Aspergers symptoms and criteria for diagnosis
Infantile autism is reported to affect 2-4 individuals per population of 10000, while the combination of mental retardation and autism up to 20 per 10000. This disorder occurs most often in boys, with the ratio being 3-4:1.
The diagnosis of autism in children (Kanner’s syndrome, RDA) is based on three main symptoms: presence of stereotypical behaviors, lack of communication, and lack of social interaction. These are common developmental features, manifested in many situations, but they may vary in severity. Regardless of the absence or presence of mental retardation, congenital rubella, tuberous sclerosis, epileptic seizures, cerebral lipidoza, fragilnoy X chromosome, which are associated with children’s autism, the disorder is diagnosed only at the presence of the above behaviors.
Typically, Aspergers symptoms occur in the first year of the child’s life and by the third year, they become apparent.
Early infantile autism and manifestations (Kanner’s autism)
The child’s appetite can be poor, with the infant often being selective, and some foods are even categorically rejected (for instance, fish, milk, or meat). Many youngsters develop problems with their gastrointestinal tract: regurgitation, frequent constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some of the possible sleep disorders are: the child cannot sleep, day or night, or constantly shouts and confuses day with night. Instead, the infant may lie in the crib for hours, with eyes open and no anxiety signs. Various responses to external stimuli are observed: from fear of the smallest rustle and skittishness up to absent reactions. In addition, the child might give the impression of being deaf or blind. Responses to discomfort can also be different: violent manifestations of discontent at the smallest inconvenience or absent response to cold, hunger, and wet diapers. Often, parents may think that their child is happy, quiet, and unproblematic. In addition, these children have a disposition to allergic reactions.
Absence of social interaction is expressed in limited contact with external reality. The youngster, as if aloof to the outside world, lives in a “shell”. Parents may be left with the impression that their child fails to notice the persons around, as the little ones are focused only on their own needs and interests. Attempts to “infiltrate” his or her world or to engage the child’s attention result in an outbreak of aggressive and self-aggressive behaviors, together with anxiety. When the parents approach the kid, he or she does not respond to their voices, does not smile back, or smiles at the empty space. It is difficult to meet the eyes of the child and to attract his or her attention.
Eye contact
In the future, establishing eye contact may be difficult as well: the youngster looks as if past the person, with his mind detached or floating. Simultaneously, the kid can give the impression of being very intelligent and thoughtful. Often times, he or she takes more interest in objects rather than people. For instance, the child may follow the movement of dust particles in a beam of light for hours.
Physical contact and communication
Among other Aspergers symptoms, some children dislike physical contact and try to avoid it. Sometimes, he or she would like to play with other children and watch what they do. The youngster is eager to communicate with kids of the same age. In other situations, the little one is afraid of children, cries, and tries to escape. Many parents report that their child is very sensitive to their mood and shows empathy. At the same time, his or her behavior in public may not be adequate. He or she can scream at the store or grab things off the shelves. And if someone pays attention, the child gets nervous. At the kindergarten, the kid will not follow rules, listen to teachers, or get involved in classroom activities. He or she can sit, for example, in the closet.
Finally, the child may have a good command of vocabulary, but the words are often not connected in a logical manner. Some kids engage in word-creation, inventing their own names. For a long time, the child may not use the pronoun “I”, speaking of himself or herself in the second or third person: “Nick wants to walk,” “go home”, “sit down.”
Aspergers symptoms and memory
On the other hand, one can get an impression that the kid speaks fluently. Thanks to their excellent memory, youngsters remember long sentences, poems, and whole pages from books, and they are phantastic in reproducing them.