Asperger’s syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social functioning, communication and language, motor skills, and the activities and interests of the individual who suffers it, even though intelligence is normal (and even above average).

Asperger’s syndrome has now been removed from the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria manual and this category has been placed within the scope of autism spectrum disorders. However, its causes, symptoms and signs can be explained here to put into context a diagnostic label that has been widely used over the past few decades.

The cause of Asperger’s Syndrome seems to be the dysfunction of several brain circuits , and the affected areas are the amygdala, the frontostriatal and temporal circuits and the cerebellum, structures that are involved in the development of the social relationship.

10 Signs of Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s syndrome affects between 3 and 7 out of every 1000 children (7-16 years old) and there are more cases in boys than in girls. The presence of a medium (high) intelligence may cause the difficulties and limitations presented by individuals suffering from this disorder to be underestimated.

Possessing a high IQ (intelligence quotient) is not a guarantee of a satisfactory life , since emotional and social intelligence is important for personal, academic and professional success and is fundamental for developing abilities such as empathy, social judgment, common sense or the ability to negotiate.

Neurological functioning of Asperger’s Syndrome

The characteristic way in which people with Asperger’s syndrome think and understand the world has caused much debate among experts. Currently, there seems to be some consensus that the peculiar psychological functioning of individuals suffering from this disorder can be explained from various theoretical models .

Although these models have great relevance, so far none of these theories have been able to explain Asperger’s Syndrome in its entirety.

Deficit in the “Theory of Mind”

The theory of mind refers to the ability to infer in the mental states of other people : in their thoughts, desires, beliefs, etc., and to use the information received to predict their behaviour and to seek a meaning to their conduct. In other words, the theory of mind refers to the ability to put oneself in the other’s place.

Studies in this field indicate that people with Asperger’s syndrome are unable to formulate an explanation for the thinking or behavior of others. The deficit of the theory of mind causes the impossibility of explaining and understanding both one’s own behaviour and the behaviour of others and, therefore, it is not only impossible to predict what others will do and their intentions, but it also affects most of the daily activities that influence the personal development and well-being of individuals suffering from this pathology.

Executive function deficit

The executive function is the ability to maintain an appropriate set of problem-solving strategies in order to achieve a future goal. It is therefore associated with intentionality, purpose and complex decision making (e.g., impulse control, inhibiting inappropriate responses, etc.).

This appears to be the cause of the frontal lobe malfunction. People with Asperger’s syndrome have a deficit in executive functions, as their behaviour and thinking is rigid, repetitive and persistent . Examples of this deficit may be: impossibility of making plans, organizational difficulties, etc.

Right Hemisphere Dysfunction

The Right Hemisphere (HD) is important for the processing of visuospatial information , for aspects related to language (intonation or prosody) and is related to the expression and interpretation of emotions.

The dysfunction of HD is related to problems in social life , such as the interpretation of gestures, problems in the intonation of the messages to be transmitted, problems with body posture or difficulties in the integration of coherent information. People with this disorder have difficulty in grasping the emotional meaning of others, poor performance in tasks that require the integration of visual-motor information, and difficulties in social relations.

Signs of Asperger’s Syndrome

There are many behaviors that may indicate the presence of Asperger syndrome. In summary, here are 10 characteristic signs of this disorder :

  • Difficulties in social interaction and limited social relations
  • Lack of empathy with others
  • Difficulty understanding and grasping the world around them and the emotions of others
  • They can react annoyingly to certain external stimuli: noises, images, light…
  • May show motor delay and clumsiness of movement
  • Restricted, rigid, systematic and repetitive interests and activities
  • Eccentric or unusual behavior
  • Doesn’t usually look you in the eye when talking to you
  • They speak a lot, in a high and peculiar tone, and use a pedantic language, extremely formal and with an extensive vocabulary
  • Invent idiosyncratic words or expressions
  • Sometimes they seem to be absent, absorbed in their thoughts