Welcome to the Gladstone Area Autism/Asperger Support Group

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-47423994-1', 'fortunecity.ws'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <center> <br> <div> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=728&height=90"></script> </div> </center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04d76ba3.png"> <div> <IMG SRC="061bbd60.png" border=0 width="187" height="214" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#99CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04e76bc1egdyqn.png"> <div> <B>  Welcome to the  Gladstone Area      Autism/Asperger Support Group</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#99CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04e76ba3.png"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Asperger Syndrome and Girls"><U>Asperger Syndrome and Girls</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creative works Inspired by As/Autism"><U>Creative works Inspired by As/Autism</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission"><U>Mission</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Many Faces of Asperger and Autism"><U>The Many Faces of Asperger and Autism</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U>Related Links</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0853c140.gif" border=0 width="60" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> What is Aspergers Syndrome</div> <bR> <div> Asperger's Syndrome is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Pervasive developmental disorders are a group<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> of neuropsychiatric disorders. Characterized by specific<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> delays in social, communicative,<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> and cognitive development, usually noted<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> in the first year of life.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> It is a life long condition and the attributes<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> will change with different stages of life.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Asperger's Syndrome is part of the Autism spectrum.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> The major difference between Asperger's and Autism<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> would be language skills.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Most Autistic children never develop normal speech.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Or may be non-verbal. Where as Asperger's children<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> usually develop language skills<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> at or slightly below the average.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> The most prominent characteristic of Asperger's is<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> their inability to read and respond to social cues.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> For example, just the little cue of timing when<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> wanting to join a conversation. They will often just<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> interrupt. Chances are their interruption will not be<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> about the subject that was being discussed.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Saying "hello" or "good-by" may need to be taught.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> If you think about all the social cues and gestures<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> that most of us do everyday without even thinking about it<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> you will begin to understand how socially unaware persons<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> with AS are.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They usually lack the ability to read body language<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> and facial expressions. They have difficulty keeping<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> eye contact. Their conversations seem to one sided.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Often focusing on their obsessions. They do not care<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> that the other person may not be interested. Their conversations<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> often speak of facts. Rather than actual "social conversation".<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Studies suggest that Asperger's is dominant<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> among males. It has been suggested that this<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> may not really be true. That girls just have a<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> better ability to blend in and often are never<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> diagnosed.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <div align="center"><p> <a href="http://pub31.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=2592971670&cpv=1"> <img src="http://images.bravenet.com/pub/viewbook.gif" border="0" width="100" height="35" /></a> <a href="http://www.bravenet.com/"> <img src="http://images.bravenet.com/pub/gbook.gif" border="0" width="100" height="35" /></a> </center>  .  <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> sw="none";sd="none";ref=""+escape(document.referrer); </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.2"> sw=screen.width;nav=navigator.appName; sc=(nav!="Netscape")?screen.colorDepth:screen.pixelDepth; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> function doit(str) {document.writeln(str);} qs="&sw="+sw+"&sc="+sc+"&ref="+ref; url='http://counter31.bravenet.com/index.php?'; url += 'id=348986&usernum=2592971670&cpv=1'; curl='http://counter31.bravenet.com/counter.php?id=348986&usernum=2592971670'; doit('<a href="'+url+'" target="_top"><img border="0" src="'+curl+qs+'" /></a>') </script> <noscript> <a href="http://counter31.bravenet.com/index.php?id=348986&usernum=2592971670&cpv=1" target="_top"><img src="http://counter31.bravenet.com/counter.php?id=348986&usernum=2592971670" alt="Bravenet.com" border="0" /></a> </noscript>                </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>