Asperger Syndrome: What Is It, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Methods?

Asperger syndrome, classified under the umbrella of pervasive developmental disorders, is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that particularly leads to significant issues in social relationships.

Asperger syndrome, which falls under the category of pervasive developmental disorders, is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that particularly results in noticeable problems in social relationships. Although it shares many characteristics with autism spectrum disorder, there are significant differences between the two conditions both clinically and behaviorally. Neurodevelopmental disorders that affect the structure or function of the brain can lead to communication and interaction difficulties, especially in social contexts. Thanks to treatment methods based on approaches developed to minimize such problems and specialized educational practices, it has become possible to enhance social communication skills. It is crucial for the disorder to be diagnosed early and for the child to benefit from specialized educational opportunities during their developmental process in order to manage the process correctly from start to finish.

What Is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger syndrome can be defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that does not cause any delays in language or other cognitive developmental milestones but leads to significant problems in reciprocal social interaction. Although there are no issues with the individual's perception of the world and events, noticeable restrictions can be observed in their behaviors, interests, and ways of interaction.

Originally described by Hans Asperger in 1944 as "individuals who experience a lack of empathy, have difficulty expressing their emotions, struggle to understand socially accepted topics, have a professorial attitude towards their areas of interest, but cannot control expressive techniques like tone and facial expressions," this disorder was classified as a subtype of autism spectrum disorder with the DSM-V and included among high-functioning autistic disorders. Autism is one of the most common pervasive developmental disorders. Types of pervasive developmental disorders significantly affect language development, communication skills, social and behavioral development stages, and adaptability to the environment, usually becoming noticeable in early life and continuing to show progress throughout life. Asperger syndrome is the only developmental disorder among common disorders that typically has the best course and can sometimes show mild progress that may be noticed for the first time in adulthood. Correctly recognizing this neurodevelopmental problem, which can manifest with different clinical features, and identifying the emerging signs and symptoms early is extremely important for maintaining personal development.

Symptoms of Asperger Syndrome

Asperger syndrome often leads to the individual adopting an introverted attitude, avoiding social communication, and distancing themselves from others. These symptoms are common behaviors that can arise from many psychiatric disorders. Clinically, the prodromal phase can lead to similar symptoms as many conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoid personality disorder, residual schizophrenia, avoidant personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis for individuals with Asperger syndrome. At this point, it is crucial to be aware of the specific symptoms of the disorder and to treat them as differential diagnoses. It is possible to mention certain areas where the problems of individuals with Asperger syndrome can be identified:

Speech Domain: Individuals with this syndrome do not exhibit any delays in language skills; however, different characteristics can be observed in the speech domain. Speech differences may include difficulties with pronoun usage, frequently using certain words, and often coining new words. Additionally, even if the individual uses language as a means of self-expression smoothly, they may have difficulty understanding the communication established by the other person. While describing a topic of interest, they continue to speak regardless of whether the listener is showing interest or paying attention, and despite the listener's attempts to change the subject, they maintain long monologues. Errors in intonation and emphasis during speech are also common symptoms among individuals with Asperger syndrome.

Social Communication Domain: Individuals with Asperger syndrome have a desire to establish social relationships; however, even if they succeed in forming warm relationships with their parents, they experience serious difficulties in social relationships with peers. Inadequacies in recognizing and interpreting facial expressions, an inability to understand conventional societal rules, and a significantly weak capacity for empathy are major factors that make social relationship building difficult.

Areas of Interest: Limitation of interests is another common symptom associated with Asperger syndrome. This symptom, which can be overlooked in childhood, becomes more noticeable as the individual enters adolescence. They have unusually different and highly limited areas of interest, which further weakens their social communication skills. Especially during adolescence, co-occurring mental health problems with the syndrome are frequently observed. During this period, personal care issues are noticeable in about half of the patients. Symptoms such as difficulties in adapting to school life, withdrawing from social communication, and introversion generally become apparent between the ages of 13 and 19.

Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome

The diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is extremely challenging due to the frequent occurrence of accompanying mental disorders. The initial symptoms typically appear around the age of 4, and the family of these children may also see the emergence of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in later ages, making the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome even more difficult. Considering the importance of clinical presentation in diagnosing the syndrome, it is essential to recognize it early in the developmental period; particularly during preschool years, the presence of characteristic features such as language development, social interaction patterns, behavior patterns, and limited areas of interest should be thoroughly investigated.

Treatment Methods for Asperger Syndrome

The primary goal of treatment is to enhance the patient's social communication skills and increase their adaptability to the environment. The most significant factors affecting social adaptation in Asperger syndrome are the severity of the condition, the patient's cognitive capacity, the presence of accompanying psychiatric disorders, and the attitudes of family and other environmental factors. To properly manage the syndrome, it is essential to assess these variables, which directly affect social adaptation, and to organize them in a way that will be beneficial for the patient. Accompanying mental disorders should be treated, family and close contacts should be educated, initiatives aimed at improving the patient's cognitive capacity should be planned, and the severity of the condition should be controlled through medical or psychotherapeutic methods.

When evaluating the development of individuals with Asperger syndrome from preschool to adolescence, it has been observed that early intervention treatments increase cognitive skill levels and that there is some improvement in social functionality with age. In light of this information, it can be stated that personalized comprehensive treatment methods positively affect the course of the disease.

What is the Difference Between Asperger Syndrome and Autism?

According to the diagnostic manual for mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V), Asperger syndrome is recognized as a subtype of autism spectrum disorder and falls among high-functioning autistic disorders. These two conditions show similarities in both the neurodevelopmental characteristics of the brain and in commonly observed behavioral patterns; however, they can be distinguished in several ways. The most notable difference between Asperger syndrome and autism is the developmental features observed in the language domain during childhood. Individuals diagnosed with autism frequently exhibit delays in language development and are usually diagnosed after the age of 2. In contrast, there are no issues with language development in Asperger syndrome, and these children typically begin to speak at nearly the same time as their peers.