...I will be honest, I intended to write this so much sooner than I did. Procrastination and laziness is a cruel and unavoidable temptation. I had planned to write on the first day of living at college, then I had planned to write after one month of living. Both passed and I was terribly lazy on both days. No more, I said. After hearing my roommate talking about how he loved writing for the online publication Odyssey, I decided it was time to swoop into action. I don't intend for this to be a blog specifically pertaining to living with Asperger's, it's just a more whatever place for me to write. I find myself becoming increasingly opinionated as time goes on, and I'm going to try to categorize my posts accordingly. Posts pertaining to Asperger's...
Words: 423 - Pages: 2
...In my opinion, Christopher is an archetypal hero. The book begins with him possessing severe and uncontrollable Aspergers symptoms. Naturally, Christopher will never pertain the ability of living independently. As Christopher leaves his house to begin a journey alone, he overcomes his greatest weaknesses. In the end, Christopher feels confident he can one day live unnattended. Christopher’s character follows the template of the quintessential hero. At the beginning, Christopher has severe Aspergers symptoms (e.g. hitting a police officer, screaming when touched). Although you discover his mother is deceased, early on, you become suspicious because his father hates their neighbor, Mr. Shears, and Christopher’s mother had an affair (60). This fits the archetypal hero’s mysterious and orphan-like beginning. Halfway through, Christopher realizes his father lied to him; his mother is living! Christopher’s call to adventure occurs after...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...Disorder is only one of four recognized disorders in the autism spectrum. The others included in the spectrum are Asperger Syndrome(AS), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome are not met. In an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2011), over the last twelve years, prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased 17.1% which equals about 1.8 million more children in 2006 through 2008 as compared to a decade earlier. Additionally, prevalence of Autism increased 289.5% while the prevalence of ADHD increased 33.0%. With this increase, more research and studies are being done to learn more about a disorder that is relatively recent. Specifically, the focus of this paper is on Asperger Syndrome, which is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and motor coordination, and unusual or restricted patterns of interest or behavior. Clinically, the distinction between Autistic Disorder and Asperger Syndrome is often made in terms of severity and in the qualitative expression of the criteria. Both syndromes are characterized by social interaction deficits, impaired communication skills, and unusual or bizarre behaviors. However, in Asperger Syndrome, motor deficits are more pronounced, onset...
Words: 3207 - Pages: 13
...of objects. For example, instead of playing with a matchbox car, a child with Asperger’s may focus on just the tires. These children also dislike any changes in their routines and have difficulty understanding social cues. Delayed motor development, unusual speech, and heightened sensitivity to sounds, textures, and tastes are also symptoms of this condition. These children may also not understand jokes and have a tendency to take everything literally. Asperger’s syndrome is considered a developmental disorder. The incidence rates for this condition are not well established, but it does appear that boys are three to four times more likely to have it than girls are. It is named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician who studied four children with the symptoms in 1944. Asperger referred to these children as having autistic psychopathy. He described it as a personality disorder marked by social isolation. His work was published, but not widely known until an English doctor published a series of case studies that described more children with who met the same symptoms. She published these articles in 1981, but AS was not added to the World Health Organization’s diagnostic manual until 1992. Diagnosing this condition is usually done with input from teachers, parents, caregivers, doctors, and others who have close contact with the child. The...
Words: 879 - Pages: 4
...Final Project Virginia Berry June 15, 2011 PS380 Professor Husk Kaplan University Aspergers Syndrome is one of the most common autism spectrum disorders, (Hunt & Marshall, 2006). There are many symptoms that are common with children with Aspergers syndrome. One symptom may be showing intense obsession with specific subject like cars, bugs or the weather. Speaking in a monotone voice or speaking fast is another symptom of Asperger’s (MayoClinic, 2011). There are approximately 26 to 36 out of 10,000 school-age children that are diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (Ehlers & Gillberg, 1993). Like classic autism, there is no known factor that causes Asperger’s Syndrome. Though many parents believe there is link autism by childhood vaccinations, there is no documented proof that the two are related (Downs, 2011). Treatment for Asperger’s Syndrome can be reviewed with the four major schools of psychotherapy; structuralism, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology and psychoanalysis. Structuralism is to analyze the mind in simple components and find how the components fit into a complex form, (Britannica, 2011). Behaviorism is a theory that all behaviors are learned through conditioning. Gestalt psychology theory is based off perception, (Britannica, 2011). Psychoanalysis is based on observation of individuals that are unaware of their behavior and emotions, (APSAA, 2011). Individuals living with Asperger’s Syndrome may not benefit from all four major schools of psychotherapy....
Words: 1078 - Pages: 5
...are affected by fighting in the Vietnam War. The book takes the reader through the soldiers’ experiences while fighting, and then fast-forwards to years down the road when the veterans are much older. The reason for this is to show how the veterans are still affected by the war many years later. One particular soldier, Norman Bowker, spent his late years reflecting on his time in the war. He blamed himself for what happened to his fellow soldiers. He first handily watched one of his good friends die in combat. Bowker had the chance to save his friend, but he was unable to do so. Norman had reoccurring episodes where he found himself in the middle of combat, not knowing what to do. After these episodes occurred, he felt no purpose of living anymore. The aftermath of the war is what got to Bowker the most. Eventually Bowker committed suicide because his PTSD was so severe. He could not go on with his life. Seeing Bowker commit suicide really put into perspective how serious PTSD is. I do not imagine most PTSD victims’ lives end in suicide, but it is definitely a possibility. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disease that should be taken very seriously. From what I’ve learned...
Words: 989 - Pages: 4
...diagnose Classic autism). Autism Disorder. This is the most severe kind of autism- remembering that Rhett's and C.D.D. are very rare. It is characterised by social impairments. Communication difficulties, restricted and particular patterns of behaviour. The most classic sign is impaired social interactions. A person with A.D. may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on a single item. They find it difficult to follow what people are saying or thinking as they can't pick up social cues, such as body language and tone of voice. They may fail to respond to their names and avoid eye contact. They may engage in repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning or flapping their arms. Even in self abusive behaviours like head banging and biting. Asperger Syndrome (A.S.) this is often mistaken with high functioning autism. Often "Aspirs" aren't diagnosed until after three years of age. This is due to having no difficulty...
Words: 4711 - Pages: 19
...Married To Asperger’s Introduction We all remember the awkward kid in school who was a loner and unable to sustain friendships. What happens when this kid grows up, will they marry, can they marry, is it possible for this person to have a successful marriage? What barriers are there and how can they be dealt with so an other-centered extravert can have a fulfilling marriage with a self-absorbed person with Asperger’s syndrome? People with Asperger’s syndrome have difficulties in relationships in general. Marriage is probably is the most interpersonal of all relationships. I believe it may be difficult for an extravert to have a fulfilling marriage. Asperger’s syndrome is one of the Autism spectrum disorders that are characterized by abnormalities of social interaction and communication. Those that are diagnosed with the syndrome often associated exhibit restricted behavior or activities such as being fascinated and glued to a certain activity and often have a general delay in the development of their speech (Janzen, 1999). Because of this, there is a very high likelihood that the people diagnosed with this syndrome will have a problem when it comes to the development of friendships (IAP, 2011). They may engage in a one sided conversation about their topic of interest without necessarily taking into consideration the feeling of the listener and whether he or she is interested in their topic of discussion...
Words: 2352 - Pages: 10
...Aspergers is considered a rare syndrome and is a form of Autism. Mayo Clinic says there are fewer than 200,000 diagnosed cases in America per year and is found more in males after age 3. Christopher is the protagonist in the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Christopher is a 15 year old boy living in Swindon, England and has aspergers. The theme of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is that people struggle with things they don't understand, such as Christopher who can't comprehend emotions or body language, being introverted, and being scared of strangers. The first struggle that Christopher has is not be able to understand emotion or body language. While Christopher is trying to explain how his aid...
Words: 832 - Pages: 4
...ST. PAUL’S UNIVERSITY DEPT: COURSE: UNIT CODE: UNIT NAME: REG. NO: FULL NAMES: LECTURER: SUBMISSION DATE: Introduction It is right to say that autism is a disability and wrong to say that it is a mental disorder. However much people may think that autism appears to be a mental disorder, it is not. Autism occurs when there is a problem in the central nervous system. Autism is only a mental deficiency. Some autism victims clearly communicate and interact with the rest of the community while others need a lifetime of specialist support. It is a spectrum condition which means that while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition affect them in different ways. Autism victims experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colors. People with autism are more likely than the general population to have accompanying problems such as dyslexia (difficulty with reading, spelling and/or writing), dyspraxia (severe difficulty with tasks requiring fine motor skills such as drawing or writing) and digestive problems. They are also vulnerable to developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Causes of Autism Autism can be caused by a variety of physical factors all of which affect brain development. The abnormal blood vessels functioning in the body causes ineffectual oxidation throughout the nervous system and this causes autism. Genetics is another cause for autism. Evidence suggests that genetic factors generate...
Words: 2696 - Pages: 11
...hand and they are both the same in every way, but you would be very much mistaken to believe that. Even though Asperger’s is one autism spectrum disorder it are disorders that share similarities, they are characteristically different in terms of their symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and treatment/coping techniques. Asperger’s and Autism are two disorders who shares similarities and differences in terms of their symptoms. “Autism is a spectrum of complex brain disorders. The disorders result in social, behavioral, and communication problems”. Both disorders aren’t well known and sometimes misdiagnosed as more common disorders, due to the fact that the symptoms from both can often mimic other regressive behavioral and developmental disorders. “Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorders resulting in social and behavioral problem” (Wood, 2013). The similarities within the symptoms of Asperger’s and Autism are social and behavioral problems. These symptoms usually appears in both disorders between the ages of 2-6 years old, which are most commonly noticeable by a parent or a caregiver. Examples of the social and behavioral problems are avoiding eye contact,...
Words: 1122 - Pages: 5
...Autism Do you believe that Autism may be caused by a specific thing? Is it possible that there is a specific gene that may be present in children that have been diagnosed with Autism, which may make them more vulnerable or likely to develop Autism? Maybe Autism can develop from a vaccine or from vaccine sensitivity? Scientific research has shown that there is no direct link between the two, however how else would you explain, an otherwise perfectly developing child one day, to a child who is withdrawn and completely different the next? Because the actual cause of Autism is not known, in this paper, I will explore some of the probable causes, the signs and symptoms, as well as the treatment options that are available to a family, which may suspect their child may be suffering from Autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that is diagnosed within the ages of 1-3. Children diagnosed with Autism are known to have social and communication disorders. The exact cause is unknown, but according to the Center for Disease Control, there are some suspected causes, which include, diet, digestive changes, mercury poisoning, and vaccine sensitivity. The rising number is not known if it is due to an actual rise in cases, or if it is because, it is now much easier to diagnose the disease. Autism does affect more boys than girls. There is no link between lifestyle, income levels or education to having a child with autism. (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines). Studies show that some children do...
Words: 1912 - Pages: 8
...Growing up with an autistic brother (who was previously diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome) has caused for my life to have some unforgettable moments, such as the time he punched me in the nose when I didn’t remember the name of a radio station. Sometimes I feel like a punching bag; and he’s a bomb about to explode. However, I’d rather him punch me than a stranger on the streets. I’ve taken death threats and the chair that he tried to throw at me. I’ve seen him at his worst moments, and I’ve also seen him at his best. Living with him, I’ve learned how to filter my thoughts and think before I speak. From the handprint on my cheek, now I know not to spread secrets about him. Sometimes I want to let my anger out like he does, but after cleaning...
Words: 334 - Pages: 2
...Mary and Max It is 1976, an 8-year-old Mary Daisy Dinkle (Bethany Whitmore) is a lonely little girl living in Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Australia. Her relatively poor family cannot afford to buy her toys or nice clothing, and she is teased by children at her school due to an unfortunate birthmark on her forehead. Her father is distant and her alcoholic, kleptomaniac mother provides no support. The closest thing she has to a friend is the man for whom Mary collects mail, Len Hislop, a World War II veteran who lost his legs as a prisoner of war and has developed agoraphobia. One day, she decides to write a letter to someone living in New York City: by pure chance she chooses Max Jerry Horowitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman) from a telephone directory. Max turns out to be a morbidly obese 44-year-old whose various mental problems (including anxiety attacks and overeating) have left him unable to form close bonds with other people. Max decides to write back to Mary, and the two become friends. Over time, Mary's increasingly sensitive questions about the adult world give Max progressively worse anxiety attacks, and he is ultimately institutionalized. During his time there, Max is diagnosed with depression and Asperger syndrome. Now aware of why he has difficulty relating to other people, Max finds a new lease on life and resumes his correspondence with Mary. The two remain friends for the next two decades, keeping one another updated on various events in their lives. Mary (Toni Colette)...
Words: 9871 - Pages: 40
...Running head: COMPLETING THE PUZZLE Completing the Puzzle of Autism Spectrum Disorder Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) most commonly known as Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the normal brain function. It is a disorder characterized by deficits in three major areas of behavior-social, communicative and the display of repetitive or restricted behaviors. This research paper will provide a review of people with autism spectrum disorders, including the symptoms, diagnosis criteria, and possible causes. In addition, it will describe with how it has impacted the society, families and themselves. Completing the Puzzle of Autism Spectrum Disorder Can you imagine trying to understand what your parents or peers are saying but you don’t really know what the words mean? Sometimes this can make a child very upset and frustrated just because they can’t come up with the right words to express his or her feelings or thoughts. These kids with special needs try to live their lives by learning to handle stuff that are challenging and annoying for them. People with autism can make a significant contribution to society, as well as to their families. However, having autism is generally difficult for the person themselves and their family, it also involves great financial sacrifice. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) most commonly known as “Autism” is a neurological disorder that has an effect on...
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
