Asperger’s Symptoms in Childhood
Despite the fact that there are numerous possible symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, the primary symptom is severe trouble with social situations. It may range from mild to severe, and your child may have many or only a few additional symptoms. Because of the extensive assortment of symptoms, no two children with Asperger’s are identical.
The symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome often first begin to appear as the child begins preschool and is faced with moderate interaction with other children. Children with Asperger’s syndrome may:
Be unable to notice social cues and lack instinctive social skills, such as reading others’ body language, sustaining a conversation, and taking turns talking.
Have an aversion to any change in routine.
Not recognize slight differences in tone, pitch, and accent that modify the implication of others’ speech. Consequently, they may not recognize a joke or be unable to distinguish a sarcastic comment from the literal. Additionally, his or her speech may be monotone or difficult to understand because their misunderstanding of normal traits of speech.
Engage in an exceedingly proper or advanced style of speaking for his or her age. They use the terms like “bellow” instead of “yell,” or “whisper” instead of “quiet”.
Display bizarre facial expressions or postures.
Pursue specific and narrow areas of interest. Many children with Asperger’s syndrome collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as dinosaurs or astronomy, without necessarily having genuine understanding of the broader topic.
Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
Evade eye contact.
Seem to lack empathy.
Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
Have excellent auditory and visual perception. Additionally, they may become over stimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures.