Hans Asperger (1994) pioneered the study of this syndrome in Vienna and he published the pioneering paper in which he referred to this particular group of children as having an “autistic psychopathy” (p. 37 in Firth,1993). Asperger (1994) defines autism as “a fundamental disturbance of contact with the environment that is manifested in an extreme form of scizepherenic patients” . he also observed that the children were living in a world of their own; that they seemed to be oblivious to the environment at large. Other interesting observations were that this group of children had a special interest and had a higher level of intelligence in comparison to the autistic children he had previously investigated. There was no clear definition of this syndrome during its presentation in 1944. (In this chapter, the terms “autistic children” and “autistic child” as stated by Asperger (1944) would mean Asperger’s Syndrome persons, so that there is no confusion with the term “autistic children” as indicated by Kanner (1943) in chapter 3 of this study).
Even though the characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome were not recorded as clearly as Kanne (1943), below are the lists of characteristics that Asperger (1994) had observed through the observations of the early cases that were recorded.
Clinical Characteristics of Autistic Psychopathy
Onset from the second year of life
Living in a world of their own
Fleeting eye contact / peripheral vision
Empty facial and festural expressions
Speech often sing-song, soft, refined, nasal, shrill or ear splitting
Stereotypic behaviours
Special interests especially “rare maturity of taste in art
(Asperger, 1944 in Frith, 1991, p.72)
Prominent in language before the age of t
Autistic intelligence 9able to produce original ideas
Clumsy in motor movements
Rituals and routines
Failure to adapt to situations in daily life
Unable to express or display affection
Egocentric
Abnormal fixation on objects
Improper attitudes towards their body (e.g. unhygienic and messy)
No sense of humour
Sensorial deficiency.
A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
There is a marked impairment in the use of multiple non-verbal behaviours such as eye- to eye gaze, facial expression, body postures and gestures to regulate social interaction
There is a failure to develop peer relationships according to developmental level.
A lack of spontaneous effort to seek enjoyment, interests or achievements with other people. (For example, by a lack of showing, bringing or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
A. lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interest and activities as manifested by at least one of the following:
There is a preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus.
There is a tendency to behave in a specific, non-functional routines or rituals.
There are stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms. (For example, hand or finger flapping or twisting, complex whole-body movements).
There is a persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.
C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in languages. (For example, single words used by age 2 years, communicative pharases used by age 3 years)
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour (other than social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.
Rujukan: myautisticmalaysia.com
Lampiran:
In 1944 Hans Asperger (1906-80), an Austrian pediatrician, described a group of children with impaired social interaction and communication abilities. The name of this disorder today is Asperger syndrome, and it is currently defined under the category of pervasive developmental disorder in DSM-IV and ICD-10.
Hans Asperger studied medicine in Vienna. He worked after his doctorate in 1931 as an assistant physician at the Children's Clinic at the University of Vienna. From 1932 Asperger headed the medical education department at the clinic. He was appointed professor of pediatrics in 1962. (This Facebook page is created by Geir Bjørklund, e-mail: info @ vitalpress.no).
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