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Asperger syndrome in twins – the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. Case report

Izabela Łucka1, Joanna Pleskot-Kaczmarek1, Agnieszka Rynkiewicz2, Ewa Przybyła-Ożóg3

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
PSYCHIATR. PSYCHOL. KLIN. 2014, 14 (1), p. 55–60
DOI: 10.15557/PiPK.2014.0007
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Streszczenie

The purpose of this article is to present the case of twin boys who exhibited the characteristics of Asperger syndrome (AS). The twins were initially treated at an outpatient department and diagnosed with AS. Then they were hospitalised at the Medical University of Gdansk, in the Adolescents Ward of the Clinic of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders – for rediagnosis. Due to the divorce of the boys’ parents and the breakup of their family, the boys were affected in several ways by their parental upbringing. The twins exhibited many deficits, mostly impairment in social functioning, and were “evaluated” by many specialists, but each time the diagnosis did not go beyond the tentative stage. Both twins were involved in the fights of the ex-partners (their parents), who alternately either ignored the boys’ developmental impairments or did not accept the diagnosis and therapeutic directives offered.The introduction to this article also presents and explains what Asperger syndrome is. On the basis of the current research on autistic disorders in the DSM-5™ classification, all the previously indicated diagnostic units have been combined into one common diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the criteria for identifying disorders in reference to the whole spectrum of autistic disorders are controversial and cause disputes among experts. Molloy and Vasil consider the Asperger syndrome to be a neurological difference, which by current accepted social norms has been elevated to the rank of a disorder. Levin and Schlozman doubt and question the way of differentiating behaviours which are within the social norm and behaviour which should be considered as a disorder. On the other hand, Baron-Cohen claims that Asperger syndrome is not a disability, but just a different cognitive style, a different way of thinking.

Słowa kluczowe
Asperger syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, twins, boys, family