An Auspicious Actuality of an Addendum of Autism called Asperger's

When the word autism comes up, what images come to mind? Children with odd behaviors. Strange, nonverbal ramblings. At worst, meltdowns over the most trivial things.

But what many fail to realize is that autism exists on a spectrum. It encompasses a wide range of symptoms and disorders. And one of those symptoms and disorders actually has a name. A subset of autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome.

Named after Austrian physician Johann Friedrich Karl ‘Hans’ Asperger, this condition has many of the same traits as classic autism, but with a few caveats. Those with Asperger’s tend to possess the ability to act closer to a neurotypical individual.

“From my POV, I’d say we’re “relative outliers” who can mask a little easier and aren’t as obvious.” Gordon Sutherland, an individual diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, said.

Another defining trait of Asperger’s is that those diagnosed with it tend to obsess over certain topics that they find enjoyable. These can be anything ranging from movies to TV shows to comic books or anything in between. Sutherland confessed that he was, and to an extent, still is, greatly into topics such as video gaming, the Star Wars franchise, dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise, tap dancing, animation, and studying history.

When someone with Asperger’s Syndrome find interest in a topic, their most common response is to learn as much as they can about their topic of interest. Sutherland, for example, takes weekly tap dancing classes, knows the names of practically every tap dancing move, even down to the details of the proper footwear needed.

For some odd reason, Asperger’s Syndrome was the only recognized offshoot of the wider Autism Spectrum Disorder. Even Sutherland is unsure why this is.

“I’m not familiar with any other variations. The closest I can think of is the high functioning/low functioning distinction.” Sutherland said.

Perhaps for this reason, Asperger’s Syndrome was incorporated into the wider Autism Spectrum in 2013. Since then, it has no longer been considered an officially recognized diagnosis. However, Sutherland believes there may be another possible reason for the discontinuation of the diagnosis.

“I heard it was because of both autism being a spectrum and because of Hans Asperger’s association with the Nazis.” Sutherland said when asked why he thinks the diagnosis was discontinued.

Hans Asperger was indeed a fervent supporter of the Third Reich. His research into children with autism, which he called ‘Autism psychopathy’, would charitably be called controversial today. He also recommended countless children to a clinic known as Am Spiegelgrund, which during the Nazi regime, murdered hundreds of disabled children that the Reich deemed ‘unworthy of life’. It’s little wonder that people on the spectrum would not want a label bearing his name.

Now that it is part of the wider Autism Spectrum, statistics for Asperger’s Syndrome fall into the same category as autism as a whole. It is a condition that affects one in 36 children born. Many are diagnosed within the first few years of life, but it can take a lifetime to understand and cope with the condition.

“It was roughly around middle school [when I was informed of my autism], and my mother sat me down to explain it to me. Though I suspect I was diagnosed sometime earlier by a doctor.” Sutherland said.