A Large-Scale Study of the Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome

Giftedness appears to be a characteristic of
many individuals with AS although this study
revealed that a smaller number of adolescents
possessed this cognitive characteristic than
found in a previous a study (Barnhill et al.,
2000).
Despite having average to above-average IQ,
individuals with AS tend to have difficulties
empathizing with others because of a reported
lack of theory of mind or social cognition
(Carothers & Taylor, 2004; Davies, Bishop,
Manstead, & Tantum, 1994), consistent with
the research of Baron-Cohen et al. (2003).
While it has been found that individuals with
AS have a strength in analyzing, exploring,
categorizing, or constructing systems and that
this skill is often found to be negatively correlated
with empathizing (Baron-Cohen et al.),
the adolescents in the current study demonstrated
only average skills in this area. Previous
research by Baron-Cohen and colleagues using
the EQ and SQ with adults with AS has led
to the conjecture that while empathizing is a
challenge from individuals with AS from adolescence
to adulthood, systemizing is a skill
that develops over time. Understanding the
role of empathizing and systemizing in individuals
with AS may allow educators to use the
average systemizing skills of individuals with
AS to teach concepts, including nonverbal
language and theory of mind.
As demonstrated in this study, the gap between
IQ and the adaptive behavior skills of
individuals with AS can be marked. This finding
is supported by other researchers (see Lee
& Park, in press, for a review of the literature
on this topic). In short, studies on the adaptive
behaviors of individuals with AS suggest
that challenges in this area are part of the
characteristics of AS despite their exclusion
from current diagnostic criteria.
Again, this finding has tremendous ramifications
for instruction. That is, while daily
living skills are often taught to individuals with
cognitive disabilities, instruction in this area
needs to be expanded to include individuals
with AS, despite their average to above-average
IQ, to ensure that they can live and work
independently with success.
In terms of the behavioral issues of individuals
with AS, the research is equivocal in that
parents and educators disagree on the presence
of internalizing or externalizing behav-
iors (Barnhill et al., 2000). In brief, parents
tend to identify problem behaviors whereas
teachers do not. The reasons for these perceived
differences between the two groups are
open to speculation. Do data reflect actual
behavioral differences at home and school or
differences of perception? Do the demands of
the home and school differ, such that behavioral
issues exist in one environment and not
the other? Or do adolescents with AS “hold it
together” in a stressful school environment
only to exhibit behavior issues in the confines
of a safe environment—the home?
Additional research is needed to answer
these questions. Of concern is the finding that
adolescents did not report experiencing behavior
challenges. Consistent with previous research
(Barnhill, Hagiwara, Myles, Simpson,
Brick, et al., 2000), these data suggest a lack of
awareness or denial by participants. As with
the interpretations of other data in this study,
their meaning awaits further research.
Finally, adolescents’ sensory sensitivity suggests
that they are relatively more distractible
and hyperactive in response to sensory stimuli
than neurotypical peers, a finding that appears
consistent with parents’ and teachers’
reports of hyperactivity. This may result in a
failure to complete tasks due to switched attention
to non-task related stimuli during
work time. In addition, adolescents in this
study were sensitive to environmental input,
and reported attempting to reduce incoming
stimuli, often through withdrawal or resistance.
Behavioral manifestations in this regard
include having frequent meltdowns or refusing
to participate in transitions, or novel or
unpredictable activities. Such reactions may
be directly related to parents’ reports of their
children’s behavior. That is, behavioral issues
experienced by individuals with AS may have a
sensory base and, thus, may require sensory
interventions (Dunn, Myles, & Orr, 2002;
Myles et al., 2004).
Overall, this research yields a profile of the
complexity of AS as expressed by adolescents:
an average to above-average IQ with adaptive
behavior skills that are not commensurate
with each other; a lack of ability to empathize
with others as well as a deficit in recognizing
their own needs; behavioral issues, both overt
and covert, that may be related to sensory
concerns; and average skills in providing
Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome / 457