GUEST SPEAKER THIS MONTH IS: Loretta Kaes From The Chelsa Adult Living talk about "new concepts for independent living"

NEXT MEETING IS: April,19,2009 3pm to 5pm and then we go out to eat after the meeting.

The support is for Asperger Syndrome people and other young people with high functioning autism, or PDD may also be comfortable in our group.

18 and up and a support for the parents and young adults.

The main purpose of the group will be socializing. We meet once a month for a support-type group where we will get to know one another and talk

about the challenges of our jobs or college classes, learning to deal with co-workers, and finding friends when school is over. We would also like

to meet one other night each month to go to a movie, out to dinner, bowling or any other activities that group members are interested in. We have

tentatively arranged to meet at Healthquest in Flemington. We have reserved a room for late Sunday afternoons. We would meet for two hours from

3:00 to 5:00 pm. Parents would be welcome to meet with one another at the same time. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining our group,

please contact Matt or Carolyn at Carolyn@aspennj.org or carolandmatt@aspergerfriends.com or phone 908 236 6153

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum. An individual's symptoms can range from mild to severe. While sharing many of the same characteristics as other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD's) including Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), AS has been recognized as a distinct medical diagnosis in Europe for almost 60 years, but has only been included in the U.S. medical diagnostic manual since 1994 ("Asperger Disorder" in the DSM-IV).

Individuals with AS and related disorders exhibit serious deficiencies in social and communication skills. Their IQ's are typically in the normal to very superior range. They are usually educated in the mainstream, but most require special education services. Because of their naivete, those with AS are often viewed by their peers as "odd" and are frequently a target for bullying and teasing.

They desire to fit in socially and have friends, but have a great deal of difficulty making effective social connections. Many of them are at risk for developing mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression, especially in adolescence. Diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders should be made by a medical expert to rule out other possible diagnoses and to discuss interventions.

TOPIC: The Eight Asperger Advantages Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel! There are aspects of Asperger that you can use to your great advantage.

1. FOCUS Your ability to focus on one objective over long periods of time without becoming distracted allows you to accomplish large and challenging tasks.

2. UNIQUE GLOBAL INSIGHTS Your ability to find novel connections among multi-disciplinary facts and ideas allows you to create new, coherent, and meaningful insight that others would not have reached without you.

3. INDEPENDENT THINKING Your willingness to consider unpopular or unusual possibilities generates new options and opportunities and can pave the way for others.

4. INTERNAL MOTIVATION Rather than being swayed by social convention, other's opinions, social pressure or fears, you can hold firm to your own purpose. Your unique ideas can thrive, despite naysayers.

5. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Your ability to remember and process minute details without getting lost or overwhelmed gives you a distinct advantage when solving complex problems.

6. 3-DIMENTIONAL THINKING Your ability to utilize 3-dimentional visioning gives you a unique perspective when designing and creating solutions.

7. CUTTING THROUGH THE SMOKE SCREEN Your ability to recognize and speak the truth that is being "conveniently" ignored by others can be vital to the success of a project or endeavor.

8. LOGICAL DECISION MAKING Your ability to make logical and rational decisions and stick to your course of action without being swayed by impulse or emotional reactions allows you to navigate successfully through difficult situations without being pulled off-course. THESE TRAITS ARE INVALUABLE LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS.

Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome

Each person is different. An individual might have all or only some of the described behaviors to have a diagnosis of AS.

These behaviors include the following:

Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as: eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction.

Extreme difficulty in developing age-appropriate peer relationships. (e.g. AS children may be more comfortable with adults than with other children).

Inflexible adherence to routines and perseveration.

Fascination with maps, globes, and routes.

Superior rote memory.

Preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of all others. Amasses many related facts.

Difficulty judging personal space, motor clumsiness.

Sensitivity to the environment, loud noises, clothing and food textures, and odors.

Speech and language skills impaired in the area of semantics, pragmatics, and prosody (volume, intonation, inflection, and rhythm).

Difficulty understanding others' feelings.

Pedantic, formal style of speaking; often called "little professor," verbose.

Extreme difficulty reading and/or interpreting social cues.

Socially and emotionally inappropriate responses.

Literal interpretation of language. difficulty comprehending implied meanings.

Extensive vocabulary. Reading commences at an early age (hyperlexia).

Stereotyped or repetitive motor mannerisms.

Difficulty with "give and take" of conversation.