Early Signs of Aspergers Syndrome

 How does one tell if the person he or she is interacting with has Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)? Individuals who have aspergers syndrome often find themselves interested only in a very specific and small number of things and preoccupations. They may even display autism behavior, obsessively dedicating far too much time on those very specific objects of interest over others. Ritualistic, repeating routines may also be commonplace indicators. Those with asperger syndrome also tend to have difficulty in speaking, specifically in how they speak. This is very evident with their speaking appearing monotonous and without inflections.

Like most autism behavior, those with aspergers syndrome also communicate non-verbally with a great amount of difficulty. They take things at face value, do not make eye contact, and have a tendency to display seemingly incompatible expressions on their faces. They may display awkwardness in their gait and may have difficulty coordinating their limbs, appearing pudgy, if not clumsy. What makes people prone to believe that asperger syndrome is instead pointing in the direction of autism behavior is the delay in children’s achievement of some rudimentary motor abilities. As such, the child may not immediately be able to play catch, ride bikes, or even climb on small playing equipment.

Parents often begin seeing differences between their children and others by the time their child hits the age of three. If they have the chance to observe their children interacting with other preschool students, they will notice that their child is behaving differently from others, and showing less progress in communication skills. Often, those with asperger syndrome first manifest clumsy and uncoordinated movement.

What separates diagnosing autism from aspergers syndrome is that the child is unable to communicate well with other people. His or her body movements may be characterized by habitual movement of the hands, including but not limited to flapping his arms in the air. They display some sort of obsession over specific subjects, and may be considered to display a high level of eccentricity. In addition, those with asperger syndrome speak in a monotonous manner, often without rhythmic inflections and showing no ability to modulate their voices into loud or soft tones. While kids who suffer from aspergers syndrome long to be part of society, they are simply not equipped with the appropriate skills to mingle with other people. As children, those with aspergers syndrome are often bullied for their odd behavior.

As a result of the gap in skills that occurs as a child with aspergers syndrome grows into adolescence, many of those who suffer from the disorder are prone to be depressed. They may even have other conditions that further hinder their ability to mingle and interact with people. These include ADHD, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety attacks, bipolar disorder, and tics such as Tourette syndrome.

The scientific community has not been able to pinpoint what causes Asperger’s syndrome. Many suspect hereditary causes or even abnormal fetus activities eight week into the child’s conception that hurt the brain’s growth. Others suspect a post-natal virus. Regardless of the cause, any person can find themselves with asperger syndrome.