Running Head: AUTISM AND ASPERGER’S SYNDROME
Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: An In-Depth Discussion on the affects of Autism Spectrum
Disorders in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
Ashley R. Harris
Montgomery College
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AUTISM AND ASPERGER’S SYNDROME
Abstract
More and more, children today are being diagnosed with Autism and other Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASDs). It is said that it affects 1 in 110 children; males are more at risk than females.
Autism, in general, is a communicative and cognitive disorder that can hinder the child’s social
skills, language development, and intellectual ability. It can also cause behavioral difficulties.
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), named after Hans Asperger, is thought to be a milder form of
Autism, with the child’s intelligence intact, but they may have difficulty reading social cues and
relating to other people. In addition, children with AS have been documented as having repetitive
behaviors and routines. Doctors, psychologists, and educators have researched many treatments
for these disorders, including therapy, special education plans, and medications. Numerous tests
and studies have been conducted to unlock clues into this puzzling condition, and many of their
results have been published in journals, newspapers, and magazines, all over the world. Autism
and Asperger’s, respectively, show in different ways in different stages of the child’s
development, causing problems when it comes to interacting with their peers. This paper will
discuss basic information about these disorders, as well as several aspects related to AS and
Autism, including treatment methods, studies and their results, and the characteristic of Autism
Spectrum Disorders.
Keywords
: Autism, Asperger’s, disorder, children, adolescents, young adults, treatment,
behavior, medication, education, peer interactions, social skills, communication skills,
emotional well-being, services
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AUTISM AND ASPERGER’S SYNDROME
Introduction
Meet Sidney, a 20-year-old, African American female living in an urban community. She
is a full-time college student working a part time job. On the outside, she’s like any other
individual in her age group. However, when one gets to know her, they notice some slight
differences in her social skills, habits, and personality. Although her peers could not quite put
their finger on what was different about Sidney, her family and former teachers knew all too
well. Sidney is diagnosed as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder. To be more specific, she is
classified as being a high-functioning autistic, though she tells others who are interested in her
that she has Asperger’s Syndrome. But what does this mean? What is Autism? What is
Asperger’s Syndrome? And what is an autism spectrum disorder? In this paper I will be going
into detail about what these terms mean, the treatments for these disorders, how
children/adolescents/young adults live, cope, and deal with this disorder daily, as well as the tests
to diagnose these conditions, and the research that has been done to unlock the mysteries of
Autism, Asperger’s, and other ASDs.
