Asperger’s Syndrome Symptoms in Children

Asperger’s syndrome is categorized as a developmental physical issue which is found in children. The condition has its influence on the socializing ability of the affected child. The person with prevalence of this syndrome is not able to communicate appropriately with others. Such people have all- absorbing curiosity towards certain topics as well as have awkward socializing abilities.

Experts often classify the condition with autism spectrum disorder (abbreviate as ASD) as well as Pervasive Developmental disorder (abbreviated as PDD). All of these physical disorders are linked with inappropriate social skills as well as ineffective communication. Asperger’s syndrome is a milder condition in the spectrum. To your information there is no complete cure for the condition. However, if your child is affected with the condition then certain treatments may help in decreasing the intensity of the issue by helping your child learn effective communication techniques and socializing skills.

Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome:

There are certain symptoms experienced by the child while affected by this syndrome; these symptoms can be noticed by others as well.

• Affected individuals usually starts long-winded conversation which is usually one sided. Such people does not notice whether the listener is interested or is trying to change the subject.

• The affected individual usually exhibits anomalous nonverbal communication skills like no eye contact, unusual expressions etc. They may also show ungainly or awkward body posture.

• People with Asperger’s syndrome may also show intense interest towards certain narrow topics such as game statistics, weather, etc.

• These people appears to be less interested in topics the listener wants to discuss about and they seem to be less concerned about the listener’s feeling.

• People affected with this syndrome may have a hard time understanding humor or miss words while listening.

• One may also notice that such individuals also speak in a monotonous or usually fast tone.

• Some people with this condition may also have inappropriate body coordination which may cause them to move clumsily

Since, Asperger’s syndrome is one of the mildest autism spectrum disorders; affected person may not experience significant delay in development of speech, unlike other ASDs. By the age of 2, your child may be able to speak single words and may start speaking phrases by the time he/ she turns 3 years old. However, such children my have difficulties maintaining normal conversations. Conversations may seem to be ungainly and lack traits of normal interaction. It is also noticed that kindergarten and school going children may not show any interest in making friends. Whereas, teenagers may show developmental delays like catching a ball, moving or walking properly or even playing with multi activity play systems or playground equipments. On contrary to this affected individual may be active during his/ her childhood. As the child grows he/ she may also experience depression as well as anxiousness.

Causes of Asperger’s syndrome

The chief factor that causes Asperger’s syndrome is not yet discovered; however, it is believed that changes or abnormalities related to certain genes may be the reason of this syndrome. It is also suspected that anomalous alterations in structure of brain may also be associated with the condition. Most people would perceive that childhood immunization may be the reason for affected body coordination caused by the syndrome; however, it should be known that this is certainly not the cause of the physical abnormality.

Consulting doctor

All Asperger’s syndrome affected kids show quirks and more than a few toddlers’ exhibits symptoms of the condition as some point of the childhood. It is common for most afflicted children to show egoistic nature; whereas most other would display obsession towards particular topic such as fictional characters, animals like dinosaur etc. These may not seem to be a formidable sign of the prevalence of the condition. In case your child is in elementary school and is unable to make friends or faces socializing problems in school, then it is sure that you need to plan a visit to your doctor with your child. There are possibilities that such difficulties may be due to other factors, but effective diagnosing will help n determinate the underlying physical issue, even if its is Asperger’s syndrome. Your doctor may evaluate your child comprehensively to understand the anomalous behavior of your child in order to detect the physical issue.

Tests and Diagnosis for Asperger’s syndrome:

It may be difficult through conventional methods as the condition has range of symptoms and different levels of severity. You doctor may assign the diagnosing task to a team of professionals. The evaluation may include probing you on your child’s behavior as well as monitor child for suspicious behavioral pattern. Most questions may be related to socializing ability of your child. There are several tests that may be adopted to check the intellectual level of your child as well as academic abilities. There will be tests to check your child’s speech as well as body coordination. These diagnoses may also help in detecting any other psychological or behavioral issues.

The American Psychiatric Association as published a manual known as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, which states all the required criteria for a person to be declared Asperger’s syndrome patient. Some of these criteria include:

• Insignificant language delay

• No eye to eye contact

• Awkward body posture or expression

• Socializing difficulty or difficulty in making friends

• Obsession with a particular topic

The aforementioned are some of the points that are decisive in determining whether a person if afflicted with the syndrome. In some cases the condition may also be misdiagnosed with other issues such as ADHD etc.

Asperger’s syndrome treatment

Unfortunately, Asperger’s syndrome cannot be cured completely from its root. However, more than a few children with the syndrome grow to be well adjusted individuals. Treatment for this condition usually involves communication skill, social skills, behavioral therapies and medication as well. Medication suggested for such patients usually includes guanfacine, SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, naltrexone etc. These treatment techniques shows significant effects if adopted during early years of the child’s life. Hence, if you suspect Asperger’s syndrome in your child then consult your doctor immediately.