They do not always pay attention to the social scene in which they find themselves, and even when they do, they are often not able to make sense of what they see, or to respond appropriately.
Individuals with Asperger's may be socially awkward, not understand conventional social rules or show a lack of empathy. They may also have limited eye contact, seem unengaged in a conversation and not understand the use of gestures or sarcasm.
Strategies and Interventions: The good news is that children with AS are very capable of learning and developing their social skills. They can make effective progress with appropriate interventions that capitalize on their many strengths.
Individuals on the autism spectrum often have difficulty recognising and understanding social cues and therefore do not instinctively learn to adjust their behaviour to suit different social contexts.
The majority of children and adults with Asperger syndrome live well and are able to enjoy life and do many things that neurotypical people can do. Many people will have some level of difficulty with some daily tasks or interactions.
Asperger's in adults typically causes issues with communication, emotion regulation and interpretation, social interactions, and behavior. People who have Asperger's may also experience other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or OCD.
The Asperger's mind enjoys and focuses on details, while the normal mind is more skilled at assembling whole concepts from details. Some people with Asperger's are visual thinkers and others are math, music, or number thinkers, but all think in specifics.
Impairment in social functioning is a central feature of ASD. Typical social skill deficits include: initiating interactions, responding to the initiations of others, maintaining eye contact, sharing enjoyment, reading the non-verbal cues of others, and taking another person's perspective.
One of the most consistent social deficits in children who develop ASD is a lack of non-verbal social gestures such as pointing, showing, and giving. Pointing starts to develop around 8 months of age and should make up the majority of gestures by 12 months of age [11]. Two types of pointing develop during childhood.
All of these social skills problems are rooted in some of the basic elements of ASD: Delays and difficulty in acquiring verbal communication skills. Inability to read non-verbal communication cues. Repetitive or obsessive behaviors and insistence on an adherence to fixed routine.
People with Asperger's can miss social cues that can be obvious to someone that doesn't have the disorder, like understanding what body language is, or even understanding facial expressions.
Significant anxiety often prevents those with Asperger profiles from even attempting to have friends despite a desire to do so. Successful friendships for those on the spectrum are often grounded in common interests. Some find greater comfort, understanding, and acceptance in those with similar Asperger profiles.
It is not always possible to know if someone has Asperger's (now called “autism spectrum disorder,” and was formerly called "high-functioning autism"), which causes people to have difficulty in social interactions, but most people with Asperger's have difficulty relating to others in some form.
People with Asperger profiles absolutely do have feelings, although they may have difficulty identifying and discussing them. In fact, many feelings – such as fear, anger and joy – seem to be experienced more intensely by those with Asperger profiles than by average people.
Initially, it was thought that the absence of empathy was a characteristic found in all autistic people. However, we now know this trait exists on a spectrum in people with ASD, just as it does in neurotypical individuals.
In addition to difficulties with understanding emotions, individuals with ASDs may become angry quickly and may have difficulty calming themselves effectively. They often need to be taught skills to cope with an increase in irritability once they have been able to identify these emotions.
While autism has been shown to be associated with a deficit in perspective taking (cognitive empathy), it is much less clear to what degree individuals with ASD also experience deficits in affective empathy.
There are other brain disorders that mimic autism symptoms, like ADHD and anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. Autism can be misdiagnosed as another disorder with some shared symptoms.
Can a person with autism spectrum disorder live an independent adult life? The simple answer to this question is yes, a person with autism spectrum disorder can live independently as an adult.
High-functioning autism means that a person is able to read, write, speak, and handle daily tasks, such as eating and getting dressed independently. Despite having symptoms of autism, their behavior doesn't interfere too much with their work, school, or, relationships.
Many autistic people are extroverts and gain energy from being around others. They struggle with social norms and sensory input. They have the desire to be around people. But, they may not always catch on to the subtle nuances of social interaction, and that's ok!
The Likely Answer: There's No Single Cause
While the exact cause of Asperger's isn't known, many experts believe the disorder is probably triggered by a variety of factors. A combination of genetic, neurological, and environmental issues might work together to cause the syndrome.
What are the Symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome? Children with Asperger's Syndrome exhibit poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, limited facial expressions and other peculiar mannerisms. They might engage in obsessive routines and show an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli.