Joe Ellis, Chairman of NAKMAS (the National Association of Karate and Martial Art Schools) the national governing body of all forms of martial arts in the UK, has announced that he has the neurobiological condition known as Asperger Syndrome. The announcement coincides with the introduction of the NAKMAS Asperger Syndrome training programme, aimed at educating martial arts coaches about the condition.
The autistic disorder, a neurodevelopmental disease first described in 1943, represents a challenge for treatment and a puzzle for research. Alongside Asperger syndrome, a milder form of the disorder, autism is classified in the continuum of various Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), all of which are characterized by deficits in language, social interaction, and a strangely restricted and repetitive behaviour (stereotypy). Disease onset occurs during the first three years of life. The earlier the disorder is diagnosed, the sooner the child can be helped through treatment interventions, but unfortunately detection is often delayed. In a vast majority of cases, no disease causes can be identified.
