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Children who have Asperger’s syndrome are extremely vulnerable to being teased, rejected, humiliated and bullied by their peers.
However, there is a psychological cost that may become apparent only in adolescence. It is emotionally exhausting to constantly observe and analyze social behaviour, trying not to make a social error or be perceived as different. Adopting an alternative persona can also lead to confusion about self-identity and low self-esteem. The stress, strain and exhaustion can result in the development of a clinical depression.
One of the problems faced by children with Asperger’s syndrome who use their intellect rather than intuition to succeed in some social situations is that they may be in an almost constant state of alertness and anxiety, leading to a risk of mental and physical exhaustion.
There can be a remarkably accurate recall of what was said or done to prove a point, and no concession, or acceptance of a compromise or a different perspective.
There can be feelings of despair regarding how their lives would have been much easier if the diagnosis had been confirmed decades ago. Other emotional reactions can be a sense of grief for all the suffering in trying to be as socially successful as others, and the years of feeling misunderstood, inadequate and rejected.
Clinical experience and research indicate that parents, especially mothers, of children and adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome often have to provide verbal reminders and advice regarding self-help and daily living skills. This can range from help with problems with dexterity affecting activities such as using cutlery, to reminders regarding personal hygiene and dress sense, and encouragement with planning and time-management skills.
The only questions I would have answered yes to would have been the ones about having unusually long-term memory for events and facts; reading books for information; and being like a walking encyclopaedia. That’s because I liked those things about me. I thought they made me look smart. If I thought it was good, I would have said yes, and if I thought it was bad, I would have said no.
Marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others. Cannot see the point of superficial social contact, niceties, or passing time with others, unless there is a clear discussion point/debate or activity.
Pedantic style of speaking, or inclusion of too much detail.
Inability to recognize when the listener is interested or bored. Even if the person has been told not to talk about their particular obsessive topic for too long, this difficulty may be evident if other topics arise.
Frequent tendency to say things without considering the emotional impact on the listener (faux pas).
Lack of varied, spontaneous make believe play appropriate to developmental level. 2.Inability to tell, write or generate spontaneous, unscripted or unplagiarised fiction.
