Key Facts About Asperger Syndrome Every Parent Should Know

More Than Intelligence

Because people with Asperger's often perform as well as or better than their peers in speech and cognitive development, they can seem just like healthy children and adults in some contexts. They have a strong desire to know everything about a topic of interest, and their commitment to studying it makes them great students in this particular area. However, many students with Asperger’s struggle when it comes to middle and high school. This is usually the time when the ability to interpret social and emotional cues and nonliteral phrases becomes important for learning. Thus, people with Asperger's may struggle with comprehension and creative writing.

Diagnosis

Many children with Asperger’s get misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because there are some similarities in the symptoms, such as social awkwardness and difficulties with social interaction. Other signs to look for in a person with Asperger’s include poor eye contact, difficulty with motor skills, obsessive tendencies, anger management issues, and anxiety.

The most effective way to diagnose Asperger's is to observe a child in a social setting where he or she can be seen interacting with others. It is in these interactions that people will Asperger’s will appear to be socially and emotionally different. The Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States reports that most children are diagnosed with Asperger’s between the ages of five and nine.