Content
Asperger's syndrome is a condition similar to autism, which manifests itself since childhood and leads people with Asperger to see, hear and feel the world differently, which ends up causing changes in the way they relate and communicate with people. others.
The intensity of symptoms can vary widely from one child to the next, so less apparent cases can be more difficult to identify. It is for this reason that many people discover the syndrome only during adulthood, when they already have depression or when they begin to have intense and recurrent episodes of anxiety.
Unlike autism, Asperger's syndrome does not cause generalized learning difficulties, but it can affect some specific learning. Better understand what autism is and how to identify it.
In order to know if a child or adult has Asperger's syndrome, it is necessary to consult with a pediatrician or psychiatrist, who will assess the presence of some signs indicative of the syndrome such as:
1. Difficulty in relating to other people
Children and adults with this syndrome usually show difficulty in relating to other people, as they have rigid thinking and difficulties in understanding their own emotions and emotions, which may seem to be not concerned with the feelings and needs of other people.
2. Difficulty communicating
People with Asperger's syndrome find it difficult to understand the meaning of indirect signals, such as changes in the tone of voice, facial expressions, body gestures, ironies or sarcasm, so they can only understand what was said literally.
Thus, they also have difficulties to express what they think or feel, not sharing interests or what they think with other people, in addition to avoiding contact with the eyes of another person.
3. Not understanding the rules
It is common that, in the presence of this syndrome, the child cannot accept common sense or respect simple rules such as waiting for his turn in line or waiting for his turn to speak, for example. This makes the social interaction of these children more and more difficult as they grow up.
4. No delay in language, development or intelligence
Children with this syndrome have a normal development, not needing more time to learn to speak or write. In addition, your intelligence level is also normal or, often, above average.
5. Need to create fixed routines
To make the world a little less confusing, people with Asperger's syndrome tend to create very fixed rituals and routines. Changes in the order or schedule for activities or appointments are not well accepted, as changes are not welcome.
In the case of children, this characteristic can be observed when the child always needs to walk the same way to get to school, is upset when he is late to leave the house or cannot understand that someone can also sit in the same chair he uses, for example. example.
6. Very specific and intense interests
It is common for these people to stay focused for a long time on certain activities, and to be entertained with the same thing, as a subject or object, for example, for a long time.
7. Little patience
In Asperger's syndrome, it is common for a person to be very impatient and difficult to understand the needs of others, and are often considered rude. In addition, it is common that they do not like to talk to people their age, as they prefer a more formal and very deep speech on a specific topic.
8. Motor uncoordination
There may be a lack of coordination of movements, which are usually clumsy and clumsy. It is common for children with this syndrome to have an unusual or strange body posture.
9. Emotional control
In Asperger's syndrome, it is difficult to understand feelings and emotions. So when they are emotionally overwhelmed they may have difficulty regulating their reactions.
10. Hypersensitivity to stimuli
People with Asperger's usually experience an intensification of the senses and, therefore, it is common for them to overreact to stimuli, such as lights, sounds or textures.
However, there are also some cases of Asperger's in which the senses seem to be less developed than normal, which ends up aggravating their inability to relate to the world around them.
How to confirm Asperger's diagnosis
In order to diagnose Asperger's syndrome, parents should take the child to the pediatrician or a child psychiatrist as soon as some of these signs are detected. At the consultation, the doctor will make a physical and psychological assessment of the child to understand the source of his behavior and be able to confirm or rule out the diagnosis of Asperger's.
The earlier the diagnosis is made and interventions for the treatment of the child are initiated, the better the adaptation to the environment and quality of life can be. See how the treatment for Asperger's Syndrome is done.