When communicating becomes difficult
“Deficits in communication and interaction can vary greatly,” explains Dr. Beatrice Casoni, psychiatrist. They range from marked language impairment to more subtle but pervasive difficulties in mutual communication. There main difficulty concerns the relationship. Share andmotionsgrasp the ssmoking of a glance, understand the irony of a joke. Eye contact may be poor, gestures limited, the approach perceived as inadequate or distant. Not because there is no desire to enter into a relationship, but because social strategies are lacking to do it.
And this is where the misunderstanding often arises. Children and young people with this profile are sometimes described as “unsympathetic”, “self-centered”, “cold”. In reality, the need for connection is there, but it doesn’t always find the right way to express itself.
Routines, narrow interests and literal interpretations
Alongside social difficulties we find repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Rigid routines, need for predictability, difficulty accepting changes. Passions can be intense, specific, almost all-encompassing.
The language skills, however, are often within the norm or even superior. But there can be one difficulty understanding metaphors, double meanings, irony. Those with Asperger’s functioning tend to interpret words literally, without grasping the implicit nuances. The unwritten rules of conversation – when to intervene, how to modulate the tone, how to read the other – are not intuitive.
Yet, since cognitive point of view, the profile can be brilliant. Many students achieve excellent academic results, show developed analytical skills, detailed memories and high skills in specific areas.
The diagnosis: from childhood to adulthood
The diagnosis occurs usually between the ages of 5 and 11, when social demands become more complex. It is the moment in which comparison with peers intensifies and differences emerge more clearly. During adolescence, relationship difficulties can turn into isolation and emotional suffering. The desire for solid friendships clashes with the inability to build them easily. But the diagnosis can also arrive in adulthood. When the disorder has not been recognized before, mood or anxiety disorders often appear, linked to years of misunderstandings, exclusions, and a sense of inadequacy.
Empathy and emotional regulation: the central issue
«People with Asperger syndrome often demonstrate a low degree of empathy and difficulty understanding and expressing emotions», explains Dr. Elisa Stefanati, EMDR psychotherapist. It is not a lack of sensitivity, but a difficulty in reading and interpreting emotional states, one’s own and that of others. This can generate frustration, misunderstandings, sometimes fits of anger or behavior that appears aggressive. In reality, behind these reactions there may be an emotional, cognitive or sensory overload.
The importance of intervening early
Working early is essential. Psychotherapy – often cognitive-behavioural in orientation – helps develop social skills, self-regulation skills, management of anxiety and emotions. We are working onadaptation to the contexton the understanding of social rules, on personal autonomy and, in adults, also on the professional sphere.
In some cases, if anxiety or depression disorders appear, the psychiatrist can evaluate pharmacological support.
The family also has a central role. Family psychotherapy allows parents and caregivers to better understand how their loved one functions, learn strategies to manage repetitive behaviors and support social interaction.
Asperger’s and ADHD: symptoms that are intertwined
«Recent studies highlight a possible correlation between Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, with common symptoms such as attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity. This is why a multidisciplinary approach is essential: child neuropsychiatrist, neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologists and neuropsychologists collaborate to build an accurate profile through specific visits and tests”, explains Stefanati.
Beyond the label, the person
There World Asperger Syndrome Day it is an invitation to change our gaze. Not just towards a diagnosis, but towards a person. A child who struggles to understand the implicit rules of the game. A teenager who feels excluded. An adult who, finally, finds a name for his way of being.
It is not a disease to be “cured”, but a functioning to be understood and accompanied. With adequate tools, support and awareness, many difficulties can be addressed. And what remains – talent, depth, originality – can become a resource. Because every spectrum is made up of shades. And learning to see them is the first step to including them.
