Asperger Syndrome
Children suffering from Asperger syndrome manifest problems in the area of social interaction, and non-verbal communication. Their problems are similar to those in children with autism, but without the intellectual or language/speech deficits.
Their intellectual abilities are comparable to those of other children, and frequently these children are very talented. For instance, at kindergarten age, they self-learn to read letters and numbers, at school age, they manifest extensive encyclopedic knowledge, they possess an excellent mechanical memory, etc.
Speech develops well in terms of both form and content. Prior to the start of school attendance, vocabulary and expressive abilities correspond to usual level for the age.
However, the communication of children with Asperger syndrome contains eccentricities in social application (e.g. problems empathizing with the feelings of their communication partner). Their communication often tends to be very one-sided, for instance they tend to talk exclusively about some interest of theirs. They do not manifest interest in listening to what others have to say if it does not concern topics they are interested in. Their speech may come across as pedantic, and they carry on communication despite obvious lack of interest from the communication partner. They also have problems understanding humour, irony or metaphor. Nonverbal means of communication are also significantly distorted. Inadequate intonation, incorrect use of pronouns and verbal stereotypes are also present.
In general, children suffering from this disorder have problems understanding social situations, which is why they often react differently than expected in the context of the given situation. They usually have problems getting involved within a group. They are often described as loners, who nevertheless show some interest in forming friendships and contacts. Their attempts at forming relationships with their peers often fail, however, and these failures are usually a source of frustration (often permanent). Failed attempts at forming functional relationships with peers stem in particular from incorrect interpretation, or insufficient sensitivity to the emotions of others. These failures may also be caused by inadequate choice of the means of establishing contact. Rejection by the group may also be a reaction to unusual behavior which tends to be a consequence of insufficient emotional control (e.g. fits of anger).
Children with Asperger syndrome often tend to be generally clumsy, which can become manifest when learning to write, or during sports activities (throwing and catching a ball, riding a bike). They tend to also have problems with activities that require visual-motor coordination (e.g. when dancing, or during exercises that require imitation of the movements of the teacher).Persons with this disorder quite often achieve significant success in a limited circle of interests.