Aspergers Syndrome and young children
It is interesting to note that Aspergers is autism in a mild form when children could have problems in socializing and communicating with other children. However most Aspergers children neither have delay in acquiring language skills, nor are there any delays in cognitive development. Young children with Aspergers syndrome generally are able to attend normal schools. So it is quite easy to neglect the issue that they suffer a disorder.
It is imperative for parents, teachers and schools to take the teaching of their young children suffering from Aspergers syndrome very seriously, and parents need not hesitate to tell their children that they have been suffering from Aspergers syndrome. Taking a prompt and timely action would save the child from loss of his/her self esteem because they are so different from other children and do not make friends easily.
Knowing the symptoms of Aspergers in young children would help
1.Some of the early signs as a toddler include delay in milestones like crawling, standing unassisted and simple gestures. These infants may not respond
properly to environment, with most infants avoiding attention, eye contact and in later stages they may under-react or over-react to certain situations.There could be signs of delayed understanding of the concept of joint attention and the toddler may fail to evidence interest in the same thing.Also young children with Aspergers syndrome may not have reached the milestone of pointing to objects that interest him by the age of one year.
2.It is significant to note that infant with Aspergers syndrome will behave abnormally with maintaining eye contact, facial expressions and facial expressions with another person. As a toddler you could notice that they are not able to use appropriate vocabulary and may not listen to others as they continue talking continuously on the topic of their interest. Lack of social skills like an infant/toddler being unable to smile as a social sign, the young child ignoring the voices of even parent and getting irritable and angry with least social contact could be significant symptoms.
3.Another significant yet amusing aspect of Aspergers children is that they learn complex words like mountain, sheet rock faster than simple words like Mama and Papa, and this applies to their obsession for complex topics that would not amuse normal children. Young children with Aspergers syndrome would be greatly interested in some complex designs on a book or fabric. They could have an obsession for music that only adults appreciate. This obsession could at times make them oblivious to the environment in which they are.
4.It is impossible to overlook the clumsy behavior of Aspergers toddlers and young children, and they may present odd postures with a very stiff and rigid
self. Showing delays in picking up skills that require coordination like walking, crawling, playing, catching a ball, potty training, and riding a bicycle, this delay in motor movements is sometimes the main symptom of some abnormality in the young child that is significant by the time the child is 3 years or more.
5.You could not overlook the preoccupation that certain children with Aspergers have towards certain things especially trains and maps, with the young child wanting to spend most of his/her time learning and cultivating that hobby. They may gain and pursue their interest in learning more and more about their object of interest. Most toddlers may learn to read early, but these children may find it difficult to understand what they read.
I am sure these symptoms would help you recognize Aspergers in young children to take care of them.