subject: What Everybody Ought To Know About Asperger's Syndrome [print this page] What Everybody Ought To Know About Asperger's Syndrome
Does your child have a incredibly tough time in social situations? It might be that your kid has Asperger syndrome. What is meant by "a incredibly hard time in social situations"? Well, perhaps you've noticed some of the following symptoms that characterize those with Aspergers syndrome:
* An incapability to pick up on social cues, like interpreting others' body language.
* A trend to carry on long, one-sided conversations without even noticing whether the listener is listening or trying to switch the subject.
* Trouble understanding the usually delicate differences in speech which can change how other's communication is received. For example, children with Aspergers might not realize when a joke is being told, or may miss the irony intended and, rather, might take a comment at face value.
* Their own speech may be lifeless and tough to understand because of a lack of pitch or tone.
* Uneasiness with any changes in routines.
* Might either stare at others, or evade eye contact.
* May appear not to have sympathy.
* Can be preoccupied with only one or two interests, that they are greatly educated about. This preoccupation borders on obsession. They might talk a lot about this interest, and usually continue one-sided conversations.
* Motor development might be delayed, with difficulty learning to ride a cycle, dine with a spoon or fork, or other hand/eye coordination tasks, as well as that of handwriting.
* Easily overstimulated by lights, loud noises, or other stimuli.
A child with one or two of these symptoms does not essentially have Asperger--after all, these symptoms might illustrate a majority of toddlers you know. The secret to diagnosis is having a combination of these symptoms AND having severe trouble with social situations. Parents might first see this while their child starts to interact with other children. Is perhaps your child not able to make friends with other kids?
Asperger's syndrome is grouped with other ASD, which encompass issues with communication and other social skills. But Asperger's syndrome is usually regarded to be at the less severe end of this spectrum. Even though in some ways Asperger is identical to autism, children with Asperger usually have ordinary academic and language development. And they typically try harder to make friends and to interact with others.
Kids with Aspergers syndrome vary in the severity of their symptoms, and in the number of the symptoms they show. Because of this, no two kids with Asperger's are the same. Asperger's underlying reasons, thought to be genetically based, can't be "cured." Instead, treatment, in the form of either communication and social skills training or cognitive behavior therapy, could help your child learn to more easily fit into their social world.
