What is Asperger syndrome: How it affects behaviour and social interaction

16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg was recently in the news, after her scathing attack in the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019 shaming world leaders for failing to take action against climate change.
But what probably shocked us the most was her personality. For a 16-year-old, Greta was unusually bold and blunt, and seemed unafraid of personal attacks, backlash and criticism.
"I have Asperger's and that means I'm sometimes a bit different from the norm," she tweeted. "And - given the right circumstances - being different is a superpower."
[embed]https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1167916177927991296[/embed]
So what is Asperger Syndrome and how does it affect behaviour and social interaction? Let's find out.
WHAT IS ASPERGER SYNDROME?
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder. It is part of a broader category called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though it falls on the mild end of the spectrum.
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The condition is generally termed as a "high-functioning" type of ASD by experts, because the symptoms are less severe than other kinds of autism spectrum disorders.
So, those who have Asperger Syndrome usually don't have delayed language skills and cognitive development that is associated with people with ASD.
Often, those with Asperger's have good language skills, but their speech patterns may be unusual, and they may not pick up subtleties such as humour or sarcasm.
Asperger Syndrome cannot be cured. Early diagnosis and intervention though, can help a child achieve his/her potential and lead an independent, productive life.
SYMPTOMS OF ASPERGER SYNDROME
People with Asperger Syndrome exhibit these primary symptoms:
The most distinguishing symptom of Asperger Syndrome is a child's obsessive interest in a single object or topic. Children with Asperger Syndrome want to know everything about their topic of interest.
Their conversations usually revolve around this topic too.
The child might also repeat himself/herself a lot, especially on a topic that he/she is interested in.
He or she may not smile a lot or show a lot of emotions, and may speak in a flat, robotic kind of way. Because of this inability to make "normal" conversation, children with Asperger Syndrome might find themselves isolated from their peers.
TREATMENT FOR ASPERGER SYNDROME
There is no cure for Asperger Syndrome.
With the right intervention and treatment however, the child can lead an independent, successful life. Treatment is usually based on the symptoms and may involve medication and therapy.
Medication can be helpful for controlling behaviour and symptoms associated with AS such as depression, irritability, hyperactivity and anxiety.
Your doctor may prescribe some of these:
This article was first published in theAsianparent.