Research: Questionnaire

Research: Focus Group

Research: Autism and Asperger's

"The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" - Tony Attwood

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome is a handbook that gives a thorough look into the condition. It covers information of Asperger's in Adults and Children such as;
1) What is Asperger's Syndrome?
2) Diagnosis
3) Social Understanding and Friendship
4) Teasing and Bullying
5) Theory of Mind
6) The Understanding and Expression of Emotions
7) Special Interests 
8) The effect on language and cognitive abilities, sensor sensitivity, movement and co-ordination skills.
9) Career development
10) Psychotherapy


I feel that all this information should be covered in the documentary, especially in interviews with Tom and his family. Below is a selection of the information that I felt would be important to cover:

What is Asperger's Syndrome?

      "A lack of social understanding, limited ability to have a reciprocal conversation and an intense interest in a particular subject are the core features of this syndrome. Perhaps the simplest way to understand Asperger's Syndrome is to think of it as describing someone who perceives and thinks about the world differently to other people"
      "There are currently eight diagnostic screening questionnaires that can be used with children and six that can be used with Adults, the most popular being shown below:"
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Diagnostic criteria for Asperger's disorder according to DSM-IV (TR) (American Psychiatric Association 2000)

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A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
      1. marked impairment in the use of multiple non-verbal behaviours such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction.
      2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level.
      3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests or achievements with other people (e.g. lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
      4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

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B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
      1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotypes and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
      2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals
      3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
      4. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.

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C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning.

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D. There is no clinically significant general delay in general language (e.g. single words used by age two years, communicative phrase used by age three years).

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E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

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F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.

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