What are some
common signs or symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome?
The most distinguishing symptom of AS is a child’s obsessive interest in
a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. Some children
with AS have become experts on vacuum cleaners, makes and models of
cars, even objects as odd as deep fat fryers. Children with AS want to
know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations
with others will be about little else. Their expertise, high level of
vocabulary, and formal speech patterns make them seem like little
professors.
Children with AS will gather enormous amounts of factual information
about their favorite subject and will talk incessantly about it, but the
conversation may seem like a random collection of facts or statistics,
with no point or conclusion.
Their speech may be marked by a lack of rhythm, an odd inflection, or a
monotone pitch. Children with AS often lack the ability to modulate the
volume of their voice to match their surroundings. For example, they
will have to be reminded to talk softly every time they enter a library
or a movie theatre.
Unlike the severe withdrawal from the rest of the world that is
characteristic of autism, children with AS are isolated because of their
poor social skills and narrow interests. In fact, they may approach
other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate
or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular
interest.
Children with AS usually have a history of developmental delays in motor
skills such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor
play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a
walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy.
Many children with AS are highly active in early childhood, and then
develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Other conditions that
often co-exist with AS are ADHD, tic disorders (such as Tourette
syndrome), depression, anxiety disorders, and OCD.
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Last Updated 9/2/2007