Does My Child Have Aspergers Syndrome?
If you notice that something is amiss with your child, you are most likely quick to rush to your doctor. When you notice that this something might actually be behavioral in nature, you might wonder if there is a chance that your child may be exhibiting signs of Aspergers Syndrome (AS). Parents are urged to refrain from at home self diagnosis of any condition, and Aspergers is no different. Rather than guessing at what may be noting or something altogether different to Aspergers, you should seek the help of a trained physician or specialist who deals in the intricacies presented by kids with AS.
Yet, how do you know if it is indeed time to visit your pediatrician and ask for an evaluation with respect to Aspergers Syndrome? Firstly, you probably noticed that the child is not as interactive with you her siblings or as you had imagined she should be. In addition, she may be very quiet, refrain from pointing, and has not a lot of interest in sharing things with you. In some cases your physical interaction may also not be welcomed. If this child shows a marked difficulty in interacting with other children of her own age as she gets a little older, you know that there is more to the problem than meets the eye. Although Aspergers Syndrome is only one of a number of possible diagnoses, you can’t rule it out.
Even as the child grows older, a noticeable preoccupation with one item or subject area may turn your youngster into an expert on such divers and unusual topics such as bus schedules or lions, but may prevent her from picking up other information that is common to children of her age group. She may talk often about the feeding habits of the African lion, but not realize by virtue of the body language of her listeners, that the meticulous description of the activity is not welcomed by other little girls. This, of course, is a major sign that your child may quite possibly be a candidate for the diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome and you should get her evaluated at this point.
After a tentative diagnosis is made, other behaviors you may have disregarded in the past will also fall into place. There is the repetitive nature of some gestures or words and phrases, the need to rock back and forth or perform other movements for an extended period of time, and of course the child’s unwillingness and inability to deal with changes in routine. These are the hallmark of children diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and while these symptoms alone do not make for a complete diagnosis, they do point toward an emerging picture that might quite possibly make your child a patient for the treatment and management of AS. The sooner you can get the diagnosis made, the earlier you will have the opportunity to begin a regimen of adaptive assistance that will make your child’s integration into the classroom setting a lot easier.