A Look at Asperger's Syndrome: Part II

Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., teh clinical director of teh Koegel Autism Center and director of the Eli and Edythe L. Board Center for Asperger Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, answered questions asked in the October 2009 issue of Scholastic Parent and Child. Below are some of her answers and comments on Asperger's Syndrome.

Question: How does the behavior of children with Asperger's differ from that of typical children?

Koegel: Kids with Asperger's may need to play a game a certain way that might not be the way the other children want to do it. They're not always flexible with rules of games or activities. Sometimes they have difficulty with conversation. They don't understand that if someone says, "I'm going to Disneyland this weekend," you should say, "Who are you going with?" They'll just say, "Oh." Question-asking skills seem to be low in kids with autism spectrum disorder.

Question: Is there a way parents can distinguish between a child who is simply shy and has strong interest in a topic and one who may have Asperger's?

Koegel: There's a range of socialization in typical kids, but children withAsperger's are going to be way outside of the range, to the point where they're isolating themselves. Most children with Asperger's ask for play dates by 3 or 4, but children with Asperger's won't ask to have kids over. A lot of young children really like dinosaurs or construction equipment, but in children with Asperger's the interest is almost exclusive. They don't want to talk about other things and they'll figure out a way to get the conversation back to their area of interest.

Question: At what age do Asperger's symptoms typically reveal themselves?

Koegel: The symptoms are present at birth, but they may be missed. A lot of kids with Asperger's are very bright, and they can carry on a wonderful conversation with adults, so a parent or teacher might assume there's nothing amiss. But it's important to watch how these children interact with peers. Children with Asperger's won't play with other kids, or even if they play a little bit, they're not playing as much as their classmates.

Check my blog tomorrow for the final questions and answers on Asperger's Syndome.