Q: My 13-year-old son was being picked on and bullied in school so the teachers suggested I send him to a child psychologist because his behaviour is sometimes inappropriate and this might be why the other kids pick on him. The psychologist said he thought he had Aspberger’s syndrome. Can you tell me more about this?
A: Hans Aspberger was an Austrian physician who first described the syndrome in 1944.
Aspberger’s disorder is a mild type of autism, although people with this problem are not usually intellectually impaired. In fact, they can be very bright. They are often looked on as nerds in school because the other children see them as somewhat eccentric. This is accentuated by the fact that they often have a limited area of interest. Computers top this list, but it could be other subjects such as medieval history, trains or astronomy.
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There is also an impairment of non-verbal communication including a lack of eye contact or the opposite – a stiff staring gaze. This may be partly due to a physical problem with eye muscle movements.
Stereotyped and repetitive body movement may be present. These include hand or finger flapping or twisting, or a more complex whole body movement.
Speech is often literal, with a repetitive pattern and abnormalities of inflection, making it quite monotonous. People with this syndrome tend to make others quickly lose interest, especially as what they have to say often does not relate to the ongoing conversation. This makes group activity difficult.
Children with Aspberger’s syndrome are not good at sports due to a general clumsiness. This makes them even more likely to become socially isolated.
There is no specific medical treatment for this condition. However, psychologists and social workers can use behaviour modification programs to help these individuals learn to interact socially in a more appropriate manner. This will not come naturally, as they will have to stop and think about such things as eye contact, tone of voice and content of speech. Aspberger’s sufferers will improve with age and experience, and will most likely be quite successful in some occupation that does not require social interaction.
Perhaps you could explain that your son has a physical problem and maybe the bullies might be more understanding. If not, he may need to be placed in a different school.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
