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Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, whose speech at the Climate Change Summit has overshadowed leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel or French President Emmanuel Macron, has publicly acknowledged on several occasions that she has Asperger syndrome, a disorder that "does not it is no disease "and the strength of their struggle remains not a whit. "I have Asperger and this sometimes makes me a little different than usual," Thunberg said a few days ago on his twitter account. "Depending on what circumstances, being different is a superpower."

What is Asperger syndrome? It is a developmental disorder, encompassed within autism spectrum disorders, which is characterized by the difficulties that the individual has in the field of communication and social interaction. People with Asperger's syndrome do not have any intellectual deficit, but they do have problems in relating to others, understanding emotions or even expressing their own. In the most serious cases, this leads them not to know how to interpret a smile and, in the least, not to know an irony, to not understand the social keys. In general, for them there are no double meanings or second intentions. What are their characteristics? People with Asperger syndrome manifest limited interests, repetitive routines, peculiarities in language (for example the use of too formal language), problems with nonverbal communication or clumsy and uncoordinated movements. What incidence does it have? It is estimated that approximately two out of every 10,000 children suffer from the disorder. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to develop it. Why is it called Asperger syndrome? In 1944, the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger described the case of four children with normal intelligence who presented nonverbal communication difficulties, showed difficulties in empathizing with others and presented some awkwardness. They had a particular way of speaking and a very focused interest in a certain subject. Her observations were not widely disseminated until in 1981, an English doctor analyzed similar cases and baptized the disorder as Asperger's syndrome. What causes Asperger's syndrome? It is not caused by any type of feeding, nor any vaccine, nor is it related to inadequate education. It has a biological base and there is a hereditary component. There are often more cases of autism spectrum disorder in the same family. What are the signs of suspected disorder? Children with Asperger's syndrome have few social skills, present difficulties in maintaining the normal rhythm of a conversation (for example, they do not establish eye contact and their gestures do not correspond to the situation), they usually have conversations restricted to a certain topic and use A very formal language for your age. Which is the treatment? There is no treatment for the disorder. However, with adequate educational and social support, those with this disorder can achieve total autonomy and a good quality of life.

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