RP136 Asperger's Syndrome

RP136 Asperger's Syndrome

Adam is very, very smart. He has an excellent memory and astonishes people with the information he can recall. But he didn't have many friends at school—he couldn't figure out how to have a conversation. When was it his turn to talk? When should he stop? What did it mean when people's faces changed expression? He couldn't understand these things.

Wendy has always hated loud sounds. Light also bothers her, and she only likes to wear very soft clothes. She loved learning about insects, animals, and medicine, but hated school, where she was bullied.

Wendy and Adam have Asperger's syndrome. It's a type of autism, a disorder that still hasn't been well understood. We don't know why some people develop it. We' re only now learning how to help people with autism and Asperger's interact with the world. Preventing the disorder—let alone curing it, which is controversial—is still far in the future.

People with Asperger's generally seem more normal than other autistic people. They learn well, can speak normally, and are usually very smart. Social interaction is their problem. It is hard for them to read body language and understand social rules, like when to talk. People with Asperger's may not understand small talk, but may ramble on about a particular interest whether or not their listeners care. How to move can also be a problem; they may not use normal eye contact, or they might require more space than other people. They may not seem emotional or affectionate.

People with Asperger's do feel, of course. They just show it differently. They think differently than most people, but they think deeply and carefully. Our challenge for the future will be to learn to understand each other, so we can use all of the different gifts different people are given.