Aspergers Symptoms and Treatments

Originally, when we realized something wasn’t quite right with our son, we thought he may possibly have symptoms of aspergers syndrome. However, after having him evaluated it appears that his issues were related to an underlying sensory processing disorder, which can often appear similar in nature.

General Aspergers Symptoms^{(1) (2)}:

• Limited use of nonverbal behaviors and inability to interpret nonverbal behavior of others, such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expressions, body postures, and gestures
• Lack of peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
• Failure to share enjoyment, interests of achievements with others
• Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
• Failure to engage in pretend play and often plays alone
• Tone of voice may be monotonous
• Poor listening skills
• Limited array of interests
• Difficulties following rules of play or understanding them
• Interacts with adults more than children

2. Impaired motor skills

• Poor fine motor skills, as needed for hand writing, using food utensils, and coloring
• Poor gross motor skills, as needed to ride a bike, catch/kick a ball, or running without frequent falls

• Sensory Defensiveness
• Over-responsivity or under-responsivity to stimuli in the environment (e.g. avoids loud noises and crowded environments or fails to react to loud noises.)
• Tactile Defensiveness
• Tactile Dysfunction
• Auditory Dysfunction
• Olfactory Dysfunction
• Vestibular Dysfunction
• Proprioceptive Dysfunction
• Oral Input Dysfunction

• Preoccupation with restricted or stereotyped patterns of interest abnormal in focus or intensity is a common aspergers symptom, such as playing with toys in an odd manner by lining them up instead of engaging in pretend play or focusing on the spinning wheel of a toy car
• Difficulties with changes in routines and wanting to do things in a specific order every time
• Self-stimulatory behavior, such as hand flapping or frequently galloping/pacing around the house

Aspergers Treatment

References