repeat actions in nonsense activities without flexibilities.
　　　3. Repeat mannerism such as whisking hands, turning and flouncing body.
　　　4. Pay attention to only some parts of object.

C. These abnormalities bring about deficits in social activities, work or other aspects with medical significance.

D. No medically significant delay in language is found.

E. No delay in cognitive development with medical significance or self-support, adaptive behaviors and childhood curiosity are observed.

F. Abnormalities are not compatible with other specific PDDs (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) or Schizophrenia

Epidemiology
Epidemic study showed that the prevalence is 1 per 1,000 persons, slightly higher comparing to autism.

Right now; there is not specific treatment for Asperger’s disorder, but we can support them for better development in social areas, better learning and regular living with community. Guidelines for treatment are as common as the guideline to autism by emphasizing correction of problematic areas together with significant interventions.