The exact causes of Asperger’s syndrome are unknown, although Asperger’s research has identified several predisposing factors. Sometimes referred to as high functioning autism, Asperger’s syndrome is one of the “milder” autism spectrum disorders. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as classic autism and childhood disintegrative disorder produce symptoms that are more severe than Asperger’s symptoms.
Asperger’s symptom severity varies widely from individual to individual, and like other autism spectrum disorders, Asperger’s is a lifelong condition.
Myths of Asperger’s Syndrome: Refrigerator Mothers
Asperger’s syndrome, as an autism spectrum disorder, falls victim to many of the misconceptions that plague autism. In the 1940s the cause of autism was thought to be a cold, aloof “refrigerator mother.” This notion wasn’t just popular misconception: the refrigerator mother was accepted as an autism cause until the 1970s.
Unfortunately, the notion of the refrigerator mother entered popular culture, and the theory of the cold, distant parent is occasionally trotted out as one of the causes of Asperger’s syndrome .
Asperger’s Parenting
Asperger’s symptoms often lead people to dismiss Asperger’s kids as ill mannered, badly behaved, and rude. From this assumption it’s only a quick jump to that most popular of games: Blame the Parents.
Bad parenting does not cause Asperger’s syndrome. If bad parenting, how to explain families which include both Aspies and “neurotypical” siblings? If bad parenting causes Asperger’s syndrome, why would one child be affected but not the other?
Possible Causes of Asperger’s Syndrome
So much for what doesn’t cause Asperger’s. What does? Comparisons of brain activity of Asperger’s and typical kids suggest that Asperger’s syndrome results from abnormal changes in embryonic cells that alter brain structure and thought processes.
All well and good, but what causes the cellular changes in the first place? A genetic cause seems likely. Asperger’s kids often have family members who exhibit Asperger’s-like traits. These traits may not be clinically significant, but resemble Asperger’s behavior enough to suggest a genetic cause.
(As a side note, there’s a theory that parents exhibiting autism-like traits may have inspired the refrigerator mother hypothesis. Parents may have exhibited some of the aloofness and social distance that can occur in autism / Asperger’s).
Asperger’s syndrome has a gender preference: males are four times more likely than girls to develop Asperger’s. This may support the argument for a genetic cause of Asperger’s.
Asperger’s is a complex condition, with individual “Aspies” displaying a wide range of symptom severity. Most researchers believe that a cluster of genes causes Asperger’s, rather than a single Asperger’s gene. It is also possible that environmental factors interact with genetics to trigger Asperger’s.
The Asperger’s “Cure”
Some people hope that determining the cause of Asperger’s syndrome will produce a cure. At present no Asperger’s “cure” exists, and many would say that one is not needed. Asperger’s may well be simply another way of perceiving the world and part of the normal range of human behavior.
Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute in any way for care and treatment by a qualified health professional.
Resources
Laider, J. (updated September 15, 2004). The “Refrigerator Mother” Hypothesis of Autism.
Neurology Channel. (n.d.). Asperger’s Syndrome.
Michael McGrath - Michael McGrath began providing web content shortly after finishing his graduate degree in English at the University of Alberta. His broad ...
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