Asperger syndrome (AS) is a disorder on the autism spectrum but unlike autism, the affected individuals tend to have average or above average intelligence. The affected individuals while they may not exhibit visible signs and symptoms of the syndrome, they do display social challenges which are divided into three spheres often called the "triad of impairments." They include social communication, social interaction, and social imagination. (The National Autistic Society). These children may also have other disorders associated with autism such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder making it difficult for them to learn and pay attention in a classroom setting. These children show a tendency only to be interested and obsessed with one object at a time, and they become oblivious to all other activities happening around them. However, most children with AS have unusually high early language skills and are often termed geniuses. This characteristic is attributed to their peculiar repetitive behavior where they only perform a task in a sequential manner they deem most appropriate for them. If one were to change their rituals, they often have episodes where they withdraw from any and all social interactions.
When children are developing normally, they are naturally highly social beings and have the ability to make friends and form their communication languages. However, children on the autistic spectrum seem indifferent to simple hand gestures when they are infants, and they lack the social development milestones normal children undergo. They do not respond to their caregiver's voice or even make eye contact with them, and they often seem aloof and absent-minded. They carry this onto their later stages in life because their brain chemistry cannot pick up social cues which Baron-Cohen has described as lacking a “theory of mind.” (Autism Spectrum Disorders). It is the ability that allows people to “read” the moods of people in a social interaction and then change their emotional responses to the same. People afflicted with AS have been reported to lack empathy because they cannot see a situation from another person’s perspective. They appear distant and cannot normally interact with other people and often end up saying the most inappropriate things at inappropriate times.
These individuals crave to develop social relationships with others but are often rejected and stigmatized because they are not “normal.” They have impaired abilities to interpret social gestures and use them as well which compose of general rules governing the accepted social behavior. These individuals in a classroom setting seem to exhibit lapses in their concentrations, and when they are at younger ages, they tend to turn to violent outbursts publicly. They also tend to talk nonstop about one subject due to their obsessive nature, in a social setting where sharing is crucial, other children avoid them as they do not want their ears talked off about a subject in which they are not interested. They usually are involved in a monolog and end up talking at people instead of with them; they do not understand the concept of sharing the conversation. They think if they are interested in a topic then automatically others re as well. People with AS also do not have the concept of personal space. They usually encroach a person’s physical space which most people do not appreciate. They are ultimately cast off as weird and annoying, and their socializing skills suffer a blow from an early age.
As they grow older, these individuals can develop depression and anxiety fearing even any little interactions with others because of their previous bad experiences. They have a hard time finding jobs, and they often end up leaving because they are forced to interact with others. They may also result in taking lower jobs than they are qualified for as long as they would not get to have a lot of human contacts. For some, the anxiety becomes crippling, and they develop other secondary conditions such as agoraphobia and can barely make it out of their residencies. They end up having to live off of welfare, and the quality of their life is severally affected.
As adults, while they would wish to establish romantic relationships, they are usually termed as unfit candidates for such interactions. They have a difficult time expressing their emotions and recognizing their partner’s emotions. Even if they do, they barely know how to respond which strains their relationships. They also have a blunt way of communicating. Social norms teach people to incorporate necessary lies that lubricate a relationship and help people live with their mistakes. However, people with AS do not comprehend why these lies are necessary and feel the need to point out mistakes people wish to forget. A common mark of this bluntness is pointing out people's physical flaws which are not social accepted and even more so in a relationship where people share their lives together.
Typical people have a natural way of exaggerating during their storytelling to make it more interesting and other people expect it. However, people with AS find it hard to socialize with people who do not feel the overwhelming need to adhere to strict logic and accuracy. It is a symptom that makes them appear rude and interruptive during the normal flow of story-telling time. They often make corrections without using polite terms. They do not grasp that during such times, accuracy and logic are typically abandoned.
Finally, one of the biggest effects AS has on people is their ability to understand humor. They brain chemistry is wired so that things are what they appear. Since humor in the typical world is usually hidden in well-crafted innuendos normal people have picked up while growing up, they tend to take things "literally" and do not understand figurative language. Such people are deemed boring by others. This characteristic also greatly undermines their creativity and even in employment capacities, they tend to remain at the same level for years on end. They may also lack creative and critical thinking tools necessary to survive the dynamic workforce.
Works Cited
Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Fact Sheet. 2016. Web. 22 April 2016.
The National Autistic Society. What is Asperger Syndrome? 2016. Web. 22 April 2016.
