Asperger’s syndrome is a serious disorder and classified under the autistic spectrum disorders. It affects the child’s ability to communicate with others. Children with this disorder are at the milder end of the spectrum and will exhibit social awkwardness. There is no treatment for this syndrome but the child can be taught to socialize by therapies like cognitive behavior therapy and by giving appropriate social skills training. This syndrome is a developmental disorder that causes inordinate delay in learning basic skills of socializing.
When compared with the children affected with autism, children of Asperger’s syndrome will function better in many ways with normal intelligence. These children will develop problems in communicating during later years. It was Hans Asperger, an Austrian doctor who first named this syndrome in 1944.
Asperger’s Syndrome Symptoms :
The symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome vary widely from one child to another. Most of the children will have problems with social skills and difficulty in talking with others. When left in social situations they react awkwardly. These children cannot initiate conversation and maintain it. Many times these children engage in repetitive behaviors like twisting their fingers, wringing their hands etc. These movements become irresistible and come voluntarily.
They follow certain dress code and normally they refuse to make even small alterations in it. The children will not make eye contact directly when speaking to someone. They have problems in understanding the body language of others and effectively using facial gestures. They exhibit unusual nonverbal communication many times with awkward postures.
Many children with Asperger’s syndrome will have an intense desire in specific areas like sports, music, mathematics and maps and later on it becomes an obsession for them. They become specialist in that field after some years. Even after they attain school going age they will not show any interest in moving with friends. And there can be developmental delay for some children like delayed walking or delayed motor skills.