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What is Asperger Syndrome (AS)?

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a mild form of autism, named after the Austrian paediatrician Hans Asperger. It is more common in males than females and is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Autism is thought of today as a spectrum disorder with people with AS having less pronounced difficulties than people with classic autism and intellectual abilities in the normal to above-normal range.

What does it mean to have Asperger Syndrome?

The characteristics of autism fall into three main categories:

Communication
Social interaction
Ways of thinking

Characteristics of AS may include:

Skills and Abilities	Difficulties
Unique way of thinking and processing information	Flexibility/seeing the big picture
Extensive knowledge in a particular field	Interpreting non-verbal communication or vague/unclear speech
High concentration levels	Expressing thoughts and feelings
Perfectionism/eye for detail	Socialising/making friends/social etiquette
Logical way of thinking/objectivity	Asking for help
Preference for routine	Managing time
Conscientiousness/reliability	Adapting to new situations
Loyalty/honesty

Sensory issues
People with AS may be over- or undersensitive to certain stimuli in any of the sensory areas (noise, touch, taste, smell, sight, balance and proprioception – sense of body position and movement). Consequences of this may include, amongst other things:

Difficulty hearing certain sounds or not being able to filter out background noise
Handling people/things roughly or finding certain clothing uncomfortable
Preference for spicy foods or the same type of food
Difficulty perceiving certain smells or finding certain smells overbearing
Difficulty seeing certain objects or finding certain lighting painful
Awkward or uncoordinated body movements, poor posture
Standing too close to people or bumping into objects
Poor motor skills

Strategies / Workplace Adjustments
Providing the right kind of support can not only help an employee with AS to be successful in a professional environment but the employer can also profit from the unique skills and abilities that the employee may bring to the workplace. Strategies that could be implemented include:

Recruitment Process