The Face of Asperger’s Syndrome Paula Ong will chat away about
her childhood, dropping out of college and the 13 jobs she has
held in the past two decades. But ask how she "feels" about
living with Asperger's syndrome and she will give you a lengthy
pause. "Feels" is not a concept she can verbalize clearly.
"Feeling is abstract and at times broad," she explains. "Many
people with Asperger’s syndrome have a hard time grasping and
verbalizing abstractness." Asperger's syndrome is a
developmental disorder on the autism spectrum that causes
impairment in social and communication skills. It is sometimes
thought of as being a high functioning form of autism because
"Aspies," as they call themselves, are people of average or
higher intellectual level. Symptoms include repetitive routines
or rituals; peculiarities in speech and language; socially and
emotionally inappropriate behavior; difficulty interacting
successfully with peers; problems with non-verbal communication;
and uncoordinated motor movements. They also