Study on Adults with Asperger’s in MN
A study from Minnesota look at how adults with Asperger’s Syndrome compare to others and offers a sense of hope. The study was done by Kim Klein, a pediatric neuropsychologist at the Fraser Center and Pat Pulice. From today’s CBS4.com:
“We’ve found that in some ways, this population is doing as well as their peers. They’ve been successful in obtaining employment. They’ve been successful in pursuing their hobbies,” said Pulice.
“Virtually all of the young adults with Asperger’s disorder graduated from high school, same as our control group,” said Klein. “Forty-five percent went on to college or some type of post-secondary education; identical rates to the control group.”
Klein and Pulice also noted that no one in the study with Asperger’s had reported problems with illegal drugs, alcohol or cigarettes; 25 percent of the other participants did. 69 percent of the participants with Asperger’s were found to be more likely to be treated with medication for depression, versus 39 percent of those who did not have Asperger’s. Much information about the study can be found on the Fraser Center’s website.
Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, depression, disabilities blog, disability, Education, fraser center, Health, medication, minnesotaRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Adulthood, Asperger's Syndrome, Health
6 opinions for Study on Adults with Asperger’s in MN
Catana
Oct 18, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Thanks for that link. I saw the article a while ago and wondered if the study was available online. We need more of that.
Cristina
Oct 18, 2008 at 11:13 pm
This isan interesting study. It certainly validates what I see in my own children as they mature. I wish it was true for all Aspergers cases though. But it certainly gives me hope.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Oct 18, 2008 at 11:44 pm
It gives me hope too though my son’s diagnosis is autism—–my son always gives me hope.
Melody
Oct 19, 2008 at 11:33 am
Yeah, I really wish they would stop trying to divide us and pull us apart so much (autistic people). More often than not, it leads to appropriate and needed services being denied rather than distributed, and potentials being ignored, stereotypes perpetuated. I really hope that it is true that the DSM-V goes through with having a generic ASD category.
Also something that some people don’t expect, is that while I express the autistic traits a lot more strongly than my dad, and to the degree that I am disabled (whereas with time he wouldn’t be considered disabled), that I actually am attaininghigher schoolingthan my parents have, going to college to get a degree.
C. S. Wyatt
Oct 20, 2008 at 12:55 am
I would want to see more about this study, definitely. I’ll see what I can do to contact the authors directly, since I have seen more issues at the college level.
I’ve been offline much of the last month, for medical reasons, and hope to be back to research work ASAP. MN is at least an interesting place to be for autism research.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Oct 20, 2008 at 1:11 am
@C.S. Wyatt, hope you are well, or better—would much like to know what you find out about this study.
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