What is Asperger Syndrome? The Asperger Syndrome Education Network of New Jersey provides the following explanation: Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum. An individual’s symptoms can range from mild to severe. … Individuals with AS and related disorders exhibit serious deficiencies in social and communication skills. Their IQ’s are typically in the normal to very superior range. … Because of their naivete, those with AS are often viewed by their peers as “odd” and are frequently a target for bullying and teasing. They desire to fit in socially and have friends, but have a great deal of difficulty making effective social connections. Their ability to connect with other people is impaired by many of the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome. For example, most people with AS have trouble understanding nonverbal social cues such as eye contact and gestures. They may not realize they need to look at the person they are talking with. Their neuromuscular tone is often low, so they have a tendency to slump and slouch. They may stand too close to other people, and because they are often clumsy, they may bump into people. Because people with AS find it so difficult to understand and interpret social cues, they often respond to other people in ways that are emotionally or socially inappropriate. For example, if an adult asks a child with AS, "Would you like to sit down now?" the child with AS may respond, "No," having no idea that the request was really a direction that the child was expected to follow. People with AS may have trouble tolerating surprises or changes. They always need to know what to expect, and can be rigid and inflexible when faced with the unexpected. A boy with AS might be able to serve as an acolyte if he always served with the same group of people, but not if different people served with him on different weeks. Many people with AS speak in a way that seems a bit odd. They may be overly formal, or speak in a monotone. They often take everything literally. They may be inappropriately honest, not knowing why anyone would ask, "Do you like my new haircut?" if they didn't want to know. They probably have a favorite subject (or subjects) with which they are preoccupied, often to the point that they talk about almost nothing else, whether the person listening is interested or not. People with AS often suffer frustration and severe anxiety as they try to fit in and meet the expectations of other people. If they cannot find a place where they are accepted, they may eventually give up, becoming socially isolated, lonely, and depressed, further compromising their ability to get along with other people. Unfortunately, the same characteristics that make it difficult for people with AS to be accepted in school or at work can make it difficult for them to be accepted in a parish. The teenager who is slumped on a bench, the adult who drones on and on about subjects you don't care about, or the child who won't look you in the eye can all be seen as intransigent, annoying, or rude. Yet when people with AS are accepted, nurtured, and allowed to use the gifts that often accompany their difficulties, they can be happy, productive, and valuable members of a community. Through the love of God in the people of the parish they attend, in the regular rhythm of the liturgy, of feasts and fasts, and in the reassuring concreteness of rites and sacraments, they can find a constant center for their lives.
Asperger Syndrome in the Parish
by Charlotte Riggle