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This website is a blog of a father who has a son with Aspergers. He is a photographer, so he documents his son’s adventures in an amazing way. He creates blog posts about things that have happened with his son, and it is a way for other parents to see another family who is going through a journey with Aspergers. His posts have an option for comments, allowing other families to create conversations about their own experiences.

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We have been working a lot, it's easy to do when you are self employed. It's so cool to be able to travel to new parts of the country photographing weddings at beautiful places. Your business gets just a little...

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Adventures In Aspergers | Autism Parenting Blog

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We have been working a lot, it's easy to do when you are self employed. It's so cool to be able to travel to new parts of the country photographing weddings at beautiful places. Your business gets just a little... Continue reading

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My Asperger’s is a great site for anyone looking to learn more about Aspergers. It provides an introduction to what Asperger's Syndrome is, a blog full of interesting articles, and a form for subscribers to ask the site author any questions they may have. A unique quality about this site is that it offers a large section of podcasts about Asperger’s Syndrome.

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"I see people with Asperger's syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life." Tony Attwood

What Is Aspergers?

Dr. Hans Aspergers, an Austrian pediatrician, named this form of mild autism when he studied a group of children in the 1940's. Aspergers describes a type of autism spectrum both similar and different to classic autism. Aspergers is different from classic autism in that there are no clinically significant delays in cognitive development, language, adaptive self-help skills, and curiosity about the environment. In classic autism these delays are often present.

Aspergers Statistics

According to Wikipedia, a 2003 study the ratio of people with Aspegers to the general population is .03 to 4.84 per 1000 . It has been estimated that the ratio of classic autism to Aspergers is ratio of autism to Aspergers 1.5:1 to 16: 1.

A Different Way of Thinking

The professional community has called Aspergers a disease or disorder. I prefer to look at Aspergers as a different way of thinking. Here's another way to look at it. I wake up one day with amnesia. I am American, I speak English. But let's pretend a Turkish family abducted me. I have no memory of being American, but as I come to, I realize I can't speak Turkish! I don't understand the different cultural nuances, and I'm often embarrassing myself. Over time, I study the Turkish language, and I learn Turkish customs, but I feel like I don't quite belong. Years later, I come across an English teacher who tells me I'm American! Who knew?! Suddenly a lot of things make more sense. My analogy can't ever quite express the full extent of having Aspergers in a world where most other people think differently.

Aspergers Strengths

Here's what Australian psychologist, Tony Attwood, says about Aspergers Syndrome.

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From my clinical experience I consider that children and adults with Aspergers Syndrome have a different, not defective, way of thinking. The person usually has a strong desire to seek knowledge, truth and perfection with a different set of priorities than would be expected with other people. There is also a different perception of situations and sensory experiences. The overriding priority may be to solve a problem rather than satisfy the social or emotional needs of others. The person values being creative rather than co-operative. The person with Aspergers syndrome may perceive errors that are not apparent to others, giving considerable attention to detail, rather than noticing the "big picture". The person is usually renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and having a strong sense of social justice.The person may actively seek and enjoy solitude, be a loyal friend and have a distinct sense of humour.

Mark Hutten outlines 50 positive Aspergers characterstics at his blog, My Aspergers Child. It's important to understand the strengths of the autism spectrum. People with Aspergers often have special areas of talent

Aspergers Signs and Symptoms

Aspergers also presents challenges.

Here are some of the key signs and symptoms, summarized at WebMd.

Problems with Social Skills. People with Aspergers often have difficulties understanding small talk, non-verbal expressions. It's hard to start and keep up conversations. These challenges make friendship, dating, and marriage difficult.

Communication Difficulties. Understanding social nuances of language and communicating effectively can be challenging. Eccentric or Repetitive Behaviors - Hand wringing, finger twisting, hand flapping often accompany Aspergers.

Unusual Preoccupations or Behaviors - such as having a set routine way for eating or getting dressed.

Limited Range of Interests - Brian King says Aspies have specialized brains versus generalized brains. So, to the neurotypical person, Aspies appear to have very limited interests. This could be the weather, sports statistics, types of animals. An Aspie often only wants to talk about those interests and doesn't see the point of talking about other things.

Coordination Problems - People with Aspergers often have sensory issues that get in the way of coordinating their bodies, leading to clumsiness.

This article answers the question, "What is Aspergers?"

But a larger question remains: "Who am I?" Aspergers is part of what a person is, but it is not the person.

You and I are each a wonder of creation. I hope this article helps you understand you or your loved one a bit better. Infographic courtesy of Asperger's Dude.

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"I see people with Asperger's syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life." Tony Attwood What Is Aspergers? Dr. Hans Aspergers, an Austrian pediatrician, named this form of mild autism when he studied a group of children in the 1940's. Aspergers describes a type of autism spectrum both similar and different to [...]

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This website is designed to equip teachers with a history and knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome. It focuses on the importance of guiding children to have a social education, where they are given the opportunity togain social skills. It also goes through different theories that have examined Asperger’s.

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The Organization for Autism Research provides a great resource for teachers of students with Aspergers. One section of the website outlines “Six Steps to Success for Asperger's Syndrome”, a teacher’s guide to teaching students with Aspergers. Additionally, it provides a guide available free to download, “An Educator’s Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome.” This site is a great resource for any teacher looking to better support the the individual needs of students with Asperger’s.

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Organization for Autism Research | Helping Families Today

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Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is an organization founded by parents and grandparents of children with autism providing valuable research and resources.

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This website was founded to support, advocate for, and promote solutions for the needs of both individuals with Autism and their families. This is a great resources for parents of children with Aspergers. Some resources this site can provide for the families are technology, community outreach, grants, non-English resources, local resources, and tool kits.

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At no cost to families, the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training (CST) program teaches parents and caregivers the day-to-day skills they need to help their children reach their full potential. Learn to build your child's communication, engagement, positive behavior, daily living skills and more.

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At no cost to families, the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training (CST) program teaches parents and caregivers the day-to-day skills they need to help their children reach their full potential. Learn to build your child's communication, engagement, positive behavior, daily living skills and more.

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-       Manage the environment

-       Keep academic and physical environment structured

-       Make limited changes to schedule and keep it as consistent as possible

-       Share the agenda

-       Simplify language

-       Be specific when telling the student what he or she did well

-       Educate peers and promote a positive interactions between classmates

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-       Limited or inappropriate social interactions

-       Repetitive speech

-       Focus is on self rather than others

-       Lack of eye contact in conversations

-       Awkward mannerisms

-       One-sided conversations

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Considered to be on the “high functioning” end of the autism spectrum. Those affected have difficulty with social interactions. Linguistically, it is not common for delays, however, it may slow down motor development. Diagnosis commonly occurs when there are major issues in social interactions.

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This is the Aspergers/Autism Network. This is beneficial for parents because it offers programs, services, parent coaching, and has a calendar of events. The support groups allow parents to meet-up in a non-judgmental space and talk about the various experiences they are facing. There are also support groups for children who have Aspergers. Additionally, there are articles about transitioning a child to college, to adulthood, and how to support them. Overall, this is an extremely useful website.

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The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE) - Asperger Syndrome & ASD

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The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE) works with individuals, families, and professionals to help people with Asperger Syndrome and profiles.