Asperger's Syndrome: A High Functioning Form of Autism

Asperger's Syndrome is a form of Autism, in the High Functioning category and is not always easy to detect. Asperger's main symptom is trouble in social situations. You might see a kid out on the playground, all to himself, and other kids teasing him because he doesn't use the same words or same tone of voice as they do. He or she looks just like the other kids, but their mind works in a different way and they are often ridiculed for that.

There are many symptoms of Asperger's, and even if your child has one or two of the symptoms doesn't mean they have it. Just keep a close eye on how your young child is developing socially. If you notice any of these in the first few years of school, talk to your pediatrician. Asking never hurts.

Children who have Asperger's do not make eye contact with you, even when you are speaking directly to them. Their eyes tend to wander as you look straight at them. They do not realize they are doing it; it is just the way their minds work. I give my son gentle reminders about our eyes matching as we speak with each other. He thinks it is a game and giggles.

Another symptom of Asperger's is the inability to control their voice inflections. They will talk to you in a dry monotone, or use multiple voice ranges from whispers to very loud in the same sentence. A friend of mine knows a little boy with the latter of the two, and is sometimes a struggle to converse with him. My son has the dry monotone, and uses it without even knowing it. Before the diagnosis, I would be in full battle with him trying to teach him proper use of his voice. Now that I know, I am trying other ways to teach him, but I still catch myself telling him not to talk to me in that tone.

Kids with Asperger's also have trouble communicating and holding conversations. When two people talk, it is usually back and forth, taking turns while enjoying the conversation. Having a conversation with a child with Asperger's is a bit more challenging because it is usually one sided; sometimes like an interview or a set of instructions. (He might tell you that Step 1 is this, and Step 2 is that.) That is not bad, because not only can you be taught to respond to his cues, he can also be taught to not control the conversation. Now, it is not a control issue, per se, but it seems like it to the untrained eye. A little bit of patience goes a long way and you can help unlock a mind full of ingenious ideas if it is approached the right way.

Motorcycles scared my son from an early age. Everyone told me that when a bike blasted past, and my son would be in tears, it was normal. As he got older, closer to preschool and then kindergarten, it did improve, but not much. Kids with Asperger's are very sensitive to loud noises like motorcycles or fire truck sirens. If you notice this in your child, do not tell them to get over it or think they might grow out of it on their own; treat it as a sign. A sign that there might be more going on in your child's mind than you think. If the loud sounds scare them, comfort them and let them know it will be okay.

Trying to self diagnose this is not easy and it is best left to the professionals. I will warn you, though, that it does not happen overnight and may be painstaking. There are questionnaires to be filled out by you and your child's teachers. For me, we started in Kindergarten when my son's teacher started really noticing how he responded in the class. We didn't really pay attention to it, mainly because he had been like that for a few years already, and we thought she just had to get used to him. No, that was not it. She was right. After three years, he has a diagnosis and we have a plan with the school. We are now on our way to making school life in the third grade more pleasant and enjoyable for him. He will also learn better now that we know how he absorbs knowledge and then uses it. He has many friends and loves to get out and play and be a great kid. It is just trying to unlock his mind to discover who he is that is challenging.

Asperger's Syndrome can be outgrown. With the proper diagnosis and knowledge will make not only the child's life go smoother, but the parent's as well.