Asperger's Disorder

Submitted By Travis-Albrecht
Words: 710
Pages: 3

Asperger’s Disorder
Hans Asperger discovered Asperger’s disorder formerly known as autistic psychopathy in 1944. Asperger’s disorder is a neurobiological disorder within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This disorder is assessed at the superior operating point of autism spectrum disorders. People who have Asperger’s disorder suffer from severe lack of social and communication skills. Some behaviors that are associated with Asperger’s disorder are limited social interactions, repetitive speech, lack of eye contact, and sensitivity to the environment, loud noises, clothing and food textures, odors, and awkward movements. The disorder can be diagnosed in children through their doctor where they will refer them to a specialist for further evaluation. The professional will thoroughly review the history of the symptoms such as the development of social and motor skills. The history can also include the child's activities, unusual habits, and obsessions. The disorder in adults can be very hard to diagnose because Asperger’s disorder is typically diagnosed in children.
With limited social interaction skills, repetitive behaviors and difficulty adjusting to change individuals with Asperger’s Disorder can get into conflicts relatively quickly. These shortcomings can lead to "offenses such as making threatening statements; personal, telephone, or Internet stalking; inappropriate sexual advances; downloading child pornography; accomplice crime with false friends; and making physical outbursts at school or in the community” (Taylor, Mesibov, & Debbaudt, 2009). People with Asperger’s disorder can also become victims of crime because of their inability to see that they are being manipulated. With an overall lack of communication skills, it makes those who suffer from this disorder a less credible witness in crimes will in court. It can be difficult telling their actions from others. Being interviewed by members of the criminal justice system can very taxing for both the criminal justice members and the person with the disorder. Under the Police Evidence Act of 1984, people with a mental disorder are entitled to have an appropriate adult present with they are being interviewed by police.
Law enforcement that interacts with people with the Asperger’s disorder can have difficult interactions due to appearance, behaviors and communication. Asperger’s disorder can be nearly impossible to detect from a distance as it has few, if any, outward signs. It can make the person seem normal at first glance. The behavior of this disorder can appear uncooperative. The person may seem to have a tendency to tantrum, unable to recognize dangerous situations, and seem extremely fidgety. With the already problematic communication skills can be further troubled when law enforcement is trying to give commands or directions. The person with Asperger’s disorder can repeat what is being said to them or may not understand what is being said to them. When law enforcement responds to people suffering Asperger’s disorder Dennis Debbaudt offers tips for the officers, “Recognizing the behavior symptoms and knowing contact approaches can minimize situations