By Arwen Hann
copyright ChildForum

Here is an overview of what every parent, educator and child carer needs to know about Asperger’s Syndrome.  It answers common questions such as:

• What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
• How do I know if a child has Asperger’s?
• What are the earliest signs in infancy, toddlerhood and the preschool years?  
• What can parents at home do and what can early childhood education services do to best support, care for and teach, a child who has Asperger’s?

Asperger’s Syndrome is classified as a pervasive development disorder and is considered a mild form of autism. It was first described by Austrian paediatrician Dr Hans Asperger in 1944 after he observed some children under his care with certain symptoms. His observations which were published in German were not widely known about until the 1980s when Lorna Wing, an English doctor, published a series of case studies of children showing similar symptoms. She called this Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s is usually characterised by trouble with social interaction, communication and interpreting language. Although the condition is similar to autism, it is part of the diagnosis of Asperger’s that language and intellectual development is normal. Children with Asperger’s are often social and want to develop relationships, but equally there are also many who are happy doing their own thing and do not actively seek out social interaction. 

A child with Asperger’s is often one of average (and very often above average) intelligence.

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