It is important to know what Asperger’s symptoms are if you suspect, or know, your child has Asperger’s. You may find yourself speaking to him/her, and they won’t look you in the eye. They seem to not be listening. They will struggle socially and may have a hard time making friends. They won’t show many emotions, so it may be hard to grasp what they’re feeling. Children with Asperger’s are very intelligent and often times have an above average IQ; they just have a unique way of interacting. Below is a list of common Asperger’s symptoms. Click here to read more about Asperger’s.
Asperger’s Symptoms.
- Poor social skills
- Doesn’t make eye contact
- Doesn’t understand social cues
- Unable to recognize subtle differences in speech (sarcasm, joking, etc).
- Repeats themselves often
- Shows few emotions
- Dislikes change
- Appear to lack empathy
- Have a formal style of speech
- Will be preoccupied and very knowledgeable with a few interests
- Delayed motor development
- Heightened sensitivity to noises, lights, textures, tastes, etc
- Poor handwriting
- Unusual facial expressions or postures
- Difficulty making friends of the same age
- Struggles with small talk
- Speech may be monotone or robotic
- Will have long one sided conversations without noticing if the other person is listening or uninterested
- May perform repetitive movements (like moving their hands a certain way over and over)
- May zone out when over stimulated
- May engage in violent outbursts and self-injurious behavior
- Speech often develops early
- May have a fascination with letter and numbers
Asperger’s symptoms vary from person to person and no two children are the same, so your child may also display different symptoms than the ones listed above. Despite your child’s diagnosis, these interventions can be helpful. Asperger’s is considered a mild form of Autism, and is more prevalent in males. Usually parents will become aware of it once their child starts preschool and begins to have more social interactions.
Although they may struggle socially, they are brilliant and in understanding them, we can better interact in a way that will make them feel comfortable and understood.
