Symptoms of Asperger’s
Asperger’s syndrome is one developmental disorder that today is wrapped under Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. While it’s technically no longer a separate disorder, there are many people outside the medical and professional fields who still refer to it as such.
Some of the symptoms of Asperger’s are similar to other autism severities. At the same time, it’s often referred to as high-functioning autism because people who are diagnosed with it can often perform well in school and hold conversations in similar ways to typically-developing children.
Children who are diagnosed with Asperger’s also may struggle to understand some social cues, or have challenges in social situations in general.
Below, we’ll describe in more detail some of the main symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome.
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Is Asperger’s Syndrome Autism?
One of the main questions that people have is whether Asperger’s syndrome is the same as autism. Today, Asperger’s is wrapped up under the general developmental disorder known as ASD1, or autism spectrum disorder.
ASD is used to describe multiple disorders that share some of the same traits of autism. This makes Asperger’s and autism very similar but not quite exactly the same.
Most doctors and other professionals in the field won’t refer to Asperger’s syndrome as a separate disorder anymore today because of the relatively-new classification of it. Some may refer to it as ASD without language or intellectual impairment, or high-functioning autism.
What Are Some of the Main Symptoms of Asperger’s?
Just like any form of autism, each child with Asperger’s is unique, meaning that the symptoms that one child presents could be significantly different than that of other children.
Generally speaking, children who have Asperger’s will face challenges in social situations and could have obsessive interests. They could have unusual patterns of speech, not a lot of facial expressions and not do well with social interactions.
They also could be very obsessed with a specific interest or routine, have sensitivity to certain stimuli or even have very unique mannerisms.
In terms of communication and social interaction, children with Asperger’s could also:
- Have trouble understanding emotions
- Not understand or use non-verbal communication, including body language and gestures
- Fixate on conversations that revolve around one topic or themselves
- Have unusual speech in terms of sound
In terms of other behaviors, children with Asperger’s could:
- Be intensely obsessed with a few narrow subjects
- Become very upset at even the slightest routine changes
- Memorize facts easily
- Have difficulty managing their emotions
- Be very sensitive to textures, sounds and/or light
- Be clumsy and uncoordinated
One of the biggest challenges of correctly identifying Asperger’s syndrome is that children who have it typically don’t experience any delays in language development2. Since their troubles typically exhibit in difficulties in social situations, some parents may believe their child is just shy or needs more exposure to social interaction.
How Do Professionals Diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome?
Since it is part of ASD, Asperger’s syndrome is diagnosed in the same way that autism is. There are multiple ways that it can be diagnosed. At Blue Gems ABA, we take a very detailed an in-depth three-step process to diagnose ASD, including Asperger’s syndrome.
First, we perform a quick screening of your child using tried-and-true tools such as the M-CHAT. This gives our professionals an initial idea of your child and their challenges. We also speak with you about your concerns and your child’s behavior so we can understand how your child is developing.
Next, a clinical psychologist will conduct a more detailed evaluation, analyzing how your child communicates, interacts socially and more.
After all the assessments are complete, we conduct a thorough review and let you know if it’s possible that your child has Asperger’s. We discuss the results of this with you in-depth and answer any questions you may have.
How Is Asperger’s Syndrome Treated?
The earlier an ASD diagnose can be made, the better. That’s because research has shown that the earlier a child receives interventions and treatments, the more successful they can be.
At Blue Gems ABA, we believe wholeheartedly in applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. It’s a proven science-based therapy for children with ASD that focuses on helping them build communication skills and other skills they need to succeed in the world.
Our fully licensed ABA therapists work with your child in the comfort of your own home, and integrate other family members into the process as well so the principles learned during sessions can be emphasized throughout the day.
Contact Blue Gems ABA Today
If you believe your child may have Asperger’s syndrome, it’s important to get them evaluated right away. At Blue Gems ABA, we conduct thorough autism evaluations for children of all ages.
If your child is diagnosed with ASD, no matter the severity, we can also provide effective interventions such as ABA therapy. This will help your child learn the skills they need to succeed in the world.
For more information, please contact Blue Gems ABA today.
617-297-7998
617-340-3371
info@bluegemsaba.com
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