Does your child have a very tough time in social situations? It might be that your kid has Asperger’s syndrome. What is meant by “a very difficult time in social situations”? Well, maybe you have noticed some of the following symptoms that characterize persons with Asperger’s syndrome:
* An incapability to pick up on social cues, such as reading others’ body language.
* A tendency to continue long, one-sided conversations without even noticing whether or not the listener is listening or trying to change the subject.
* Difficulty understanding the usually delicate differences in speech which can change how other’s message is received. For example, kids with Asperger’s might not realize when a joke is being told, or may miss the irony intended and, instead, may take a comment at face value.
* Their own speech might be lifeless and tough to understand because of a shortage of pitch or tone.
* Uneasiness with some changes in routines.
* May either stare at others, or avoid eye contact.
* May appear to not have empathy.
* Can be preoccupied with only one or two interests, which they are highly educated about. This preoccupation limits on obsession. They may talk a lot about this interest, and often carry on one-sided conversations.
* Motor growth might be delayed, with trouble learning to ride a bike, 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 may illustrate a majority of children you know. The key to analysis is having a combination of these symptoms AND having severe trouble with social situations. Parents might first observe this when their child starts to interact with other kids. Is maybe your child not able to make friends with other children?
Aspergers syndrome is grouped with other ASD, which encompass issues with communication and other social skills. But Aspergers syndrome is usually regarded to be at the less severe end of this spectrum. Although in few ways Aspergers is similar to autism, kids with Asperger’s generally have ordinary academic and language development. And they typically try harder to make friends and to interact with others.
Kids with Asperger’s syndrome vary in the harshness of their symptoms, and in the number of the symptoms they exhibit. Because of this, no two children with Asperger’s are the same. Aspergers underlying causes, thought to be genetically based, cannot be “cured.” Rather, 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.