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Asperger's Syndrome (AS) has many characteristics in common with autism and is thus viewed as a variant of it. It is a neurological condition. If a person has an IQ under 70, it is typically labeled as autism. If a person has average or above average IQ, it is typically labeled as AS. Asperger's Syndrome is also known as high-functioning autism, although there is some disagreement about whether they truly are the same. Some people describe AS as a mild version of autism, but actually it is just as severe. (The conditions are similar but have differences, and both autism and AS can range from mild to severe.) One difference is that the people with Asperger's Syndrome have better language abilities and typically have higher intelligence; thus, they might be more able to compensate to function in society.

Here is a list of some of the possible signs or symptoms in those who have AS (many of which are also common to autism), compiled from several sources. No person with AS has all these traits, and they do not have them at the same levels. Some traits are opposites, but stem from the same underlying issue. Although neuro-typical people (ones without an autism spectrum disorder) might experience some of these characteristics, the problems are usually tenfold to a hundredfold worse for the person with AS or autism. These characteristics are based on observation of males with AS; it is thought that females could exhibit AS in different ways because they might react to the same difficulty in a different manner. In adults, some of these traits only occur in specific situations or when under stress. Compensating for some traits and learning ways to do some things can be accomplished with explicit instructions. Some of these characteristics usually occur only in children because adults have learned to compensate through trial and error or observation of other people. Some of these characteristics are comparisons to the development of neuro-typical children.

Social interactions

- seems content when left alone

- does not understand social cues and thus might act inappropriately, appearing rude, uncaring, and tactless

- might be able to function in one-to-one interactions but not with multiple people

- has strong sense of loyalty; very loyal to friends

- has strong sense of social justice; tends to defend others and causes

- achieves social success by intellectual analysis rather than intuition

- often has a sense of humor as an adult that is not frequently understood by others, often a very dry sense of humor

- might or might not desire friendships; most seem to desire friendships but the stress involved makes them decide it is not worth it

Child development:

- does not play turn-taking games

- is more likely to play by him- or herself, or next to other children, than with them

- uses adult's hand as a tool

- does not interact socially with same age group; indifference to peer contacts; difficulties interacting with peers

Verbal communication

- rarely initiates communication; might speak only when discussing favorite subjects (special interests)

- when trying to participate in conversations, it might seem odd or awkward; does not know how to keep a conversation going

- understands and uses words literally, resulting in misinterpretations; might not understand idiomatic expressions and metaphors; might not pick up double meanings; might not understand subtle satire and irony; might not understand when exaggeration is being used; is often the last person to understand the point of a joke

- discusses objects and facts, not feelings

- might sound overly formal or excessively technical; pedantic; includes too much detail

- is more comfortable writing than speaking; more comfortable in situations where body language is not an issue, such as in the dark or back-to-back

Child development:

- fails to imitate actions or sounds

- might have echolalia - repeats or echoes words and phrases just heard

- might have delayed language acquisition; might have precocious language acquisition

Nonverbal communication

- eye contact is limited/fleeting, staring, or otherwise seems atypical; might make appropriate eye contact when talking but look away when listening or processing an answer; more likely to look at mouth than eyes

- has atypical body language; does not accurately express intents, thoughts, and feelings via nonverbal language

- might not use gestures; gestures might seem stilted or clumsy; gestures might be exaggerated

Child development:

- has a deficit in joint attention; does not point at object to share interest and does not realize that gaze should be directed where other person is pointing

Relating to surroundings (including change)

- is upset by or resists changes; inflexible; desires predictability; should be warned about changes to environment and routines

- develops rigid routines; prefers to know rules for all situations; seemingly simple activities that are not part of the routine, such as going out to eat, can be extraordinarily stressful

- might be reluctant to enter unknown places or visit friends' homes because of not knowing the "rules" for that place

- has a tendency to collect objects or information / facts

- tends to notice patterns; tends to notice license plates numbers; often notices details that other people do not

- might refuse to eat foods that are touching other foods on the plate

Child development:

- play is repetitive

Responses to sensory stimuli

- usually has sensory integration disorder - unusual perception of sensory input, sensory processing abnormalities

- might be oversensitive to sound, hearing sounds most people do not or panicking at certain sounds, or undersensitive to sound, appearing deaf at times

- might be oversensitive to sight, preferring dimly lit rooms or certain colors, or undersensitive to sight, desiring lots of colors and interested in flashing lights

- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to taste, preferring either extra spicy or very bland foods, or preferring sourness such as lemon slices

- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to touch; might become very stressed by light touches, but less stressed by firm ones; might feel calmer in Temple Grandin's "hugging machine"

- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to smell

- might be under or oversensitive to balance (vestibular stimulation); might frequently twirl or might easily become dizzy

- might have proprioceptive dysfunction - insufficient processing of information from muscles and joints so is unaware of where body is in space; might hit, kick, or bang head against objects intentionally to gain awareness of where one's body parts are in space; might watch one's feet or hands to be aware of where they are

- might prefer to wear the same clothing day after day (because of how it feels, as well as preferring the same routines)

- might prefer to sleep under many blankets for the pressure of the weight or similarly to wear heavy clothes for the comforting pressure

- might be oversensitive or undersensitive to pain

- is often very inactive or very active

Child development:

- plays with light and reflections

- flicks fingers before eyes

Motor clumsiness

- has a lack of coordination in physical activities; cannot synchronize leg and arm movement; might be described as clumsy or accident-prone

- might have problems with both fine and gross motor control; might have fine motor control but not gross motor control or vice versa

Child development:

- is behind age group performance on neurodevelopmental examination

Special interests

- are all-absorbing, narrow interests done to the exclusion of other activities, done with repetitive adherence, or done with more rote than meaning (as a child)

- often include a fascination with facts or numbers, science, or something related to transportation

- often involve a couple lifelong primary special interests; might include short-term, but very intense, secondary special interests; might acquire more primary interests over time so adults might have 4 or more

- are calming and reduce stress (as opposed to an obsession), but might give appearance of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Thinking and memory

- has excellent long-term memory for facts and routines; often have an excellent memory for dialogue

- might have difficulty with short-term memory

- is logical and detail-oriented; easily able to identify errors

- can focus on tasks intensely; persistent; difficulty leaving tasks unfinished

- often has poor imagination as a young child; might have extraordinary imaginative abilities as a teenager and adult

Brain differences

- the amygdala (the brain's social and emotional control center) is enlarged during early childhood and then shrinks; resulting in an amygdala that appears the same as the amygdala in children who were subjected to physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect; a person with a "damaged" amygdala might sense danger when there is none

- researchers believe that children with autism related disorders suffer chronic stress from fear of people that results in the atypical development of the amygdala

Child development:

- larger than normal head circumference is common

Other characteristics

- often only minimally affected by peer pressure, so does what is comfortable for him or her; or, tries to fit in by doing anything peers suggest without realizing peers' true intentions

- has an aversion to being interrupted; compulsion for completion

- is often very spiritual, but not necessarily religious

- is a perfectionist

- has an impaired fight or flight response - possibly because fight or flight is already activate in almost all situations; often does not recognize dangerous situations

- has difficulty making friends; often might misinterpret kindness as friendship; might never form long-term intimate relationships due to lack of social skills and ability; might invent imaginary friends, worlds, or scenarios due to social difficulties

- unusual attachment to objects; is attached to one particular object; might be preoccupied with parts of objects

- might be especially sensitive to mind-affecting medicines, such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant ones; might have atypical side effects from medicines, such as codeine causing insomnia

- might have nicknames such as "little professor" and "encyclopedia" (more often male) or "little philosopher" (more often female)

- the combination of misunderstandings due to taking words literally, possessiveness and intense loyalty to perceived friends, and socially odd or inappropriate behavior can make others feel as if they might be being stalked

- often has family members with a smaller number of these traits or learning disabilities; has a genetic factor to autism related disorders which is probably then triggered by environmental factors

Other conditions that might occur with Asperger's Syndrome

- might suffer anxiety disorder and panic attacks due to effects of Asperger's

- might suffer depression and have suicidal tendencies due to effects of Asperger's

- might suffer post-traumatic stress disorder due to victimization which is due to effects of Asperger's

- might have prosopagnosia (face blindness) - difficulty with facial recognition

- might have learning disabilities

- might have dyspraxia, also known as sensory integration disorder (difficulty planning and performing complex movements such as drawing, writing, buttoning, or other fine motor skill tasks)

- might have sleep problems

- might have dietary intolerances, such as gluten, casein, or lactose intolerance; greater risk of immune system disorders related to digestion, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease; food allergies

- might not process B6 vitamins efficiently; a study on children with autism showed that they seem to benefit from what are normally toxic doses of B6, but this is not something to try at home

- might have chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation for years

- other co-existing conditions include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), antisocial personality disorder (APD or ASPD), and Tourette's Syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders

- has a slightly greater incidence of epilepsy

- has a greater incidence of tuberous sclerosis (benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs)

- has 10 times greater incidence of savantism, often in the form of mental calculation or fast computer programming skills

Sources include, among others:

  • The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood
  • The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome: Advice, Support, Insights, and Inspiration by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby
  • Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Volumes I and II, 3rd Edition edited by Fred R. Volkmar
  • Understanding the Nature of Autism: A Guide to the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition by Janice E. Janzen
  • Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood et. al.
  • Asperger's Syndrome and Sensory Issues: Practical Solutions for Making Sense of the World by Brenda Smith Myles et. al.
  • Asperger Syndrome & Your Child: A Parent's Guide by Michael D. Powers and Janet Poland
  • Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind by Simon Baron-Cohen
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13y ago
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13y ago

Autism usually is not diagnosed before age 2, and sometimes not that soon. It can be even longer before it is possible to detect Asperger's Syndrome. If the person with Asperger's Syndrome has some of the typical symptoms of autism, such as delayed language development and the apparent "temper tantrums", he or she might be diagnosed with autism at an early age, which later could be changed to high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

The long list of symptoms in the question "What are symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome" includes some notes on which symptoms are found more among adults and which are found more among children. Other conditions have some of these symptoms, so taking the child to a specialist for diagnosis is important if the child seems to have any condition that may require additional help. Some educators are skilled at identifying such conditions, but there are some who label any "problem" children with conditions such as autism or Asperger's Syndrome, without investigating other possibilities. For example, sometimes a disruptive child has a hearing difficulty or is being bullied at school, rather than having the condition (such as autism or Asperger's Syndrome) with which he or she is labeled. It is important to obtain the correct diagnosis in order to give the child the appropriate help.

In other countries, pediatricians measure the circumference of the child's head, because a larger than average size for the child's age can be an indicator of autism (or Asperger's Syndrome). This is a temporary effect and in later childhood their heads are average circumference.

Many babies and young children look at people who are talking to them, noticing the movement of the face, but a child with autism or Asperger's Syndrome might very rarely look at the face, instead continuing to look at whatever he or she was looking at before. The ones who do look at the face tend to look only at the mouth and not the eyes. The child does not realize that there is any significance to facial movements other than the mouth making speech sounds.

A child with autism or Asperger's Syndrome might be oversensitive to light, sounds, smells, tastes, or touch. So, he or she might become upset when someone wearing perfume that does not bother anyone else comes too near, or might be bothered by the smell the fabric softener leaves on the bedding. Or, he or she might refuse to eat certain foods because the spiciness, sourness, or other flavor is too strong, while most people would find it relatively mild. Or, he or she might hate being touched by people, resist wearing certain types of fabrics, or dislike the feel of a carpet, sofa, or other object.

These symptoms are not necessarily indicators of autism or Asperger's Syndrome and could be caused by other conditions (e.g., Allergies, seeing or hearing difficulties). However, if the child has enough symptoms that are common to autism or Asperger's Syndrome, then it is likely that he or she has one of the conditions. They also talk to themselves and they may misbehave in several ways, such as:

Don't listen to mom and dad

Throw a tantrum

May have H.S. come to house if misbehaving continues

These are just 4 ways of the signs of Asperger's Syndrome. I have it; that's why I'm the expert to talk to for all your Asperger's Syndrome needs and questions!

-Amanda Barash, Asperger Syndrome victim and expert

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11y ago

Obsessions or intense interests

Clumsiness (not a symptom but very common that it is usually listed anyhow)

Imaginative

Have difficulty keeping friendships

Have difficulty following rules

Lives in their "own world"

Rigid walking

Poor posture

Unable to express themselves

Don't know how to act in a social situation

Sensitive senses (usually touch and hearing)

Average to above average intelligence

Usually has above average vocabulary

Usually score under in mathematics

Strict or ritualized patterns

Hate change

Strongly follow the rules when they are mentioned or written

Usually very quiet (some are chatterboxes)

Some are selectivly mute (talkative to one and silent to another)

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11y ago

Common signs of AS in children,

.Living in thier own "world"

.Being very creative/imaginative

.Rigid walking (not moving arms when walking) or poor posture

.Very picky such as with clothes or food

.Sensitive hearing and vision (may avoid bright light)

.Having an extreme interest in few things

.Typically recieves good grades in school

. Not very talkative unless usually it is something that they like

.Doesn't socialize with other kids their own age (AS individuals tend to communicate better to others who are younger or older then they are)

.Boys tend to be interested with engineering/math and girls with nature/Biology

.Don't follow the rules or can only remember two directions at once

.Tendency to "forget"

.Dont know how to intercate with others

.Trouble keeping friendships

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14y ago

== == Childhood generally refers to the stage after toddler; in other words, after 24 months. This is when more symptoms of autism might be noticed.

Some symptoms can be early speech, then not a word thereafter. Other symptoms include lack of eye contact, lack of affection (hugging them is actually "painful",) "flipping or flapping" their hands or objects, crying and being self abusive, obsessed with certain objects or activities, repetitive behaviors, not meeting "normal" milestones, odd eating rituals (will eat only 3-4 food items) and many other behaviors. There is no magic cure. Do some research, love your child and work to have them achieve what "professionals" say they will never do. On a recent course I learnt that a severely autistic child lives completely in their own world. they are usually unaware of their surroundings and people are just objects. They learn to 'use' people to get what ever it is they need but they do not usually form any type of bond. There is little eye contact and they be obsessive with objects. some autistic children can speak, other will not, but as a parent you may be able to teach your own method of communication, so that it is easier for the child to 'communicate' their needs and for you to understand them. An autistic child needs to have a very structured routine. They only feel safe when they know what is coming next. When learning a new routine it may be useful to carry out the same procedure many many times in different rooms as autistic children do not generalise (they don't take what they have learnt to any other place other than the place it was learnt in). establish routines and stick to them. do not introduce new things until complete familiarity has been established Be patient, improvements will happen.

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10y ago

The most common Aspergers symptoms in young children are the inability to sit still, to stay focused on a task and appearing withdrawn when in a group. It is often dismissed initially as naughty behaviour.

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7y ago

There are a few symptoms depending on the age of the child; example 18 months or at school age.

Early signs of autism: 6-18 months old: Your baby does not follow your gaze. For example, when you look at your watch, a baby without autism would copy you and look at your watch as well. Alternatively, your baby does not look at objects that have been pointed out to them.

Signs and symptoms of autism in school-age children: being unable to start or join in with a conversation unless it is about specific topics that interest them, such as dinosaurs or trains.

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11y ago

The most common characteristics in children with Asperger's syndrome is that they are easily angered. I guess you can call it short-tempered. They tend to be more shy as well.

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Q: What are the symptoms of Asperger's in kids?
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I don't have all of the symptoms of Aspergers. I have a nephew with Autism. Is it possible not to have all the symptoms of Aspergers and still have the condition?

Each person who has aspergers has a different personality, and aspergers manifests itself differently in different persons. So, probably, no one who has aspergers has all the symptoms, because the combination is different in each individual.


What Symptoms does an Older Adult in her 60s with Aspergers syndrome display?

OCD


What if your you suspect Asperger's Syndrome in your husband but he refuses to read about it?

You could talk to a psychologist and tell them the signs of Aspergers that your husband is showing. That way if your husband does have Aspergers he can get medicine for his symptoms, but not all people with Aspergers need medicine


What are the symptoms of aspergers syndrome?

Some of the symptoms of aspergers include failure to make eye contact, failure to pick up on facial cues, unusual facial expressions, and an inability to connect with others. These symptoms may change as a person gets older and learns how to better adapt to society. Webmd.com is an excellent resource to learn more about syndrome, as well as kidshealth.org.


Can people with Aspergers Syndrome also have symptoms of Tourette Syndrome?

Yes they can. People with Asperger's shockingly and usu. have a combination such as having Aspergers and OCD, or ADD, depression, anxiety, and Tourettes. In some cases developing schizophrenia can occur.


Did Kurt cobain have aspergers?

Yes he did I believe. People with Aspergers are very creative, talented, and always think optimistically from other people around them. So Kurt thought the same way as many kids with this syndrome do.


Can aspergers just appear?

No you are born with it and symptoms/signs should be evident at a young age typically around 2 to 4 years old.


What is profound Aspergers?

It is a more severe version of aspergers


Is aspergers syndrome and asburgers syndrome the same thing?

Close, asburgeres sounds similar to aspergers. Asburgeres specifically does not exist but aspergers does. Other names for aspergers is asperger(s) syndrome and autistic psychopathy which is the original name for aspergers.


Should you marry a girl whose brother has aspergers?

Well the better question to ask is do you love her? I mean you must love her if you want to marry her and the point is here if you love her then what does it matter if her brother has aspergers. If you are having doubts about whether your kids will have aspergers then you will have to talk to your doctor but it shouldn't matter because with or without the disease it would still be your child and you shouldn't love it any less.


Is aspergers a mentall illness?

Aspergers is not a mentall illness it is not a diesease you can,t catch aspergers by being around someone with aspergers. People with aspergers are born with it. Although aspergers affects the way people think and veiw the world it is not a diesese. Recent aspergers studies have shown that in brains of people with aspergers there is a difference in the way the brain is wired and set up. and there have also been studies of aspergers brain waves and it showed the brain waves of people with aspergers differed from nerotypical brain waves. Just because people with aspergers think differently does not make them mentally ill there is a huge difference between the two.


When was Aspergers Society of Ontario created?

Aspergers Society of Ontario was created in 2000.