Symptoms of Aspergers may vary from person to person, with some people having only mild symptoms and others may have more severe symptoms. Some people will only have a few symptoms while others will have many. Those with fewer and milder symptoms will be harder to diagnose as some of the Aspergers symptoms are similar to symptoms of other disorders.

Symptoms of Aspergers syndrome are not often picked up until the child starts to attend school and starts interacting more with other children. So many children with Aspergers don’t show any sign of the syndrome until around age five.

Symptoms of Aspergers in childhood include:

1. Don’t like changes in their routine

2. Lack of social skills and have trouble maintaining friendships

3. Have trouble reading body language and may often misinterpret what people say

4. Appear to have a lack of empathy

5. Have unusual posture or facial expressions

6. Are often not comfortable making eye contact

7. Have trouble recognizing different tones of speech and meanings and will often take sarcastic comments very literally. This may cause them to take things very personally and feel ‘picked on’ even when they aren’t being picked on

8. May have specific interests that they become almost obsessive with and will be very knowledgeable about.

9. Have delayed motor development or may seem clumsy or uncoordinated or may have an awkward walk

10. Be very sensitive and may be over-stimulated by bright lights, loud noises or strong tastes.

Although Aspergers syndrome is sometimes referred to as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, children with Aspergers will usually make more effort to make friends and join in activities than what children with Autism do. Children with Aspergers want to have friends they just aren’t sure how to act the right way to do so.

Children with Aspergers will often have average to above average intelligence and will generally do quite well at school academically.

What Is Aspergers Syndrome?
Strategies for helping with Aspergers
Treatments for Aspergers