Among all of the different learning disabilities that researchers have identified and named over the years, Asperger’s Syndrome might be the most misunderstood of all learning disabilities. This is because people who have been diagnosed as having Asperger’s are fully capable of leading independent, high-functioning lives.
While just about everyone has heard of the most commonly discussed learning disorders, such as autism and ADHD, a significant portion of the American public remains in the dark when it comes to Asperger’s Syndrome. In fact, it would be plausible to claim that the majority of Americans would not have a clue about Asperger’s if they were asked. It is even likely that many have never even heard the word “Asperger’s.”
Although Hans Aperger started studying the symptoms of the condition that would become known as Asperger’s in 1944, the term did not gain wide usage among professionals until the early 1980s. Asperger’s Syndrome actually would not become a standardized diagnosis until the early 1990s. Therefore, it is understandable that so many people remain ignorant about it to this day, even though Aspergers schools have existed for years.
Asperger’s Syndrome is considered to be a “spectrum disorder.” This means that Asperger’s is actually a mild form of autism, which exists on the opposite end of the autism spectrum of severe autism. Therefore, an official diagnosis of Asperger’s requires close study of an individual’s behavior, primarily in social situations. In the event that a child is officially diagnosed as having Asperger’s, some parents may choose to enroll their child in a school for Aspergers.
In much the same way as schools for ADHD and schools for dyslexia, and top Aspergers school will have a staff that is trained in the latest teaching strategies that have been developed with the best interest of Asperger’s individuals in mind. This does not mean that individuals with Aspergers are any less intelligent or independent as other people, they just learn in a different way. More on this topic: www.vanguardschool.org