Asperger Syndrome BehaviorLearn how to identify asperger syndrome behavior and autism behaviors, as well as aspergers treatment options. Also referred to as symptoms of mild autism, signs include stereotypical behavior, like hand flapping, repetitive speech, and difficulties interpreting nonverbal behavior.
Many parents are not aware of the condition because aspergers syndrome children often do not have any type of delay in toddler speech development.It later becomes more obvious when the child starts school and fails to develop peer relationships and lacks social skills. Luckily there are available treatments that may help a child learn ways to relate to other children, such as social skills training. As one of the five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD NOS), aspergers disorder is distinguished by severe and sustained impairment in social skills and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities(1). Asperger syndrome was named after the Austrian doctor, Hans Asperger, who was the first to illustrate the disorder in 1944(2). 
If you are concerned that your child may be showing asperger syndrome behavior, you may want to use the aspergers checklist. Then be sure to cross reference the page with a more detailed list of aspergers symptoms to help determine which categories in the checklist your child may qualify as having. Individuals with asperger syndrome might have normal intellect and language skills, although speech may have an unusual inflection, tone, rate, rhythm, or emphasis (e.g., tone of voice may be monotonous or may not sound appropriate in the context that it is used). They may have have a hard time establishing social relationships, a limited array of interests, poor coordination and poor concentration. Asperger syndrome behavior is similar to characteristics for autism and is considered to be part of the autism spectrum. However, with asperger syndrome, there are not any clear signs or significantly noticeable delays in cognitive development or language acquisition prior to 3 years of age(1). Other types of asperger syndrome behavior include difficulty understanding certain forms of humor, sarcasm, or other underlying information involved in socializing and/or communicating. It may be difficult to interpret facial expressions or understand the feelings of others that are typically associated with certain events. Empathy may be a difficult emotion for an individual to comprehend. Aspergers Syndrome TreatmentsTreatment for aspergers syndrome will vary depending on the child's level of need. Similar to autism treatments, a child displaying asperger syndrome symptoms may benefit from music therapy for autism, speech therapy for children, occupational therapy for children, and possibly even ABA autism therapy services.The child may also have support from special education services within the school system, including an individualized education plan (IEP) to focus on specific school behavior or attend special schools for autism. The use of a picture schedule, transition strategies, specialized routines, behavior charts and the use of a homework chart are great tools for helping children understand their expectations each week.
Return to Autism Symptoms page References1. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Pervasive developmental disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Fourth edition---text revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association,70-75.2. Asperger’s Syndrome .(2009). WebMD. www.webmd.com. 11-23-09. 3. Tsai, Luke Y. (Updated 2003).Disability Info: Pervasive Developmental Disorders. National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). |
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