Aspergers Syndrome | Autism In Toddlers

Symptoms Of Aspergers In Children

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The symptoms of Asperger’s are a little different than those of autism in toddlers, and it’s important to know the differences.

Asperger’s is categorized as a less severe case of autism and is characterized by a variety of symptoms.

Parents that are concerned about certain behaviors their child may be exhibiting need to know and understand this disorder in order to know how to cope with it and help their child.

The symptoms of Asperger’s, much like autism, begin to present themselves by the age of 3 when they are most obvious. This disorder can be mistaken for autism is some cases, so getting more than one opinion is advisable.

Who Discovered Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s Syndrome was originally discovered by Hans Asperger in 1944. He was a pediatrician in Austria.

He noticed that while the 4 children he first observed with what is now Asperger’s, had problems with interacting on a social level, but had normal intelligence levels.

These children were clumsy, experienced no empathy towards their peers and lacked the ability to express themselves through non-verbal communication. He felt that this was different from autism even though some of the symptoms were similar in nature.

This has been found to be true.

While some of the symptoms of Asperger’s are similar in nature to autism, this particular disorder is different and with it, presents different symptoms.

Here are the most common symptoms of Asperger’s.

Talking incessantly about certain subjects that they favor without actually being able to make a point.
Their conversation is more random and is more like a list of facts and/or statistics as opposed to being conversational.
Children with Asperger’s tend to approach others to talk to them, unlike those with autism who are withdrawn. However, they are isolated from society due to their lack of social skills and narrow conversational subjects. They exhibit eccentric or inappropriate behaviors that isolate them.
The speech pattern of a child with this syndrome is one of the most noticeable symptoms. They usually speak in a monotone voice or with odd inflections in their speech patterns. They also have no concept of matching their voice volume to a situation. You will need to remind them to use indoor voices in certain circumstances.
They tend to develop depression and/or anxiety early in their young adult life after being active in childhood.
Developmental delays are symptomatic of Asperger’s. They may have trouble playing catch or even riding a bike.

There have been no real developments in this disorder to find out what actually causes it, but it is believed to be genetic in some cases.

The symptoms of Asperger’s have been found to be related to brain abnormalities similar to those seen with autism.

More research is being done to try to uncover what can cause this disorder. There is no cure, but there are treatments and therapies that can help manage it.

You may also be interested in reading about symptoms of Asperger’s in Teens and adolescents.

What is Asperger’s Syndrome

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what are the signs and symptoms of aspergers syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome is a neurological disorder on the “high functioning” end of the autism spectrum. Although people with Asperger’s tend to have similar problems and complications to those with Autism, they tend to have fewer verbal problems than those with classic autism and are usually of above average or average intelligence. Some even tend to demonstrate precocious vocabulary particularly in a highly specialized area of interest.

However, affected children and adults struggle with social cues such as tone of voice, gestures and facial expressions. People with Asperger’s may also exhibit repetitive behaviors, restricted range of interests, and delayed motor development leading to uncoordinated motor movements or clumsiness. On the other hand, an individual’s signs and symptoms can range from severe to mild. Some individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome join the mainstream education system, but most need special education.

Those with Asperger’s Syndrome desire to have friends and fit in socially, but have difficulty making real social connections. In addition, many of them at a higher risk of developing various mood disorders such as depression or anxiety, especially in adolescence.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome?

Parents and caregivers often first notice the signs and symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) when their kids start preschool and begin to interact with other kids. However, each person is different and an individual might some or even all of the described characteristics and behaviors to be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s Symptoms During Childhood

Impairment in the use of nonverbal cues such as body posture, gestures, facial expressions and eye gaze to regulate social interaction.
Superior rote memory
Inflexible/strict adherence to routines.
Fascination with routes, globes and maps.
Preoccupation with a specific topic/subject and collects many related facts to the exclusion of all other subjects.
Motor clumsiness and difficulty judging personal space.
Heightened sensitivity and overstimulation by loud noises, odors, food textures, clothing and the environment in general.
Difficulty understanding other’s moods and feelings.
Language and speech impairment in the area of pragmatics, semantics and prosody (rhythm, inflection, intonation, and volume). So your child may take sarcastic comments literally or may not understand some jokes. Their speech may be hard to understand because it lacks tone, accent, and pitch.
Formal style of speaking (little professor verbose).
Difficulty reading and interpreting social cues.
Emotionally and socially inappropriate responses.
Difficulty interpreting implied meanings/literal interpretation of language.
Hyperlexia/extensive vocabulary because reading commences at a very early age.
Repetitive or stereotyped motor mannerisms.
Delayed motor development. They may be late in learning to ride a bike, catch a ball, or use a spoon or fork.
Difficulty maintaining conversation.
They may verbalize internal thoughts.
Stare at others or avoid eye contact.

Asperger’s Symptoms in Adolescents and Teenagers

Adolescents and teenagers with Asperger’s syndrome have deficits in three main areas: physical coordination, communication and development of various interests.

Clumsiness: Teenagers with Asperger’s may seem rather clumsy and often tend to drop things, fall easily, walk swiftly or have odd, repetitious movements. They also try to avoid most physical games that their peers are playing.
Lack of Empathy: Youngsters with asperger’s are neither mean nor cruel, but they may seem oblivious or disinterested in other’s feelings.
Poor math skills: Although youngsters with Asperger’s syndrome tend to have inadequate math skills, they may do very well in vocabulary. However, learning abilities vary from one individual to another.
Limited non-verbal communication: Few facial expressions, a lack of eye contact or looking into space when communication may be a sign of Asperger’s. A teenager with Asperger’s may not pick on humor or indirect speech such as the use of figures of speech or sarcasm.
Unusual speech: Older children with Asperger’s may have a monotone , robotic speech or speak rapidly without noticing that others are speaking more slowly.
Obsessive interests: Obsessive interests can also be a sign of Asperger’s in adolescents and teenagers. They may develop keen interest in one or two subjects and devote and devote a lot of time to taking about them, looking at them, or studying them.

Asperger’s Symptoms in Adulthood

It is particularly important to understand that Asperger’s is a lifelong condition. However, it may stabilize over time and significant improvements may be seen. Most individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are able to learn and interpret a range of social skills and many are able to live normal lives. In fact, some typical traits of Asperger’s Syndrome such as focused interests and attention to detail can increase chances of career success. Many adults are usually diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when seeking help for other related issues such as depression and anxiety. However, diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome should be made by a medical professional to rule out other related conditions and discuss proper interventions.

Read more about Developmental Disabilities of Asperger’s syndrome in children

Asperger’s Syndrome in Children

Jo-anne Aspergers Syndrome September 3, 2011October 3, 2019

Asperger’s Syndrome is one of the Autism Spectrum Disorders, characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

Children with Asperger’s syndrome have poor social interaction, odd speech patterns, obsessions and peculiar mannerisms. They do not have ability to read the body language of others. They engage in routine obsessions with less facial expressions.

Causes- Asperger’s syndrome is a neurological disorder and the causes are not yet understood fully. Research says there seems to be a hereditary component to Asperger’s syndrome, if there is a family history, especially fathers. But no specific gene has been identified yet.

Exposure to teratogens during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy increases the tendency for Asperger’s syndrome in the child. Environmental factors also may play role in causing Asperger’s syndrome.

Signs and Symptoms- The Asperger’s Syndrome manifests a range of developmental disabilities in children.

1- Social Interactions- minimal or inappropriate social interactions where child fails to develop friendships or fails to share joy with other children. Lack of social reciprocal response with poor facial expressions.

2- Interests and Behavior- repetitive and restricted interests and behavior and lack of common sense. Problem with reading, mathematics and writing skills. Odd behaviors and mannerisms.

3- Speech and Language- Unlike other autism spectrum disorders, children with Asperger’s syndrome acquire language skills without delay but they manifest abnormalities like abrupt transitions, repetitive & scripted robotic speech, unusually idiosyncratic speech.

Treatment- There is no fixed line of treatment for Asperger’s syndrome because signs and symptoms are different from child to child.

The therapy should be focused at improving symptoms and function.

The mainstay of management is behavioral therapy, others are social skills training, language therapy, parent education and training, psychotherapy. Most children improve as they grow to adulthood but social and communication difficulties may continue in adulthood. Anti-psychotic medications may help along with other therapies.