Today is celebrated on International Asperger Syndrome Day, a date to raise awareness about this Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that affects between 3 and 5 newborns per thousand, and especially to show the reality of the people diagnosed, and in our case of children, which are usually invisible to society.
He Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that does not manifest in the same way in all people, hence its difficulty in diagnosis. It is mainly characterized by a deficit in three main areas: social interaction, language and communication, and cognitive inflexibility.
Characteristics of children with Asperger
The disorder owes its name to the pediatrician, researcher and professor of Austrian medicine Hans Asperger, who in 1944 first called the disorder "autistic psychopathy."
We remember that not all people with Asperger have the same characteristics and that there are different ranges in severity of symptoms. Children with Asperger's syndrome are children with a normal appearance and intelligence, sometimes even above average.
Despite having common behavior patterns primarily related to the difficulty in relating to others, they can occur a wide range of symptoms. A person with Asperger can be calm and shy, greatly withdrawn, but can also be outgoing and with a strong character.
In Babies and more "I am neither crazy nor weird", a child with Asperger explains what this syndrome consists ofMany children slightly affected with Asperger can be considered "rare" or "eccentric" (which are not, they are simply different) and not be diagnosed, but in general we can mention the following symptoms.
Most common symptoms in children with Asperger
Language problems: despite having an acquisition of normal speech and that can be expressed with an extensive and elaborate vocabulary, they often have difficulty in the rhythm of conversation, as well as frequent changes in intonation, volume, voice timbre, etc ...
Problems for social interaction, especially with people of the same age: he doesn't like to play in a group or doesn't understand the rules, he can't stand not winning.
Literal interpretation of the message: do not understand the irony, or the double meaning, or the subtleties of language.
Dysfunctional patterns of eye contact (some do not look in the eyes when speaking), gestural, etc.
Restricted interest: They are interested in few things and what interests them, they are very interested. They develop very specific interests for particular topics, to which they spend a lot of time and look for data almost exclusively. For example, numbers, vehicles, maps, league rankings or calendars. And they talk a lot about the subject they dominate.
Difficulties for concept abstraction.
Difficulties in motor coordination: You may have difficulty putting on your shoes or clothes, or little dexterity to catch a ball, button up or stand out for a strange rhythm when walking or running.
Inflexibility, both cognitively and behaviors that repeat without any variation.
Difficulties in the interpretation of feelings and emotions of others and their own.
Resistance to accept change: routine and planning gives them security.
Extremely good at memory skills (facts, figures, dates, times, etc.). Many excel in math, science and logical subjects.
They may present with Sensory Processing Disorders, usually auditory and visual. Can also be especially sensitive to certain textures.
In Babies and more How is the life in the classroom of a student with Asperger syndromeEarly detection is key
For children with Asperger, detecting it in time is essential so that in the school they do not produce rejection situations or be classified as “children with bad behavior”, and thus be able to make the daily life of these children more bearable, avoiding frustrations unnecessary.
It is a little known disorder, so it is important give visibility to better understand the child and people with Asperger Syndrome. Society should not see them as rare or antisociable people, but understand the disorder to achieve real integration, and thus facilitate their daily lives.
In Babies and more Find the way to know if a baby will have an autism spectrum disorder
