什麼是亞斯伯格症候羣?
Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism, and is a condition which affects a person's social interaction, interests and behaviour. As with all autism conditions, Asperger's is a spectrum condition, and will affect different people in different ways.
亞斯伯格症候羣是一種自閉症，是一種影響人們社交、興趣和行爲的症狀。與所有自閉症的情況一樣，亞斯伯格症是一種譜系障礙，會以不同的方式影響不同的人。This means that different people with the condition will have different levels of need and require different amounts of support. It is not yet know what causes a person to develop Asperger's, but it is thought there is a genetic element to the condition.
這就意味着，不同的患者會有不同程度的需求，也會需要不同的支持。導致人們發展亞斯伯格症的原因尚未可知，但人們認爲可能有遺傳原因。What are the signs of Asperger's?
亞斯伯格症候羣的跡象有哪些？
People who have Asperger's and other conditions on the autism spectrum often have problems with social communication and interaction. People with Asperger's often have good language skills, in contrast to those with other autism disorders, but they still find it hard to understand the expectations of others within conversations.
亞斯伯格症和自閉症譜系障礙其他症狀的患者通常在社交溝通和互動方面存在問題。亞斯伯格症患者往往有較好的語言技巧，這與自閉症障礙患者形成對比，但他們還是很難通過對話理解別人的意思（期待）。The National Autistic Society says people with the condition have difficulty understanding non-verbal language like gestures, and have a very literal understanding of language. They may find it difficult to understand facial expressions, tone of voice, jokes and sarcasm as well as abstract concepts. This means at times they may appear insensitive, or appear to behave in a way thought to be socially inappropriate.
全國自閉症協會表示：亞斯伯格症患者難以理解非語言行爲，比如手勢，而且只能理解語言的字面意思。他們難以理解面部表情、語調、笑話、諷刺以及抽象概念。這就是說，有時候他們看上去不體貼人、或者會做出被人視作不合時宜的行爲。Many people with Asperger's also develop a highly specific interest in a very particular subject or activity. This could be separate from any interest in the wider subject - such as collecting the serial numbers of trains without having a wider interest in trains themselves. They may also experience sensitivity to things like sounds, smells or lights. They may find background sounds which other people block out are loud or distracting.
很多亞斯伯格症患者也會對某一個特別的話題或活動產生極大的興趣。這可能與其隸屬的更廣泛話題相分離--比如收集列車的序列號，但卻對更廣一點的話題（火車本身）不感興趣。他們也可能對聲音、氣味或光等事物敏感。他們會覺得他人屏蔽的背景音很吵、或令人分心。Another key symptom is repetitive movements, such as flapping hands, rocking back and forth, or flicking fingers. Those with Asperger's also often favour familiar routine, and may find change upsetting.
另一個主要的症狀就是重複的動作，比如拍手、前後擺動、或者彈手指。亞斯伯格症患者喜歡他們熟悉的事物，不喜歡變化。
How is Asperger's Syndrome diagnosed?
如何診斷亞斯伯格症候羣？A GP can refer those who may have the condition to appropriate specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and speech and language therapists. The specialist can then carry out a detailed look at the symptoms, including an assessment of development, health and behaviour.
全科醫生可以將可能患有該症狀的患者轉診給專家，比如精神科醫生、心理學家、語言治療師。之後，專家可以詳細瞭解症狀，包括對發展、健康和行爲的評估。
