Overview Of Common Asperger's Syndrome Symptoms

Previously, Asperger's syndrome was classified as being separate from autism. However, the diagnosis is no longer given on its own. This changed in 2013! Now, Asperger's syndrome falls on the autism spectrum. Most doctors believe that it is on the high-functioning end! Thus, patients live independent and successful lives. In some cases, social pragmatic communication disorder is an alternative diagnosis. This is according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition!

Treatment for Asperger's syndrome varies based on the patient's needs. However, many patients need cognitive behavioral therapy for Asperger's syndrome. Another common treatment is communication skills training for Asperger's syndrome! Certain patients need anxiety medication, and some benefit from supplements for Asperger's syndrome. Educational support for Asperger's syndrome is quite helpful as well! However, patients must understand their symptoms to receive the best Asperger's syndrome treatment for their needs.

Need To Follow Routines

Most Asperger's syndrome patients need to follow routines! If they cannot do so, they experience significant distress. They cannot adjust to sudden changes or interruptions nearly as well as others. Ideally, those with this syndrome need to be informed of changes in advance. This allows patients to prepare as much as possible! Routines allow patients to feel secure. Interruptions compromise this feeling!

Patients report feeling relaxed due to their routines. It provides them with structure! Most individuals have routines and enjoy the structure they provide. One common one is getting a morning coffee! Many individuals experience stress when they cannot complete their routine. This stress is not as intense as what Asperger's syndrome patients experience. However, understanding that no one enjoys interruptions to their routines can help most individuals understand those who have Asperger's syndrome much better!

Reveal more symptoms of this syndrome now.

Motor Development Delays

Many children with this syndrome deal with motor development delays. In fact, studies indicate that up to eighty-seven percent of patients on the spectrum, including those with Asperger's syndrome, have some motor skill difficulties. However, motor development delays are not among the core diagnostic signs of Asperger's syndrome. The reason is that many neurodivergent disorders have these delays. Two of these conditions are Down syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The delays that patients experience vary widely. Some only have trouble with fine motor skills, whereas others experience issues with their overall motor development. One example of fine motor skill issues is trouble with handwriting. Overall issues in motor development are often the trigger for things like an abnormal method of walking! Many patients also deal with low muscle tone. This results in delays in reaching developmental milestones. Some patients have certain development problems from birth. However, others often do not appear until later in the individual's childhood!

Continue reading to learn more about the signs of this condition now.

Stiff Or Formal Speech

Many patients with this condition have stiff or formal speech when they are talking. Previously, a major criteria for diagnosis was having autistic traits without speech delays. However, this was when Asperger's syndrome was a separate diagnosis! Even patients who reach the same speech milestones experience issues speaking informally. In most cases, they use a vocabulary that is too advanced or otherwise formal for their conversations. Many individuals find this offputting!

Of course, patients with this condition do not intend to speak formally. Patients talk in significant detail about subjects that they find interesting! Individuals with Asperger's syndrome often struggle to relate to others. Thus, their stiff speech often stems from having problems relaying their ideas! Many patients do not think in verbal language all of the time. They process ideas and thoughts through emotions and visuals in many cases. Visuals and emotions are often difficult to 'translate' into words. Thus, communication becomes challenging!

Discover additional symptoms seen in this syndrome now.

Misses Sarcasm, Jokes, And Social Cues

Most patients with this syndrome miss sarcasm, jokes, and social cues. They cannot interpret tone as easily. Thus, they often do not recognize jokes and take them seriously! This is similar to how it is hard to identify someone's tone in text messages and emails. Studies have attempted to explain why Asperger's syndrome patients struggle with this. One of them showed that affected individuals do not follow another person's eye movements when they are talking. Thus, they often do not know where they are looking!

Patients often do not watch the faces of other individuals during conversations. This is a contributing factor to missing social cues! Remember, facial expressions often cue other individuals or are significant in telling jokes. Most individuals are not aware of how much they rely on facial expressions when they talk!

Get more information on the warning signs of Asperger's syndrome now.

Proximity Problems

Individuals with Asperger's syndrome often have proximity problems. They often do not understand how close or far away they need to stand from others in social situations! It does not come naturally. Many patients learn from watching others. However, their instincts can lead them to stand too close or too far away! In addition, many individuals with this syndrome experience anxiety about others being too close to them. This is a perfect example of how symptoms vary from patient to patient!

In all cases, however, proximity problems lead to distress. This distress can be from the patient or other individuals. In some cases, both parties experience distress, typically when it is pointed out to patients that they have acted inappropriately regarding proximity.