When I was a young kid, I was @ risk for Pervasive Developmental Disorder, but they later determined that I’m not.
Showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes
Displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures
Having a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor
Speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast
Moving clumsily, with poor coordination
Having an odd posture or a rigid gait
Problems with social skills: Children with Asperger’s syndrome generally have difficulty interacting with others and often are awkward in social situations. They generally do not make friends easily.
Eccentric or repetitive behaviors: Children with this condition may develop odd, repetitive movements, such as hand wringing or finger twisting.
Unusual preoccupations or rituals: A child with Asperger’s syndrome may develop rituals that he or she refuses to alter, such as getting dressed in a specific order.
Communication difficulties: People with Asperger’s syndrome may not make eye contact when speaking with someone. They may have trouble using facial expressions and gestures, and understanding body language. They also tend to have problems understanding language in context.
Limited range of interests: A child with Asperger’s syndrome may develop an intense, almost obsessive, interest in a few areas, such as sports schedules, weather or maps.
Coordination problems: The movements of children with Asperger’s syndrome may seem clumsy or awkward.
Skilled or talented: Many children with Asperger’s syndrome are exceptionally talented or skilled in a particular area, such as music or math.
limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of other activities
repetitive routines or rituals
peculiarities in speech and language, such as speaking in an overly formal manner or in a monotone, or taking figures of speech literally
socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact successfully with peers
problems with non-verbal communication, including the restricted use of gestures, limited or inappropriate facial expressions, or a peculiar, stiff gaze
clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements
*I also have sensitive ears, which I heard was also an Asperger’s symptom.
The most distinguishing symptom of AS is a child’s obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. Some children with AS have become experts on vacuum cleaners, makes and models of cars, even objects as odd as deep fat fryers. Children with AS want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about little else. Their expertise, high level of vocabulary, and formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors.
Children with AS will gather enormous amounts of factual information about their favorite subject and will talk incessantly about it, but the conversation may seem like a random collection of facts or statistics, with no point or conclusion.
Their speech may be marked by a lack of rhythm, an odd inflection, or a monotone pitch. Children with AS often lack the ability to modulate the volume of their voice to match their surroundings. For example, they will have to be reminded to talk softly every time they enter a library or a movie theatre.
Unlike the severe withdrawal from the rest of the world that is characteristic of autism, children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests. In fact, they may approach other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular interest.
Children with AS usually have a history of developmental delays in motor skills such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy.
Many children with AS are highly active in early childhood, and then develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Other conditions that often co-exist with AS are ADHD, tic disorders (such as Tourette syndrome), depression, anxiety disorders, and OCD.
I also suffer OCD, depression, anxiety, & Tourette’s.
& my biggest weaknesses are social skills & clumsiness.
I think you might. Also anxiety is a component of asperger’s that most people have. OCD and tourettes are both anxiety based. My grandmother had OCD and hypergraphia too. The good news is that you can work on your social skills and improve alot. My dad is asperger’s and became a psychologist to learn stragegies on how to help his asperger’s. He is married and has 4 kids. My brother who is PDD.NOS never really worked on his social skills. He is in denial about being on the spectrum. He works IT, but hasn’t had a girlfriend in a decade despite being good looking.
Psychology In Seattle - 2008-12-22 - Part 1 - Sandplay Therapy - Hosted by Kirk Honda
This continuing medical education program introduces the philosophy of disaster mental health. Topics covered include characteristics of disasters, anxiety reactions, coping styles, PTSD, mass casualties and resources available for health professionals. Series: “UC Grand Rounds Series” [7/2007] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 13017]
