2. ASPERGER SYNDROME IS ONE OF SEVERAL SUBTYPES OF AUTISM
THAT WERE FOLDED INTO THE SINGLE DIAGNOSIS AUTISM
SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD).
3. SYMPTOMS:
• LACK OF EYE CONTACT
• INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL ISSUES OR
NONLITERAL PHRASES
• OBSESSION WITH SPECIFIC, OFTEN
UNUSUAL, TOPICS
• ONE-SIDED CONVERSATIONS
• AWKWARD MOVEMENTS AND/OR
MANNERISMS
4. CAUSES AND PREVALENCE:
• CHANGES IN THE BRAIN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OF THE
SYMPTOMS OF AS. HOWEVER, DOCTORS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
DETERMINE PRECISELY WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES.
• GENETIC FACTORS
• EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, SUCH AS
CHEMICALS OR VIRUSES
• BOYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP AS THAN GIRLS.
5. TREATMENT: STATISTICS:
• MEDICATION
• SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING
• SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
THERAPY
• OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
• PHYSICAL THERAPY
• COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL
THERAPY
• 1 IN 68 BABIES ARE
ESTIMATED TO BE BORN
WITH ASD
• AN ESTIMATED 75% OF ALL
ASDs ARE ASPERGERS
• NATIONWIDE THE RATE OF
ASD DIAGNOSIS IS
INCREASING
