Does anybody else here have aspergers syndrome? -- LiveWire Teen Forums

Quote: from REDHOTCHEERIOS at 12:24 pm on Oct. 19, 2008

no sorry...what is it?
I have OCD, Biolar Disorder, and severe peranoya....

Autism is a range, or spectrum, of disorders that affect individuals to varying degrees. A child can have their own combination of difficulties, putting them somewhere on what is called the autistic spectrum. Some children with autism may have learning difficulties and very limited speech and communication. Other children with a milder form of autism, called Asperger's syndrome, may have a good vocabulary but still have difficulty with communication.
According to the National Autistic Society, over 500,000 people in the UK have an ASD. A study published in 2006 has shown that as many as one in 100 children may have an ASD. It's four times more common in boys than girls.
Symptoms
Children with an ASD have three main types of problems. These are to do with their:
�communication
�social development
�interests and behaviour (social imagination)
If you notice signs of ASD in your child, you should see your health visitor or GP.
Communication
Children with ASDs may not develop the usual speech or non-verbal (eg pointing) skills of other children of the same age. They may also have trouble with understanding meaning in spoken or written language. Children with severe autism may never speak at all but may be helped to communicate in other ways (e.g. signing or using picture symbols).
These communication problems may show up as:
�not babbling or pointing by the age of one
�not responding to their name
�not learning two words by the age of two
�in older children, unusual use of language and difficulty starting or keeping up conversations
�repeating words they have heard over and over again
Social development
Children with an ASD may have difficulty in making friends and getting on well with their peers. They may:
�seem very independent as toddlers and aloof when they get older
�have poor eye contact
�not seek affection in the usual way and resist being cuddled or kissed
�be unable to play with other children and have difficulty making friends
�seem to be "in a world of their own"
�not understand other people's thoughts and emotions
�find it difficult to accept simple social rules, which can cause problems at school
Children with an ASD can be affectionate, but may not be able to respond to another person's need for affection.
Behaviour and interests
Children with an ASD may show very little or no interest in play that involves pretending. Instead they may be overly interested in repetitive activities, such as lining up their toys or watching the washing machine drum rotate. Children with an ASD may also:
�learn to sit up or walk later than most children
�be oversensitive to noise or to touch (for instance, finding the vacuum cleaner or hairdryer deafening)
�have odd mannerisms such as rocking back and forth, hand flapping, walking on tip toes or head banging
�some may be clumsy and so struggle with physical activity
Older children and adolescents may develop obsessions such as an excessive interest in timetables or lists, and in storing up trivial facts.
Intelligence and autism
Around three-quarters of people with an ASD have a learning disability. Some people who have Asperger's syndrome may have normal or high intelligence but struggle with social skills. Outstanding abilities with maths, music or drawing are uncommon.

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I've seen what I was, I know what I'll be, I've seen it all,
there is no more to see. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong reasons, wrong goal

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