Understanding Aspergers Syndrome

 

It is believed that Albert Einstein had Aspergers.

 

At Child & Family Services we have created the Social Thinking Group to help children and parents experiencing Aspergers Syndrome understand their unique differences and learn how to maneuver them socially. We believe all individual have strengths and weaknesses, it is our goal to help everyone to enhance those strengths and adapt weaknesses to ensure optimal happiness in life.

 

Asperger Syndrome is typically not diagnosed until a child is school age. Unlike autism, Asperger Syndrome can generally only be determined based on a child's social interactions. Children with Asperger Syndrome show typical language development and often an above average vocabulary. However, you may have noticed that when your child interacts with others, he or she might use language skills inappropriately or awkwardly. Because of regularly developing language skills, in the early stages, symptoms of AS may be hard to differentiate from those of other behavioral issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a result, your child may have first been diagnosed with disorders such as ADHD, until the issues appear to be caused by more of an inability to socialize than an inability to focus.

 

The following is a list of symptoms that may present themselves in children with Asperger Syndrome:

 

• improper or very few social interactions
• "robotic" or repetitive speech
• average or below average nonverbal communication skills, yet average or above average verbal communication skills
• tendency to discuss self rather than others
• inability to understand issues or phrases that are considered “common sense”
• lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation
• obsession with specific unique topics
• one-sided conversations
• awkward movements and/or mannerisms

A very obvious and distinct indicator of Asperger Syndrome is preoccupation with one particular issue, from simple things like refrigerators or weather, to complex topics like President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Adolescents become so attentive to these topics that they strive to learn every possible fact and detail, and as a result become incredible experts. Children with AS might initiate one-way conversations with others by speaking only about the facts related to their particular topic of interest. Your child may not be aware that his or her audience may no longer be listening, or may not be in the topic of discussion.

 

Another symptom of Asperger Syndrome is an inability to understand the actions, words or behaviors of other people. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome very often don't understand humor or the implications of particular phrases or actions of other people. Subtle gestures or expressions such as a smile, a frown or a “come here” motion may not phase children with Asperger Syndrome because they are unable to see the relationship between these nonverbal communication methods, and verbal methods like speech and language. Because they are often incapable of understanding these nonverbal cues, the social world can seem very confusing and overwhelming to these individuals. To compound the problem, people with Asperger Syndrome have difficulty seeing things from another person's perspective. This inability leaves them unable to predict or understand other people's actions. Although not universal, it is common for people with Asperger Syndrome to have difficulty regulating their emotions.

 

It is important to note that not all individuals with Asperger Syndrome display each of these symptoms, and that the presence and severity of each symptom is likely to vary between individuals with the same diagnosis. While displaying some or all of these symptoms, each child with autism also possesses many unique gifts.

 

At Child & Family Services we have created the Social Thinking Group to help children and parents understand their unique differences and learn how to maneuver them socially. We believe all individual have strengths and weaknesses, it is our goal to help everyone to enhance those strengths and adapt weaknesses to ensure optimal happiness in life.

 

Resource: Autims Speaks