Asperger syndrome falls within the autism
spectrum, as explained by Autism NI.
Those who have been diagnosed with Asperger
syndrome may not have the same learning disabilities that some people who have
autism sometimes experience, such as difficulties or delays with speech.
Asperger’s is an autism
spectrum disorder that can make it harder for those affected to interact with
others in a social environment.
Now, it comes to Niall.
Following his departure from this year’s Love Island, 23-year-old
Niall Aslam has revealed on Instagram that he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome as a child.
Many people have expressed their support for the
student and construction worker, praising him for speaking openly about the
condition on social media.
Love Island's Niall Aslam reveals why he left the
villa
The term was named after an Austrian pediatrician
called Hans Asperger, who wrote
about children who exhibited signs of the condition in 1944.
However, some have argued that the name should be
changed in light of the
doctor’s recently reported affiliation with the Nazis during World War II.
There are thousands of people in the UK who have autism, as Jane Harris,
director of external affairs at the National Autistic Society
(NAS), explains. “There are around 700,000 autistic people like Niall in the
UK, but too many of their lives are limited by the public not understanding the
challenges they face,” she says.
So, this disease is affecting a great percentage
of people around the world and yet its till difficult to talk or discuss about
this disease!“By talking so openly about his diagnosis and the reasons he left Love
Island, Niall has played an important role in bringing autism to the
public’s attention.”
However, as NAS explains, some people with
Asperger syndrome may still have some learning difficulties and can find it
hard to comprehend or process language at times.
The charity also points out that Asperger’s
shouldn’t be perceived as an illness that can be “cured”, but as a condition
that forms an integral component of an individual’s identity.
Those who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s are
thought to have average or above average levels of intelligence.
Let us look at some of its symptoms.
As Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder,
diagnosing it can be tricky as symptoms can vary between individuals.
According to Autism Initiatives, a company
that connects autism networks around the UK and Ireland, symptoms of Asperger
syndrome may include finding it difficult to read body language, lacking signs
of empathy, developing motor skills later than usual and being very sensitive.
These symptoms can often be recognized in
childhood when children with the condition enter social situations that they
haven’t experienced before.
This shows that the world is fighting and
resisting against this problem and trying to build bridges and comfort
everyone! ??
Diagnosing Asperger’s can take a team of health
experts, as outlined by NAS.
These professionals can include a speech and
language therapist, a psychiatrist and a pediatrician.
The NHS
recommends visiting your GP if you believe that your child is exhibiting signs
of autism spectrum disorder.
You’ll then be referred to a health professional
who can diagnose the condition if needs be.
And how many people get affected due to this?
NAS states that 700,000 people in the UK are
autistic, which equates to around one in 100 people.
Diagnoses of autism are currently more common
among boys than they are among girls, a topic that’s been researched on multiple
occasions over the years.
In 2015, a study conducted by the Kennedy Krieger Institute in
Baltimore explored why girls are often diagnosed with autism later than boys by
investigating an online registry of 50,000 people.
They came to the conclusion that the way girls
behave sometimes makes it harder to recognize symptoms of autism until later on
in childhood or adolescence.
Ms. Harris of NAS is hopeful that Niall’s
announcement will inspire more people to learn about autism.
“We really hope that Love Island contestant
Niall Aslam’s revelation that he is autistic will encourage fans of the show to
find out more about autism,” she says.
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