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Asperger Syndrome

 


             6) The patient doesn't fulfill criteria for schizophrenia or another specific .
             Pervasive Developmental Disorder. (Geocities.com).
             In 1944 a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger studied a number of cases whose clinical features resembled Dr. Kanner's 1943 description of autism. However Asperger's description differed from Kanner's in that speech was less commonly delayed, motor deficits were more common, the onset appeared to be somewhat later, and all the initial cases occurred only in boys. Asperger also suggested that similar problems could be observed in family members, particularly fathers. Although Asperger originally reported the condition only in boys, reports of girls with the syndrome have now appeared. Nevertheless, boys are significantly more likely to be affected. (Kilin and Volkmar, 1995). The estimated male to female ratio is approximately 4:1. (Brasic, 2002). This syndrome was not recognized for many years. In 1981, Lorna Wing increased interest in the condition, and since then both the usage of the term in clinical practice and number of case reports and research studies have been steadily increasing. (Kilin and Volkmar, 1995). Asperger syndrome was "officially" recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the first time in the fourth edition published in 1994. (Bauer, 1996).
             Is Asperger Syndrome the same as Autism? The debate on this question is ongoing. Some experts say that AS should be classified separately, others argue that the core difficulties are the same, only the degree to which they are seen in the child actually makes the difference. One expert, Uta Frith has referred to Asperger children as "having a dash of Autism". (Lord).
             Some psychologists believe children with AS show no delays in language or cognitive development at an early age. However, as the child with AS matures deficits may emerge. They have formal language skills, contrary to children with autism who display marked delays in language and cognition development.


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