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What are the common symptoms to look out for?

Question

For a mom or dad who suspects their youngster may have Aspergers, what are the common symptoms to look out for?

Answer

Aspergers is a developmental disorder that affects a youngster's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Kids with Aspergers typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.

Signs and symptoms of Aspergers include:

• Appearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings
• Displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures
• Having a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor
• Having an odd posture or a rigid gait
• Moving clumsily, with poor coordination
• Showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes
• Speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast

Autism and Aspergers are difficult to diagnose especially in young kids where language and cognitive skills are still developing. All kids are different, and many toddlers show a sign or symptom of Aspergers at some point. It's natural for small kids to be egocentric, and many little ones show a strong interest in a particular topic, such as dinosaurs or a favorite fictional character. These alone aren't reasons to be alarmed!

However, if your youngster has frequent problems in school or seems unable to make friends, it's time to consult your pediatrician. These difficulties have many possible causes, but developmental disorders such as Aspergers shouldn't be ruled out.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hilary Ann Baird a child with aspergers has a completely different brain, we may not always be able to verbalize things but its doesnt mean theres no thought process or that we dont care about others or we would be robots
2 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Hilary Ann Baird some kids with aspergers may or may not have trouble with class material and understanding it, they may also be very gifted even if grades dont show it
2 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Hilary Ann Baird another thing to look for is "meltdowns" they are the result of anxiety disorder which is very common in ppl with aspergers
2 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Sherri Caldwell Our tells in school evaluation were obsessive preoccupation on one subject or activity (rocks, at the time), tendency to not look people in the eye and, yep, seemingly random meltdowns/tantrums -- thank god we get it now, not random at all! Sensory and/or social interaction/anxiety issues.
about an hour ago · Like
Sherri Caldwell I think a big difference between ADHD & Aspergers is ADHD kids still motivated to please, outward focus; Aspies much more inner-focus - their own little world.

Anonymous said...

Mia Colon Yes sherri my son who is 14 is very self absorbed, if there is no benefit to him in some way he has no interest in it at all.

Lbetter33 said...

My name is Catherine and I have a15 year old son with autism and he is very self absorbed and it seems the older he gets the harder it gets and has more frequent meltdowns. He for sure doesn'texcept the word know. I wish I could find some meetings around my stress that could help me better understand all of it. I've also got an 11 year old that had been going through testing because she fits the signs for asperger autism.Does anyone know of any autism meetings in Baytown, Tx.

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

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How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

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Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

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Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

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Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

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Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

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