{"id":3007,"date":"2019-01-08T07:29:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T07:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=3007"},"modified":"2021-08-06T00:50:59","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T00:50:59","slug":"12-high-functioning-aspergers-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/12-high-functioning-aspergers-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"12 High-Functioning Aspergers Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Asperger\u2019s is a condition on the autistic spectrum and is classified therefore as an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). As with other conditions categorized as such, AS has an impact on the social interactions of an individual, changing the way they interact with others. It may also have some effects on an individual\u2019s interests, communication, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Asperger\u2019s has a lot in common with autism, it differs in that it is less likely to affect language development (communication difficulties are typically restricted to non-verbal), or intelligence.
Asperger\u2019s is largely thought to be an inherited developmental issue, but the precise mechanisms and causes are not fully understood. It is thought that environmental elements might also play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is not necessarily accurate to think of this condition as a disorder or illness. Many high functioning Aspergic individuals will lead full, happy lives. They may see their condition as an integral part of their personality, and even as a strength in many ways.
In this post, we will look at 12 common symptoms \u2013 or characteristics – associated with Asperger\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  Lack of Empathy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Those with Asperger\u2019s appear to demonstrate empathy far less frequently and appropriately than neurotypical contemporaries. AS individuals might fail to comfort a caregiver if they should show signs of distress <\/a>(such as crying) for instance \u2013 despite the fact that they will often form strong attachments with those significant people in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of empathy is not malicious however and does not lead to cruel behavior (as might be the case in sociopathy). Rather, it appears to be a genuine difficulty with understanding the emotions of others or even correctly identifying them. An Aspergic individual may see someone crying but not really understand that they may want comforting or benefit from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Lone Activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People with AS will often struggle to develop friendships and they might not seek out interactions with others in the same way. For instance, whereas a child might find something interesting and then take it to show a friend or relative, a child with Asperger\u2019s <\/a>may simply be content to inspect the object on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean however that the AS individual will not want friends or companionship. They often do wish to form contacts but may find it difficult to do so owing to their impaired ability to interact with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Selective Mutism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common ways that those with AS will end up forming relationships, is in a very selective manner. In other words, they may form close bonds and friendships with people that they feel they can trust but they might take much longer in order to open up to others. Of course, we are all like this to a far lesser extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the most extreme instances, this might manifest as \u2018selective mutism\u2019. This means that the child <\/a>(or adult) will not speak at all unless they are talking to a specific person that they know well. Alternatively, they may only speak to people that they like or find non-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Eye Contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common difficulties faced by AS individuals are maintaining eye contact. Many Aspergic individuals struggle to make and hold eye contact and this is very similar to the precise same thing that is seen in autism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is likewise one of the earliest signs of AS and one of the biggest \u2018tells\u2019 that a parent can look out for when they are raising their children \u2013 if a child won\u2019t look them in the eye, then it might well suggest Asperger\u2019s or Autism. Of course, there are other potential explanations for this trait however, which is why it is always important to try to diagnose <\/a>these conditions by looking for clusters of symptoms rather than considering them in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been suggested that difficulty maintaining eye contact in ASD is due to hyper arousal. In other words, simply looking someone in the eye causes too much stress and excitement, to the point that the AS individual almost feels as though it \u2018burns\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Sociability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite the aforementioned fact that AS children and adults <\/a>might develop somewhat \u2018loner\u2019 tendencies, their behavior around others is markedly different from those with autism. In particular, they are much more forthcoming and less withdrawn in a lot of cases. They will not only approach others but also speak more loudly and be happy to draw attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u2018active but odd\u2019 has been used to describe this approach. Often AS individuals will stand too close to the person they are talking to, or they will speak at length on a topic they find fascinating but in a very one-sided manner and with little consideration for whether or not their conversation partner is equally riveted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Difficulty With Nonverbal Communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This \u2018active but odd\u2019 approach is well explained by the difficulty that many AS individuals have with nonverbal communication in general. This can include many different aspects of a normal social exchange. As mentioned, AS individuals may struggle <\/a>to recognize and respect personal space and thus find themselves standing too close to someone as they talk. They don\u2019t maintain eye contact and they fail to understand usual \u2018turn-taking\u2019 in a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many AS individuals also have awkward postures or gait, and this can likewise make people that they speak to feel somewhat uncomfortable. They might fail to read their body language likewise, which might suggest that they wish to end the conversation and move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gesturing and the posture might be linked with a general difficulty with nonverbal aspects of communication. However, it could also be linked with motor difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Understanding of Social Conventions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve already seen that Asperger\u2019s<\/a> can cause difficulty with understanding and utilizing nonverbal cues during communication. At the same time, Asperger\u2019s might also lead to wider difficulties with social conventions \u2013 for instance, they may fail to take it in turns while using a toy or tool, or they might speak out of turn and interrupt a quiet period of work. Similarly, they fail to pick up on subtle body language cues and might fail to naturally incorporate them into their own communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while all this is true, and AS individuals will still generally be capable of verbalizing social norms. In other words, when asked how close to stand to someone, they can provide a detailed and accurate answer. When asked about eye contact, they will likewise be able to reason the answer. They know that speaking at length on a topic that only interests them is likely to lose them, conversation partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they then fail to execute these ideas in a real-world social setting. This may have to do with anxiety or excitement, or it might simply be that they lack the \u2018intuitive\u2019 understanding that most of us take for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Area of Interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with autism, Asperger\u2019s will often lead a person to develop an area of special interest that they become obsessed <\/a>with. This can lead to lots of reading on that subject, as well as engaging in certain activities and talking about the subject at length to anyone who will listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can, of course, lead to an individual becoming particularly adept at a particular activity, or highly knowledgeable on a given subject. That said, the most extreme version of this \u2013 known as \u2018savantism\u2019 \u2013 is more commonly associated with autism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, there are certainly times where being obsessively interested in a particular subject can be of great benefit and this is an example of how Asperger\u2019s can be an asset in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s particularly interesting, is that those with AS show a lack of interest in fiction and a much greater propensity toward non-fiction. Often their skills and areas of interest are very much based around numbers or technical aspects of a subject. A common example might be for a child to know the makes and models of cameras, despite having no interest in photography. This symptom often goes overlooked, however, seeing as it is fairly common for young children generally to develop \u2018narrow topics\u2019 of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Motor Difficulties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Motor difficulties are not considered a diagnostic criterion of AS. In other words, it\u2019s perfectly possible to have Asperger\u2019s without motor difficulties. Nevertheless, it is still common for those with Asperger\u2019s to exhibit signs of impaired motor ability \u2013 which might include muscle <\/a>weakness, poor dexterity, and agility, impaired hand-eye-coordination, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often those with AS will stand awkwardly, and they have also been known to pull unusual faces. All of these things can point to a possible link between motor difficulties and Asperger\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Autism, it is common to exhibit \u2018tics\u2019. These are uncontrolled movements and utterances which may be caused by a general difficulty with suppressing urges. In AS, tics are less common, and instead, individuals are more likely to show strange movements \u2013 such as flapping, twisting, or even moving the entire body in complex ways. These appear more voluntary and are longer in duration than what we traditionally think of as tics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Repetitive Behavior<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These movement patterns may, in fact, be just one example of a tendency toward repetitive and \u2018stereotyped\u2019 behaviors. Those with Asperger\u2019s <\/a>will often engage in ritualistic behavior and may find themselves doing things like lining up objects in an obsessive manner, eating only certain types of food, or engaging in highly inflexible routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very often, an attempt to break from these traditions can be met with ire. For instance, someone with Asperger\u2019s might get very upset if they are asked to eat at a different time for instance, or if they are required to travel in a different way than usual. This can make life difficult for caregivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, they might show great distress if other things in their environment or their routine should change. For instance, if someone should change their hair cut, or if furniture should be moved around the home.
Again, these are symptoms that are similar to \u2018typical\u2019 behaviors in childhood, making it hard to identify them as characteristics of this condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

General anxiety <\/a>is also commonly a symptom of Asperger\u2019s. This is not only a side effect of many of the other symptoms, but may also be a direct symptom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, one possible explanation for the reason that those with AS will avoid direct eye contact is that they experience over-excitation. In other words, just a little stimulation causes an overwhelming and unpleasant amount of stimulation for those with AS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a similar manner, it may well be that a range of other scenarios could trigger similar levels of activation throughout the brain. For instance, being in public spaces, hearing loud noises, and a range of other scenarios might leave someone with Asperger\u2019s Syndrome feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
It\u2019s also worth noting that those with AS are upset by things like changes to their normal routine \u2013 which are unavoidable parts of daily life for most people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Unusual Language<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, one lesser-known aspect of AS is that it can cause a person to speak strangely. As mentioned, verbal communication is not normally affected in the same way that it is in autism<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a person might be unusual verbose, they might choose unusual vocabulary to describe the situation, or their emotions may seemingly fail to match the language they choose. They may likewise struggle with volume, or start and stop abruptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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