AS is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and narrow or restricted patterns of interest. This may include failure to use eye contact, develop peer relationships, and share enjoyment with others as expected. You may also see preoccupation with parts of objects, intense focus on a particular subject such as dinosaurs, Pokemon, a video game, weather, or Thomas the Train, inflexibility in routines, and repeated motor mannerisms. Some people have some of the characteristics but not all, and may be diagnosed as PDD-NOS, ADHD, OCD, or Bipolar.
Social anxiety and difficulty recognizing, communicating, and managing emotional responses are also frequently seen in this population. Many of these people are socially interested and have good intentions and are at times very sensitive, yet lack the cognitive flexibility and social communication and thinking skills necessary to navigate the social world gracefully. They often seem unaware of unwritten social rules until explicitly taught- they don’t “get it” as naturally as their neurotypical peers do. Often we see high intelligence and vocabulary, a collector of information on a specific topic of interest, terrific long-term rote memory coupled with difficulty with everyday problem-solving skills. They may neglect to develop social curiousity about what other people are thinking, failing to realize that other people have a different mind with different interpretations, intentions, and feelings- they may seem only aware of one mind, their own.
Language may be atypical, with unusual pitch, volume, prosody, and/or rythym. You may hear monotone, sing-song, or the little professor, “Well, actually…” and then a monlogue ensues that may continue long after the listener has shown signs of disinterest or even left the room! Use of language may be literal and concrete, failing to interpret jokes, idoms, figures of speech. Attempts at entering into groups may be charcterized by off-topic remarks or quotes from a favorite video.
Motor skills may be delayed. Difficulty riding a bike, tying shoes, and writing are commonly seen.