How does an Asperger's mind work?

One popular theory is that people with Asperger's syndrome and other autistic disorders lack a "theory of mind" — the intuitive understanding that others have their own thoughts and feelings. As a result, they cannot imagine their way into the minds of others to anticipate their responses.

How is the Asperger's brain different?

Brain autopsy research has shown that both Asperger's people and the highest functioning people with autism have a small amygdala; in cases of low-functioning people, by contrast, the amygdala is more normal and the hippocampus more abnormal.

How do you cope with Aspergers?

What are the 3 main symptoms of Aspergers?

What is the most distinctive symptom of a person with Asperger's?

One telltale sign of Asperger's syndrome is having difficulty in social situations. Common symptoms of Asperger's that may impact social interaction or communication include: Problems making or maintaining friendships. Isolation or minimal interaction in social situations.

2-Minute Neuroscience: Autism

Do Aspergers feel empathy?

People with Asperger profiles do have empathy, despite an unfortunate stigma that suggests otherwise. In fact, in a recent study published in Nature's Scientific Reports, social neuroscience researcher Dr.

Does Aspergers show up on a brain scan?

Tracking Brain Activity in Asperger's Patients. Results of the functional and diffusion MRI scans showed that compared with people with no cognitive problems, people with Asperger's syndrome: Have increased activation in the brain network that governs attention.

What causes Asperger's in the brain?

We suggest that Asperger's syndrome probably arises from a generalized abnormality in brain development (causing widespread white matter abnormalities). This neurodevelopmental abnormality may, in turn, be modulated by environmental factors such as social isolation.

Are you born with Asperger's or do you develop it?

No one thing causes Asperger's syndrome. However, research suggests that certain factors during pregnancy and after birth may put a child at higher risk of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Does Aspergers make you smart?

When you meet someone who has Asperger's syndrome, you might notice two things right off. They're just as smart as other folks, but they have more trouble with social skills. They also tend to have an obsessive focus on one topic or perform the same behaviors again and again.

What are the characteristics of a person with Aspergers?

What is it like dating someone with Asperger's?

People with Asperger's also have strengths that make them wonderful partners. They tend to be honest, loyal, humorous, and champions of the underdog. Autistic people don't often get caught up in social constructs, so they can see right to the heart of what matters.

What part of the brain is damaged in autism?

The cerebellum is one of the key brain regions affected by autism. The researchers found that neurons that lacked the RNF8 protein formed about 50 percent more synapses -- the connections that allow neurons to send signals from one to another -- than those with the gene.

Is Aspergers a neurological disorder?

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder. It is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior.

What do people with Aspergers lack?

It is often said that they lack empathy. If, by empathy, you mean a deep understanding of other people's specific emotional states and how to respond appropriately, this is true. What it does not mean, however, is that they lack all compassion.

Do Aspergers get angry?

In addition to difficulties with understanding emotions, individuals with ASDs may become angry quickly and may have difficulty calming themselves effectively. They often need to be taught skills to cope with an increase in irritability once they have been able to identify these emotions.

Do people with Asperger's care about others?

Do people with Asperger's have empathy? Contrary to popular belief, people with Asperger's do have empathy. They care about how others are thinking and feeling but they often have difficulty putting themselves in other people's shoes.

What goes on in the mind of an autistic child?

Some of the main symptoms include communication problems like delayed speech development, and difficulty in social interactions, such as making friends, maintaining eye contact, reading people's body language or facial expressions, and expressing how they feel.

Can autism be caused by head trauma?

Although ASD and TBI present similar symptoms, there is no evidence that ASD is caused by trauma or injury to the brain. Its causes appear to be multifaceted and complex, including genetics, fetal conditions and various maternal and paternal factors.

How is an autistic person's brain different?

Compared with controls, people with autism have a slightly thinner temporal cortex, a large region associated with processing sounds and speech. They also have a thick frontal cortex, which governs complex social and cognitive processes.

Can someone with Aspergers love you?

Despite the problems in relationship skills experienced by many people with Asperger's syndrome, some adults can progress along the relationship continuum and are able to experience romantic and subsequently intimate personal relationships, even becoming a lifelong partner.

What it's like being married to someone with Asperger's?

NT spouses can often experience their own mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, affective deprivation disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of being in a relationship with an undiagnosed and untreated partner with AS for an extended period of time.

Can Aspergers drive cars?

One symptom of Asperger Syndrome (ASD) is an inflexible adherence to rules and order. On the one hand, this could make a driver with Asperger Syndrome (ASD) quite safe -- they won't exceed the speed limit or run a red light. However, consider your teen's ability to understand some nuance.

Does Aspergers affect your appearance?

People with Autism and Asperger Syndrome Process Faces as Objects, Yale Study of Brain Abnormalities Finds. Yale researchers have for the first time used functional MRI to study brain organization in persons with autism and Asperger Syndrome and found that they perceive faces as if they were objects.

How does Asperger's affect relationships?

Adults with Asperger's syndrome often have difficulties with initiating, maintaining and ending a conversation, and show a lack of reciprocity or conversational balance and a tendency to be pedantic with excessive and tedious detail (Attwood 2006).