1 definition by BWB, MS

Asperger's

Actually, in response to the above, Asperger's is not a psychiatric disorder, but a neurological one. There is emerging evidence of genetic predispositions and exciting research confirming the lack of mirror neurons (look it up) in this kind of brain. Brain scans of those who express Asperger's traits confirm verifiable deviations from those of neuro-typical people. The neurological differences manifest as difficulty reading and interpreting facial expressions and other forms of non-verbal communication; physical clumsiness (also neurological) and sometimes neurological differences present as a rigid, linear cognitive style. People with Asperger's usually have above average to superior IQ scores and sometimes possess an extraordinary fund of knowledge about a particular subject. People with Asperger's often find success as engineers and computer programmers due to their preference and skill with mechanical things and relative weak social skills.

There is no known treatment for Asperger's disoder however the most common secondary symptoms/co-morbid conditions anxiety and depression can be successfully treated and controlled in most people.

James was bullied in school because he was different "geeky" an did not recognize the taunts of his cruel classmates, often in the form of dirty looks, laughing at and other non-verbal abuses. This led to a series of maladaptive coping behaviors including school avoidance, anxiety, and depression. James had a part time job at Apple's genius bar where he was able to work among others with similar strengths.

By learning about Asperger's, learning social pragmatics and working with professionals who knew how to explain James' cognitive style, James went on to win the Nobel prize in mathematics after a distinguished career at MIT. ,

by BWB, MS February 29, 2008