Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%.
Approximately 36% of individuals with autism in our sample experienced a parental divorce by age 30. Higher rates of divorce were associated with maternal education, race and age at child's birth, as well as autism symptom severity and diagnosis.
About 35% of autistic people are married, though such figures don't always take into account people that aren't diagnosed or have received a potential misdiagnosis.
The majority of children and adults with Asperger syndrome live well and are able to enjoy life and do many things that neurotypical people can do. Many people will have some level of difficulty with some daily tasks or interactions.
Despite the problems in relationship skills experienced by many people with Asperger's syndrome, some adults can progress along the relationship continuum and are able to experience romantic and subsequently intimate personal relationships, even becoming a lifelong partner.
People with Asperger's also have strengths that make them wonderful partners. They tend to be honest, loyal, humorous, and champions of the underdog. Autistic people don't often get caught up in social constructs, so they can see right to the heart of what matters.
NT spouses can often experience their own mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, affective deprivation disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of being in a relationship with an undiagnosed and untreated partner with AS for an extended period of time.
Intelligence, Special Interest, Memory
Average to very high intelligence. Good verbal skills; rich vocabulary. Ability to absorb and retain large amounts of information, especially about topics of special interest. Ability to think in visual images.
The reason behind the reclassification of Asperger's syndrome was its similarity to autism, and the fact that it was distinguished from the latter based simply on a lack of language and cognitive delay — which, interestingly, isn't something every individual on the spectrum experiences.
Aspies do marry, and while NT partners can be frustrated by their lack of emotion and physical contact, their Aspergers spouses do bring strengths into the relationship.
Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have Asperger's Syndrome. Most cases are diagnosed between the ages of five and nine, with some diagnosed as early as age three.
For instance, autistic people tend to be particularly honest, reliable, and loyal — some of the most important traits for a long-term relationship. You may just need to be more direct when communicating than you are used to and be prepared to give your partner space when they feel overstimulated.
However, children with autism can be particularly affected due to challenges with changes to routine, which is a characteristic of the disorder. Children with autism tend to prefer predictable and fixed routines, familiarity, and structure to their days. This tends to all go out the window when parents separate.
Autistic people's difficulty with expressing emotions can make relationships difficult for them to navigate. Although people with autism have the same feelings as everyone else, their feelings can be more intense than those neurotypical people express.
Abstract. Background: In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association removed Asperger's Disorder from the DSM, offering instead the new DSM-5 diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Asperger's differs from autism in one significant way; children with Asperger's may have less severe symptoms and no language delay. In fact, people with Asperger's may even have advanced speech and language skills, but poor pragmatic or socially appropriate language.
About 70% of children with ASD have a non-verbal IQ below 70. Of these, 50% have a non-verbal IQ below 50. Overall, up to 50% of people with "severe learning difficulties" have an ASD. Read more about the symptoms of ASD.
Some Aspergers investigators hypothesize that well-known figures, such as Thomas Jefferson, Jeremy Bentham, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Glenn Gould and Ludwig Wittgenstein had Aspergers because they showed some Aspergers-related tendencies or behaviors, such as intense interest in one subject, and/or social problems ...
I have found, as an Aspie among neurotypical folks, that having realistic expectations of others is of critical importance in order to be happy. The higher your expectations are of the people around you, the more likely you are to feel let down by them at some point, even when they haven't done anything wrong.
Verbally expressing love
You may find your partner with Asperger's doesn't say “I love you,” or express their emotions, as often as you need them to. Mendes says this may be because, to your partner, the love between you two has already been established. They might see no need to vocalize emotions any further.
The partner with Aspergers can behave intrusively. The partner with Aspergers may “shut-down” if they don't know what to say or how to behave. They may disengage with partner or family indefinitely. The partner with Aspergers may have great difficulty cooperating with others or working as part of a team or unit.