is there anyone here who has Aspergers syndrome or knows people with it or knows about it well?

Question

I need to talk to someone who has Aspergers or knows it and its symptoms really well, I need some advice. Just tell me if you're willing and I'll email you or something.

Limo, thanks for the info, but I know what Aspergers is. I have it and I'm sure of it, I've read all the sites concerning it so I know more than doctors do right now. I just need someone to talk to about it, like sharing experience or advice or something.

Answer 1

Hello,
I answered this question for another person, and here was my answer to them (she was trying to figure out if her daughter had Aspergers or Autism). If you need more info let me know I may be able to help or point you in the right direction.

Asperger's is a form of autism where the child/person still retains language and communication functions (the movie Rain Man.. Dustin Hoffman had this). Normal autism is defined as the following: symptoms that appear before the age of three which reflect delayed or abnormal development in Language, Social Skills and Behavioral Repertoire.

I am a med student and just learned about this in one of my classes: our criteria for diagnosis of autism are as follows (taken straight from my notes given by MDs and PAs):
Autistic disorder symptoms manifest themselves as follows:
The person fulfills a total of at least 6 criteria from the following 3 lists, distributed as indicated:

Impaired social interaction (at least 2):
Markedly deficient regulation of social interaction by using multiple non-verbal behaviors such as eye contact, facial expression, body posture and gestures
Lack of peer relationships that are appropriate to the developmental level
Doesn't seek to share achievements, interests or pleasure with others
Lacks social or emotional reciprocity.

Impaired communication (at least 1):
Delayed or absent development of spoken language for which the patient doesn't try to compensate with gestures
In person's who can speak, inadequate attempts to begin or sustain a conversation
Language that is repetitive, stereotyped or idiosyncratic
Appropriate to developmental stage, absence of social imitative play or spontaneous, make-believe play.

Activities, behavior and interests that are repetitive, restricted and stereotyped (at least 1):
Preoccupation with abnormal (in focus or intensity) interests that are restricted and stereotyped (such as spinning things)
Rigidly sticks to routines or rituals that don't appear to have a function
Has stereotyped, repetitive motor mannerisms, such as hand flapping
Persistently preoccupied with parts of objects.

For Asperger's the following is needed for Diagnosis:

Qualitative impairment in social interaction with at least two demonstrations of impaired social interaction.
The person:
Shows a marked inability to regulate social interaction by using multiple non-verbal behaviors such as body posture and gestures, eye contact and facial expression
Doesn't develop peer relationships that are appropriate to the developmental level
Doesn't seek to share achievements, interests or pleasure with others
Lacks social or emotional reciprocity
Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
Preoccupation with abnormal (in focus or intensity) interests that are restricted and stereotyped (such as spinning things)
Rigidly sticks to routines or rituals that don't appear to have a function
Has stereotyped, repetitive motor mannerisms (such as hand flapping)
Persistently preoccupied with parts of objects

The symptoms cause clinically important impairment in social, occupational or personal functioning.

There is no clinically significant general delay in language

No clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

The patient doesn't fulfill criteria for Schizophrenia or another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Associated Features:
Delay in motor development often seen as clumsiness, extreme sensitivities to sensations,
Excessive, but non-interactive, speech when related to areas of interest
In addition, many children with Asperger's will have behavior problems due to their difficulty in understanding the world around them

Cause: Asperger's Disorder is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for Asperger’s Disorder. All the interventions outlined below are mainly symptomatic and/or rehabilitational.
Counseling and Psychotherapy: Individual psychotherapy, Parent education and training, Behavioral modification, Social skills training, Educational interventions.
Pharmacotherapy:
For hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity: Psychostimulants, Clonidine, Tricyclic Antidepressants
For irritability and aggression: Mood Stabilizers, Beta Blockers, Clonidine, Naltrexone, Neuroleptics
For preoccupations, rituals and compulsions: SSRIs, Tricyclic Antidepressants
For anxiety: SSRIs, Tricyclic Antidepressants

Other PDDs include Rett's Syndrome and Childhood degenerative disorder which are both marked by a period of "normal" development and functioning then regression to an autistic like state.

Answer 2

Families of Adults Affected by Asperger's Syndrome

Answer 3

I don't have it but I know the parents of people who do. I would be happy to try to help. There are also many online communities for people with Aspergers!

Answer 4

A friend of mine has it. He told me to read this book from Oliver Sacks: "An Anthropologist on Mars". The title story is about Temple Grandin, who has asperger syndrom. My friend told me he felt exactly the same way. Temple Grandin also wrote book on her own, that might be interesting.

Answer 5

There are several support groups online for Aspergers, try searching Yahoo and MSN Groups and you will come up with sveral possibilities;

Answer 6

It is a mild form of Autism . I went to school with a boy with this disorder. He was intelligent but difficult to talk to because he was so withdrawn. In fact it was impossible to communicate with him but I do know that he was able to speak to a councellor.

Answer 7

My son has it and I am extremely active in his life and treatment. Id be happy to share what I've learned from him, other parents, teachers, councilors, and psychologists over the years.