Early identification of Asperger syndrome can make a significant difference in children's development and adaptation. Dr. Ioana Georgescu, a specialist in pediatric psychiatry, pointed out on Părinți Prezenți that symptoms can be observed around the age of 2-3 years, but diagnosing at this age is difficult.
"Symptoms can usually be observed around the age of 2-3 years, but diagnosing at this age is difficult", said dr. Ioana Georgescu on Părinți Prezenți, a show by ParintisiPitici.ro.
Here are some signs parents should monitor to detect this condition early:
One of the first signs is related to difficulties in social interaction.
"The child does not make adequate, sustained eye contact, does not share attention and interests—for example, they do not show toys to their parents to share joy, although they may approach them when they want to help unpack a toy. They do not show emotional reciprocity", said dr. Ioana Georgescu.
At this age, restricted and repetitive interests may become evident.
"At 2-3 years old, restricted and repetitive interests can become noticeable. For example, children may become fascinated with subways or a specific brand of cars, develop a passion for numbers, maps, or dinosaurs", added the specialist in pediatric psychiatry.
Another distinctive sign is the use of very formal or unusual language for their age: "At this time, the use of very formal or unusual language for their age can also be observed."
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Dr. Ioana Georgescu stated that as children with Asperger syndrome grow older, their socialization and communication difficulties become increasingly evident due to heightened social demands.
"The older they get, the more evident the socialization and communication difficulties become because social demands increase. The child does not initiate interaction and does not maintain age-appropriate conversations, has difficulty understanding gestures, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues, prefers to play alone, rarely or never participates in group games, does not engage in role-playing games, and has difficulty making friends",explained the pediatric psychiatry specialist.
These socialization difficulties are often accompanied by the child's tendency to talk extensively about a preferred subject without considering the interests of others.
"They tend to talk a lot about a preferred subject without considering the interest of others, and they have difficulty understanding humor, irony, or sarcasm", added Dr. Ioana Georgescu.
Children with Asperger's syndrome also exhibit an insistence on certain routines, having significant difficulties in adapting to changes.
"The child with Asperger's is usually very socially naive and cannot read social cues. The child insists on certain routines and has significant difficulties adapting to changes. Most of the time, parents describe the child as 'fixated' or 'very stubborn,' saying 'he always wants things done his way'", added Dr. Ioana Georgescu.
These behaviors can lead to the perception that the child is selfish and self-centered, unwilling to share with others.
Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli is another common characteristic.
"Often, they have hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as loud noises, bright lights, certain clothing textures, or strong smells.
They are often clumsy, lack fine motor skills, and struggle with sports activities.
Sometimes repetitive movements such as hand flapping or walking on tiptoes appear. Still, these occur much less frequently here than in childhood autism.
They can know a lot of information in their area of interest. Still, the inability to think flexibly will most likely hold them back in their professional journey", concluded Dr. Ioana Georgescu.
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