{"id":896,"date":"2017-06-23T04:14:42","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T04:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=896"},"modified":"2021-03-12T14:46:40","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T14:46:40","slug":"11-common-symptoms-aspergers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/11-common-symptoms-aspergers\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Most Common Symptoms of Asperger\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Asperger\u2019s syndrome is a condition on the autistic spectrum and is one of the milder and \u2018higher functioning\u2019 forms of autism. Like other conditions on the spectrum, Asperger\u2019s describes a developmental disorder that renders an individual unable to fully understand social cues and potentially to struggle with communication more broadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because Asperger\u2019s is milder than Autism, it often goes undiagnosed and it can be a long time before it gets recognized \u2013 even in adults sometimes. This can make life unnecessarily difficult for those struggling with the condition as they are left without the help and support that they rightfully need and that can make education and careers significantly easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we will take a look at some of the most common symptoms of Asperger\u2019s to look out for in yourself and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  Inability to Pick Up on Subtle Social Cues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most of us inherently understand a large range of unspoken social cues and we use these in order to navigate a wide range of different social situations. This is something that a person with Asperger\u2019s syndrome<\/a> might struggle with however and as such, they can sometimes be ostracized from a group or unintentionally cause offence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, someone with Asperger\u2019s might stand too close to another person during conversation and not recognize that this may be making them feel uncomfortable. They might also not pick up on cues that the conversational topic has changed and instead be insistent that they carry on talking about the thing that interests them. They might also speak over other people and have issues taking turns, or they might not notice cues that another person wishes to leave the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2.  Fondness for Routine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Those with Asperger\u2019s might struggle with any changes to their routine, they might be particularly set in their ways and have a preference for certain foods at certain times, for taking particular routes home, for doing things in a certain order etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can result in very obvious distress <\/a>when even seemingly small things change. For instance, if a caregiver changes their haircut, or if they are forced to change class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>3.  Difficulty With Conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many subtle nuances in speech and conversation that might simply be lost on a person with Asperger\u2019s, thereby making it difficult for them to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, many people with Asperger\u2019s can struggle<\/a> to recognize or appreciate humor. They might also struggle with sarcasm and therefore take things very literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can potentially come across to others as being dense, or it might appear that the individual is very earnest and honest. They can also lack other nuances in conversation such as pitch that might change the meaning of words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>4.  Lots of Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While those with Asperger\u2019s might struggle to understand conversations<\/a> and to take part in them, that doesn\u2019t mean that they will remain silent. Often those with Asperger\u2019s will have specific areas of interest and will be very keen to talk about those. It might therefore be hard to get them to move on to a different topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More unusually, those with Asperger\u2019s will often feel the need to externalize their thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They might talk when no one is around, or they might talk without really expecting the other person in the room to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>5.  Unusual Facial Expressions and Postures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People with Asperger\u2019s can sometimes adopt unusual facial expressions and postures<\/a>. These can be very varied and difficult to specifically describe, however they may simply appear inappropriate for the situation that the person is in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, this likely comes down to a lack of self-awareness for the way that others perceive them, or a lack of knowledge about social situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone somehow just appears a little awkward, perhaps because of their gait or the way they react to things, it is possible they have mild Asperger\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>6.  Area of Interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Commonly, someone with Asperger\u2019s will find a special area of interest that fascinates them and they may appear to become obsessive about this topic. This can result in their developing advanced skills and knowledge surrounding that area but they might also give the subject undue attention. As mentioned, they might feel the need to speak about this topic a lot, even when others attempt to show signs that they aren\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a common misconception that those with Asperger\u2019s will have \u2018savant-like\u2019 abilities, as depicted in the film Rain Man. Not only is this actually a condition that is associated with autism <\/a>more than Asperger\u2019s, but it is also incredibly rare in those cases too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is true is that Asperger\u2019s patients will be more likely to gravitate toward subjects that involve data, facts, figures and well-defined rules and structures. They might like looking at maps for example, or they might enjoy memorizing numbers or musical scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>7.  Eye Contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asperger\u2019s can also make it hard for someone to read facial expressions and to use these in order to pick up on a person\u2019s mood. They might misread a situation, thinking that someone is happy or angry when they are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another common symptom is that they will either avoid eye contact <\/a>altogether, or they will hold it too intently and for too long \u2013 often making the other person feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, this comes down to the kind of unspoken social rule that many of us know inherently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>8.  Difficulty Making Friends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All these different things can make it very difficult for someone with Asperger\u2019s to make friends and this might be especially notable during childhood \u2013 which can be very upsetting for parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children with Asperger\u2019s struggle in this area owing to their inability to engage in conversation, their obsession with specific tasks, their fondness for routine and their lack of social awareness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many Asperger\u2019s patients are also quite happy to engage themselves in their own activities and so might not be as upset about this situation as their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>9.  Lack of Empathy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Children with Asperger\u2019s fundamentally have an incomplete \u2018theory of mind\u2019. This is the mental model that all of us have for the actions, thoughts and beliefs of other people. We all have an idea of how we expect people to behave and how we think they will be feeling in any given situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because an Asperger\u2019s patient doesn\u2019t have this ability to the same extent, they don\u2019t know when we are likely to be sad, unhappy, angry or stressed. Thus they may appear uncaring and unsympathetic.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A young child might not be concerned if you appear to hurt yourself for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not done out of malice or any desire to see other people hurt. It is simply a lack of understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>10.  Hypersensitivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asperger\u2019s sufferers can sometimes show symptoms of hypersensitivity<\/a> and be highly sensitive to light, sound and texture. This can cause them to prefer darker rooms or to prefer quieter music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More commonly, this is likely to be noticeable in large crowds and very busy areas. Those with Asperger\u2019s might prefer to stay away from very busy, crowded or noisy areas and might instead prefer relative quiet and solitude most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A trip to the pub or a night out clubbing would be sensory overload and highly distressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>11.  Many More\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many more symptoms of Asperger\u2019s and this is a condition that can appear slightly different in each case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes Asperger\u2019s will cause children to appear precocious for example \u2013 they tend to talk in a much more formal fashion and choose more advanced words, which seems out-of-keeping with their age as well as their generally poor language skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asperger\u2019s can also cause clumsy movements, poor coordination and other similar symptoms. It may lead to angry outbursts or other seemingly severe mood swings<\/a> \u2013 potentially because those with Asperger\u2019s can also struggle to understand their own moods and motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Lack of Common Sense<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Individuals with Asperger\u2019s syndrome characteristically have no use of common sense<\/a>. Individuals may fail to see the importance of identifying the reasons for their actions, resulting in poor decision making. When they do make decisions outside of their sphere of competence, they generally rush into choices before evaluating the impact of their decision on the outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, people with Asperger\u2019s may place themselves in precarious positions that can affect themselves and those they love. One of the more common ways this behavior presents in Asperger\u2019s patients \u2013 is through their decisions with money. Patients will make decisions to gratify their immediate needs, without taking the future into account.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, Asperger\u2019s patients may spend frivolously, without a thought to assessing if they need their purchase or not. This type of behavior is short-sighted and may lead to self-destructive behavior, without understanding that they make a poor choice with the resources available. For instance, the person may have an obsession with knitting, and spend thousands of dollars at a haberdashery, without leaving money in their account to buy food or pay rent.<\/span><\/wp-block><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Lack of Humor<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Individuals with Asperger\u2019s often lack any sense of humor. A person may tell them a joke and receive no response or gesture that shows understanding of humor<\/a>. The patient also may have trouble recognizing the humor in TV programs or when reading comic strips. It seems like patients with Asperger\u2019s do not understand humor at all, making them feel awkward in social settings, especially when people are making light-hearted comments.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, children with Asperger\u2019s may feel ostracized from their peers. When their classmates tell jokes and everyone laughs but them, it can lead to social divide and withdrawal from social behaviors. This condition is a severe concern for children, as we develop our social standing in the years before we reach 8-years old. Children with Asperger\u2019s who find they don\u2019t fit in with their peers may start to exhibit anti-social behavior, limiting their ability to make friends and experience social understanding and acceptance.<\/span><\/wp-block><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>14. Sensitivity to Noise<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People with Asperger\u2019s often report sensitivity to noise. This condition is most prevalent in children and teenagers<\/a>, especially when they enter new environments. Individuals with Asperger\u2019s struggle to process audible sounds in new situations, such as their first day at school. The overwhelm produced by loud noises, and the hustle and bustle of the schoolyard saturate their senses, creating confusion and anxiety in the child.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents of children with Asperger\u2019s should introduce their child to new scenarios steadily. For example, on the first day of school, it would be advisable to arrive a half an hour after school starts to avoid the activity and noise as the other kids arrive.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s common for both children and adults with Asperger\u2019s to experience sensory overload when exposed to loud noises. They may curl up into a ball and shiver uncontrollably, or cover their ears and start to shout to drown out the noise.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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