In some patients, medication can reduce Asperger's disease symptoms. Image from Flickr.
Apserger’s disease is a form of autism that causes difficulty with social interaction and behavioral patterns including repetitive and restrictive actions. Those aspects of Asperger’s disease are explained in Part 1. This section, Part 2, discusses the discovery and naming of Asperger’s disease as well as what what causes it.
Dr. Hans Asperger, disease moniker
In 1944, long before payday loans online, pediatrician Hans Asperger first noticed behavioral patterns in some of his patients that included an absence of or limited empathy, lack of nonverbal communication skills and often physical clumsiness. The term “Asperger syndrome” was popularized in 1981 because of papers written by other researchers. It was not until 50 years later that Asperger’s disease — Asperger’s syndrome or Asperger disorder in the medical field — became a standardized diagnosis.
When Dr. Asperger first wrote about the syndrome that would later be named for him, he called it autism psychopathy. Autism means “self” and psychopathy means “personality disorder.” Asperger, an Austrian, opened a school for children with autistic psychopathy, but it was bombed near the end of World War II and much of his work was lost. This event is credited for the delay in spreading understanding and awareness of Asperger’s disease.
Causes of Asperger’s disease
Asperger syndrome is a genetic disease. The specific gene that causes Asperger’s disease has not yet been identified, but it is classified as a genetic disease because Asperger documented common symptoms found in affected patients’ families, especially the fathers. Other extensive research also shows all autism spectrum disorders have a genetic component.
Experts say Asperger syndrome is the result of developmental factors, specifically brain development. These factors can affect many or all brain functions. Studies show that the type of brain development that leads to Asperger’s syndrome begins in a fetus shortly after conception.
Asperger syndrome resources
If you want to learn more about Asperger syndrome, you don’t need to go spending your pay day loans on books or information videos. There is plenty of free content online. There is a lot of valuable information on good old Wikipedia. Here are some other web sites to check out for more information on Asperger’s disease:
- Autism Society
- KidsHealth
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders
- Web MD
- Autism program at Yale
