According to what I read, Asperger Syndrome is a mild form of autism. Individual with Asperger Syndrome (AS) may have normal intelligence and language development but they have problem on social communication skills. Asperger kid function better that to those who have autism. Asperger Syndrome was named for the Austrian doctor, Hans Asperger who first described the disorder in 1944
The common signs of Asperger Syndrome are the following:
- Difficulty interacting with others
- Have odd and repetitive movements such as finger twisting, finger flapping or hand wringing
- Have no eye contact when speaking to someone
- Often clumsy or awkward
- Prefer repetitive routines or rituals and becomes upset when there is changes
- Talented or skilled in particular area including Math or Music
- Develop intense and almost obsessive interest
- Have trouble facial expression and gestures as well as understanding body language
- Easily memorized information and facts specially if it is related to his topic of interest
- Hypersensitive to sensory stimulation such as light, sound and texture
My son exhibits some signs of Asperger syndrome but not so sure if he is Asperger child or with Autism at this moment. Also, his OT (Occupational Therapist) mention me that he is also with problem with attention so this time it is not clear what will be a future diagnosis for my son’s condition. His development pediatrician diagnosed my son in the global development delay stage and we will be going back after 6 months of therapy session for proper diagnosis. When my son is two years old, he is very obsessive with letters and number as well as in colors. He also speaks but does not communicate with us and not following simple instruction, not responding his name and with limited eye contact. He can sing ABC songs, twinkle twinkle little starts, wheels on the bus, and many others. He can count numbers from 1 to 50. I can say that he has normal and above average intelligence but with unusual behavior because he walks in tiptoes and sometime have hand flapping. I can say that early intervention helps him to improve his behavior because after 5 sessions, I see improvement in his behavior; he is able to mention what he wants such as yacult, chocolates, bread, cheese, eggs, milk, etc.
I just hope that my son will be able to catch up and reverse his autistic behavior.