Categoría: News
More content you may find interesting
Today is 18 February, International Asperger Syndrome Day.
This commemoration seeks to raise awareness of this neurodevelopmental disorder, promoting inclusion and respect for people with Asperger Syndrome.
What is Asperger Syndrome?
In the past, Asperger’s Syndrome was used to refer to people with high-functioning autism, i.e. autism with normal or high intellectual ability (i.e. without intellectual deficit). Nowadays, this term is no longer used, and we talk about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which covers all forms of autism, which are now distinguished by severity between 1 (the least severe) and 3 (the most severe), being the severity determined by the amount of support that the person with autism needs.
Thus, people who were previously said to have Asperger’s Syndrome would now equate to a level 1 ASD – needing less support to function in their daily lives.
Levels are defined according to difficulties in two main areas: social communication and restrictive and repetitive behaviours.
Level 1: Requires support
- Social communication deficits: The person has difficulty initiating social interactions and shows atypical responses to social cues from others. They may appear socially awkward or have difficulty carrying on a conversation.
- Restrictive and repetitive behaviours: The person may have rigid routines and difficulty adapting to change. May need support to organise and plan daily activities.
Level 2: Requires substantial support
- Social communication deficits: There is marked impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication. Social interactions are limited, even with support.
- Restrictive and repetitive behaviours: The person shows significant rigidity and difficulty managing change, which interferes with daily life.
Level 3: Requires very substantial support
- Social communication deficits: There is severe impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication. The person shows minimal response to social interactions.
- Restrictive and repetitive behaviours: Inflexibility is extreme and distress about change is very intense. Difficulties severely affect daily functioning.
These levels help clinicians to assess the need for intervention and the degree of support required for each person with ASD.
Why is it celebrated on 18 February?
This date was chosen in honour of the birth of Hans Asperger (Vienna, 18 February 1906 – 21 October 1980) the Austrian paediatrician who first described this set of characteristics in 1944. His work went unnoticed for decades until the 1980s when the syndrome began to be recognised as a specific profile within ASD.
Myths and facts about Asperger Syndrome
❌ Myth: People with Asperger Syndrome do not have emotions.
✅ Reality:They feel emotions, some of them intensely, but may have difficulty
expressing them and even interpreting them in the conventional way.
❌ Myth: They are geniuses in mathematics or computer science.
✅ Reality: Some people with Asperger’s excel in certain areas, but not all have extraordinary abilities.
Myth: They cannot lead independent lives.
✅ Reality: Most people with Asperger Syndrome live independently. Many work,
build families and lead full lives. The supports needed by a person with autism spectrum disorder vary from person to person.
Challenges and needs
Despite advances in the recognition of the syndrome, people with Asperger’s still face barriers in education, employment and social life. Lack of understanding of how they perceive the world can lead to exclusion and anxiety.
Therefore, this day is not only about raising awareness, but also about promoting a more inclusive and accessible society, where diversity in all its forms is valued.
Learn more about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their treatment.