Aspergers Checklist

August 3rd, 2010 by sentient

With doctors on hand, is there really any need for an aspergers checklist? There are very distinct symptoms that are common among people with Aspergers. Keep in mind that no two people with Aspergers will have the same combination of symptoms. Here is a checklist that you can use to help you determine if you or someone you love has Aspergers.

Trouble with Social Interactions

It is common for people with Aspergers to struggle with the following social skills:

* General social skills: there is a desire to socialize with other people, but they just don’t understand how to do it. * Relating to others: people with Aspergers don’t typically understand why people respond they way they do; or why they seem to feel they way they do. For example, people with Aspergers commonly do not understand that what they are talking about or doing may be boring or upsetting to the other person. * Difficulty playing with other people: They often don’t know how to start playing with others, and the social rules that other children innately understand are completely foreign to them. Rather than asking to join a ball game, they may just grab the ball and start playing their own game with it. They don’t understand why the other kids are upset; they don’t understand why the other kids don’t just join them in their game. * Two-way conversations are problematic: initiating and maintaining an interactive, intelligible conversation can be extremely difficult. They tend to talk at people rather than sharing a conversation with them. And conversations tend to be focused only on what they are particularly interested in at that moment. They also tend to talk either too loudly, too softly, too fast or too slow. * Social cues are completely misunderstood: Common social cues including body language, gestures and facial expressions that are innately understood by most people to completely unnoticed. * Limited and rigid range of interests: They obsess on certain activities or subjects and that is all they want to discuss or focus on. * Responses that are Inappropriate: It is common for the answers to questions or responses to situations are simply inappropriate or unusual. For example, upon hearing about a death in some one’s family, they might actually smile.

Problems with Communication

It is common to see problems with general communication. The following symptoms are indicative of Aspergers.

* Lack of eye contact * Gestures that are unusual or inappropriate to make during a conversation. * Facial expressions may be either completely absent or inappropriate for the conversation they are engaged in. Facial tics can also be present. * Lack of understanding about personal space: they tend to stand too close to people. * Talking in a monotone voice without expressing any emotion. * Easily distracted: This problem tends to show most clearly when they are forced to focus their attention on something they are not interested in.

Problems with Language Skills

People who have Aspergers will typically have a large vocabulary, but they have challenges processing the language they hear. These challenges can be seen in the following ways:

* The language they use can be inappropriate for the setting they are in. Common words can be misunderstood. * They may try to use words in unusual ways, create their own definitions for words, or create their own words. * They can have certain word scripts that they will use repeatedly and ritualistically when talking with others. * It is common for them in misunderstand what other people are trying to tell them. They can also have trouble making decisions or answering questions. * Words are interpreted in the most literal way; abstract meanings are typically not understood.

Cognitive Impairments and Challenges with Motor Skills

These are very common problems for people who have Aspergers. Cognitive and motor skills problems can be seen in the following ways:

* Mindblindness: They are unable to determine what other people are feeling or thinking; this makes social relationships very hard for them to maintain. * Problem-solving can be a challenge; especially if they are outside of their comfort zone. * Organizational skills are a particular challenge; including the ability to plan, implement and then complete a task. * They do not typically engage in imaginative play. * Their best learning is visual; and when there are no visual aids, learning can be more challenging. * They tend to be less coordinated with both fine motor and gross motor skills. These challenges can really be seen as they begin to ride bikes, write and get involved in sports.

Their behavior is unusual and their interests are very limited.

Their range of interest is very limited, narrow and specific and their behavior can be described as bizarre. Such bizarre behavior and specific interests can be seen in the following:

* They may adhere to very rigid schedules, and any changes in that schedule can create anxiety. * They may have a very small number of activities they enjoy, refusing to participate in other activities; and they can get obsessed with certain interests. * Hand flapping, rocking and twirling are all self-stimulatory behavior that they may choose to engage in.

Issues with Sensory Input

It is common for people with Aspergers to have sensory issues that can make them have unusual and extreme reactions to certain smells, tastes, sounds or other stimuli. These problems can include:

* A strong reaction to certain odors. * Becoming upset or agitated with certain sounds. * A desire to avoid being touched. * They may also limit the food they eat and reject or choose certain food based on how they smell or feel.

If you have read this Aspergers Checklist, and would like more information on how to deal with this condition, please click below: