Aspergers in teenager symptoms
Asperger's Syndrome in Teens - Shepherd's Hill Academy
Asperger’s syndrome is a form of high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that can affect children, teens, and adults. Technically speaking, Asperger’s syndrome has not been a standalone diagnosis for several years. In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5), changed Aspeger’s to be a component of the broader diagnosis of ASD. However, many people still refer to Asperger’s symptoms when discussing a person’s behavior, and it can be a useful term in behavioral health discussions.
While Asperger’s syndrome affects individuals differently, all people who suffer from High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder have difficulty with social interactions. According to Autism Speaks, teenagers and adults with ASD will focus on a narrow range of interests and exhibit repetitive behavior. Additionally, Autism Initiatives explains that people with Asperger’s syndrome typically do not experience the same language and cognitive delays or learning disabilities that come with other forms of autism.
Symptoms of High Functioning Autism (Asperger’s syndrome) in children
Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome among young children often become apparent when a child enters school and begins to interact with other children their age.
According to WebMD, there are a variety of symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome in children. Some of those symptoms include:
- An inability to pick up on social cues
- Robotic or repetitive speech
- A lack of inborn social skills, such as reading body language, starting or maintaining a conversation, or taking turns
- A dislike of changes in routine
- Appearing to lack empathy
- Being unable to recognize subtle differences in speech, such as tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of one’s speech
- An inability to understand jokes and sarcasm due to difficulties recognizing subtle differences in speech
- Having a formal speaking style that is advanced for their age, such as saying “beckon” instead of “call”
- Talking frequently about a favorite subject and engaging in one-sided conversations
- Verbalizing internal thoughts
- Avoiding eye contact or staring at others
- Having unusual facial expressions or postures
- Being preoccupied with only one or a limited number of interests and obsessing over fine details
- Delayed motor development
- Becoming overstimulated by loud noises, lights, tastes, and textures
- Having difficulty playing games that require imagination
- Having poor handwriting
While a child may exhibit one or two of the above symptoms, they may not have Asperger’s syndrome or ASD.
For a clinician to diagnose a child with High Functional Autism, a child must exhibit several of the above symptoms, and they must have significant trouble in social situations.
Although Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism spectrum disorder, a child with Asperger’s syndrome will develop normally in other areas where children with other forms of autism will struggle. A child with Asperger’s syndrome will have normal language and intellectual abilities. They will typically make more effort than those with other forms of autism to engage in activities with their peers and make friends.
Symptoms of High Functioning ASD (Asperger’s Syndrome) in Teenagers
Many kids will express symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome throughout their teenage years. Teenagers with Asperger’s syndrome may begin to learn some of the social skills they lacked earlier in life. However, Asperger’s symptoms in teens will likely still include difficulties interpreting and understanding the behavior of others.
According to WebMD’s page on Asperger’s syndrome, teens with Asperger’s syndrome may face teasing and bullyingfrom their peers. Teens with Asperger’s syndrome may have a strong desire for friendship, but they may feel shy or intimidated. While the teen’s peers focus on striving to fit in, a teen with Asperger’s syndrome will find that activity to be draining and frustrating. Another sign of Asperger’s in teens is when a teenager may appear to be more immature than their peers, and they may also be naive and over-trusting.
The social pressures and complications associated with Asperger’s in teens may frustrate your teen and cause them to withdraw from social interactions. It is not uncommon for teens with Asperger’s syndrome to also experience teenage depression and teenage anxiety, which can stem from social isolation.
Many teens with Asperger’s syndrome can make and keep a few close friends during their teenage years. Teenagers with Asperger’s syndrome are often less interested in following social norms or fads, and that quality allows them to think creatively and pursue original goals.
Usually, teenagers and adults with Asperger’s syndrome are successful in the classroom and in their professions, as they adhere to rules, follow directions, and act with honesty.
High Functioning ASD (Asperger’s syndrome) in adults
Asperger’s syndrome is a lifelong diagnosis. However, many individuals with Asperger’s develop into successful, high-functioning adults. Adults have a much better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses that come with their Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis. Adults with Asperger’s syndrome learn social skills and learn to identify social cues, and many adults with Asperger’s syndrome get married and have a family. Also, attention to detail and focused interests can increase the chances of collegiate and professional success for adults with Asperger’s syndrome. Many adults with Asperger’s syndrome find success in technology and engineering roles.
Diagnosing High Functioning ASD (formerly Asperger’s syndrome) in children, teens, and adults
Asperger’s syndrome often remains undiagnosed until a parent places their child in a social setting.
At that point, the child will visibly struggle to build relationships with the other children. The child may withdraw from the situation or appear awkward in their interactions.
Children and teens with Asperger’s syndrome often exhibit exceptional language skills. However, they tend to misuse their extensive vocabulary in basic conversation. Someone with Asperger’s may repetitively quote facts about an area of interest or try to force conversation without seeing things from the other person’s perspective.
People often confuse and misdiagnose Asperger’s syndrome as other behavioral issues, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, many children with Asperger’s syndrome first receive an ADHD diagnosis. Soon, it becomes clear that the child’s behavior stems from an inability to socialize rather than from an inability to focus.
Teens and adults who suffer from Asperger’s syndrome may not be able to control or manage their emotions. They may laugh or cry at inappropriate times.
They may also not realize when they are speaking loudly. Some individuals with Asperger’s syndrome have a monotone voice or speak with unusual intonations.
Asperger’s syndrome is different for every individual. It is not uncommon for adults with Asperger’s syndrome to exhibit a different set of symptoms than they did as children and teenagers. It is important to note that while there are challenges presented by Asperger’s syndrome, unique gifts often accompany those challenges. One such gift is the ability to focus intently on a single point of interest. That persistent focus can lead to success in a variety of fields and endeavors.
Treatment for teens with ASD, including Asperger’s syndrome
While there is no single treatment for Asperger’s syndrome, many young adults find cognitive behavioral therapy to be effective. This therapy allows the individual to learn social skills that they may find difficult. It also helps them to learn how to better control their emotions, obsessions, and repetitive behaviors.
Shepherd’s Hill Academy has worked with many teenagers who exhibit symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome. Shepherd’s Hill Academy is a residential therapeutic boarding school for teens, and we offer a variety of cognitive-behavioral therapy programs for teens. Our twelve-month program helps teenagers reach individualized emotional and behavioral goals during their stay with us.
At Shepherd’s Hill Academy, teens participate in a variety of proven behavioral therapy programs. Individual therapy includes sessions where your teen works with a certified behavioral health therapist. Group therapy is another activity where your teen will develop important social skills in a controlled environment. Also, our equine therapy program for teens will allow your teen to take on responsibilities caring for our on-campus horses. With those personal responsibilities, teens develop as individuals and learn more about their personality, strengths, and weaknesses.
If your teen exhibits signs and symptoms of High Functioning ASD (or Asperger’s syndrome), know that we can help answer your questions about your teen’s behavior and how our residential treatment programs may be able to help.
Shepherd’s Hill Academy offers hope and healing to families across the United States, and our goal is to help teenagers grow into successful and productive adults. In addition to helping teens with Asperger’s syndrome and ASD, we help teenagers work through difficulties regarding teenage violence, teenage digital addiction, and teenage oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
To learn more about Shephard’s Hill Academy, you can call us directly at (706) 703-4188 or inquire online. Additionally, we encourage parents to take our Is My Teen Troubled Quiz, which can help parents and our staff determine if Shepherd’s Hill Academy is right for a teen’s individual circumstances.
What Are The Signs of Asperger’s in Teens?
Posted on May 16, 2018 by SDCAadmin
According to the CDC, autism affects one in 59 children.
Many children receive a diagnosis when they’re young, but you may not notice unusual behavior or question if your child has Asperger’s syndrome until your child becomes a teenager.
Learn the signs of Asperger’s and what steps you can take if your teen has the disorder.
An autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Asperger’s is also known as high functioning autism. It’s a developmental brain disorder that affects boys and girls in all demographics. Generally, kids with autism exhibit social, behavioral and communication challenges.
12 Signs of Asperger’s in Teens
Asperger’s may go unnoticed until your child reaches puberty. That’s when he or she faces physical and hormonal changes along with more social and educational challenges.
Every teen experiences Asperger’s differently, but general signs may include:
- Trouble taking turns during conversations
- Difficulty interpreting social cues, body language, tone of voice and facial expressions
- Struggles to empathize with or understand the perspective of others
- Difficulty staying on task and understanding or following directions
- Inappropriate eye contact
- Disorganization
- Behavior problems, including aggression, outbursts or isolation
- Struggle to regulate emotions
- Obsessions or repetitive behaviors
- Rigid need for routine and structure
- Lack of motor coordination
- Sensory sensitivity to textures, lights, and sounds
How to Seek Help for Asperger’s in Teens
As soon as you suspect that your teen may have Asperger’s, take steps to get help.
Your teen can learn essential skills and receive therapy that helps him or her become a fully functioning adult.
1. See your doctor
Share your concerns, including any specific incidents that could support an Asperger’s diagnosis. Your doctor can review your child’s developmental history and recommend testing to verify an Asperger’s diagnosis.
2. Get an official diagnosis
Your child’s doctor may partner with a psychologist to assess and test your child to see if he or she does have Asperger’s. The multidisciplinary assessment uses categories to determine if your child has Asperger’s, and it involves:
- Measuring your child’s strengths and weaknesses
- Reviewing details about your child’s developmental history
- Watching your child interact with others in the office, school, and home
- Interviewing parents about the child’s actions, behaviors, and attitude
- Questioning teachers about the child’s behavior and interactions at school
Expect the entire diagnosis process to take several months to a year, depending on the demand for services in your area.
In most cases, your child’s health insurance can cover the testing and assessments.
3. Start therapy
After you receive a diagnosis, your doctor will suggest beneficial therapies that meet your child’s specific needs. Several therapies that help your teen learn essential skills include:
Social skills training
Through participation in one-on-one or group sessions, your child will learn self-expression and how to interact with others.
Speech-language therapy
Your child will discover how to hold a two-way conversation, recognize social cues and speak with an up-and-down pattern rather than a flat tone.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
By altering your child’s way of thinking, your child will discover how to control repetitive behaviors and emotions and handle obsessions and outbursts.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
This technique encourages positive communication and social skills while discouraging your child’s adverse behaviors.
Medicine
Certain medications can address symptoms related to depression, anxiety and other conditions that affect your child.
Parent education and training
You will learn how to help your child succeed and deal with the challenges and stress of living with a teen with Asperger’s.
4. Prepare for success in school
Discuss your child’s diagnosis with your child’s school administrator or special education director, and ask for an educational evaluation.
An evaluation will reveal your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and guides the school in creating an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP provides accommodations like sensory breaks, longer test time or a quiet lunchroom experience that help your child manage school successfully.
5. Connect with support
Join a local support group, and connect your teen and yourself with help. Your child’s therapist may facilitate a social skills group, or you can ask the doctor, therapist or school for information on peer groups.
How to Talk About Asperger’s in Teens
Include your child in all aspects of the diagnosis process, and keep the communication lines open. Ensure your child understands what’s happening and why, and remind him or her to ask questions if necessary.
You’ll also want to empower your teen to build relationships with his or her healthcare providers and therapists. Cooperation will improve the outcomes of therapy. Your child can also talk through his or her feelings about the diagnosis, which may include confusion, anxiety or frustration.
Additionally, reassure your child that Asperger’s is a syndrome and not the result of something he or she did, and remind your child of your love.
You will also want to focus on your child’s strengths as you work together to address challenges. Your child already knows that he or she is different from other teens, but your child is not inferior and possesses a variety of talents.
For example, your child may excel at solving complicated math problems, be able to calm animals or demonstrate an aptitude for computer repair.
Asperger’s affects your child in numerous ways. If you suspect your child has Asperger’s, take steps to gain a diagnosis and treatment as you support your child’s success in life.
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Asperger's syndrome in adolescents - symptoms, signs, treatment
Asperger's syndrome in adolescents (more often in boys) is manifested by communication disorders, repetitive stereotypical actions and difficulties in social communication. If you notice any behavioral patterns or warning signs in a child or teenager, contact the Summer Mental Health Center. We will help determine the cause. With a confirmed diagnosis, we will prescribe cognitive-behavioral therapy, which allows you to learn those skills that you have not developed on your own. nine0005
Causes
Asperger's Syndrome is one of the five autism-type disorders . But, unlike autism, speech and cognitive functions are preserved.
Mental abilities are higher than that of ordinary people, but in one direction.
The causes of the development of this syndrome are not fully understood, but genetic predisposition and the influence of external harmful factors during pregnancy may affect its formation. The manifestations of the syndrome can be noticed at the age of 1.5–2 years, and the final diagnosis is established after several years of monitoring the dynamics. After a full examination by a psychiatrist, child psychologist, ergotherapist and speech therapist. nine0005
Signs
Signs of Asperger's syndrome include:
- Difficulties in mutual communication in society - inability to interact with peers, behavior inappropriate to what is happening.
- Narrowness and limited interests. Craving for collecting, obsession with one thing.
- The need for constancy of the regime , activities, hobbies, love for the order of ritual actions.
nine0028 - Speech and language problems - monotonous or overly formal speech, literal perception of meaning, verbosity, abrupt change of topic of conversation.
- Difficulties in non-verbal communication (failure to understand body language, facial expressions, intonation)
- Clumsiness.
Asperger's teenager is good at acquiring visual information, but has difficulty listening to it . Often ignores generally accepted rules of conduct and violates them because he does not know how to apply them in a particular situation. He does not notice the emotions and mood changes of other people. Not able to make friends. Due to his increased sensitivity, he has his own specific preferences in clothing, which may not be popular among his peers, which causes ridicule.
Because of a lack of understanding of what can and cannot be said, and sometimes tactless and inappropriate thoughts are expressed aloud, causing hostility among others.
The child becomes an outcast, which leads the Asperger's teenager to depression and suicidal thoughts. In the clinic "Summer" parents can get expert advice on how to behave with the patient in a difficult period. nine0005
Symptoms
Asperger's syndrome is diagnosed at school age, based on the results of observation of the child's social behavior - this disease differentiates from autism. Due to the fact that such children develop speech without deviations, vocabulary is quite large in the preschool period, it is difficult to distinguish between Asperger's syndrome, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder.
But you should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Loss of coordination , clumsy gait, lag in motor development. The child does not catch the ball, does not jump and is not able to learn this.
- Aloof facial expression , a wandering look due to the inability to express one's emotions and understand others.
- Misunderstanding of non-verbal signs. A smile, a displeased or formidable facial expression, gestures are of no importance, the child simply does not know how to react to them. nine0028
- Lack of sense of humor and inability to grasp hidden meanings in the words or actions of other people.
- The need to perform the same activities daily. The slightest deviations from the regime, from the route, changes in behavior can cause panic.
- Unusual manner of speaking, characterized by monotony and lack of tonality. Can be very loud and with an incomprehensible accent. The child does not distinguish between where it is allowed to speak loudly and where it is not allowed. In adolescence, it manifests itself in inappropriate statements due to the inability to assess what is happening around. nine0028
- Selective mutism - inability to speak in unfamiliar conditions or speak only one or two phrases. They may not make sense, they are just the only words the child can say now.
- Undying interest in fictional worlds, heroes in adolescence, when peers are already switching to more real things.
- Girls' lack of sexual desire and asexuality. They prefer to play with boys and do not share the interests of their peers. nine0028
- Inappropriate behavior in various social situations and rare interaction with strangers.
- Poor eye contact or exchange of phrases when speaking.
- Excessive cleanliness and pedantry.
- Increased sensory sensitivity.
- Sleep problems.
- Increased interest in a particular topic or activity. Children learn everything about their favorite subject, know all the facts, the smallest details, turn into experts in this field. They can talk about their interest for a long time, not noticing that they are no longer listening. This is one of the main signs by which the presence of the disease is determined.
nine0028
Asperger's syndrome in adolescents may not necessarily present with all symptoms at once. The symptoms of the disease and their severity are individual for everyone.
Diagnosis
Parents first notice behavioral changes in early childhood, but sometimes they appear later in adolescence if social demands increase and begin to exceed the child's capabilities. The diagnosis is made by a psychotherapist after a long observation of the child's behavior and evaluation of such factors:
- social adaptation skills;
- speech development;
- life story of a teenager.
To do this, the patient undergoes:
- examination and interview with a psychiatrist;
- questioning;
- neuropsychological tests;
- neurological examination;
- Brain MRI and EEG.
The following doctors are also involved in establishing a diagnosis: a psychologist, a child psychiatrist, a child neurologist, and a teacher-defectologist.
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Treatment
At the Leto clinic, a psychotherapist treats Asperger's syndrome. Psychologists, speech therapists and neuropsychologists also work with children. An individual therapy has been developed for each patient, helping to improve motor and communication skills, adapt to the outside world, and learn to live with this disease. Two methods of treatment:
- Non-pharmacological treatment:
- cognitive behavioral therapy;
- interpersonal interaction training;
- exercise therapy;
- occupational therapy;
- household training;
- development of social communication skills.
- Treatment with drugs used for such complications of the disease:
- depression;
- panic attacks;
- alarm conditions;
- aggressive behavior;
- sleep disorders.
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The prognosis of the disease is favorable if the diagnosis was accurate and timely, and all necessary measures were taken. In adulthood, the symptoms are smoothed out, and people can lead a completely normal life, start a family, work. Some become brilliant scientists, mathematicians.
At the Leto Mental Health Center, we provide assistance with any mental disorders in adults and children. Noticed a problem? Just dial 8(969)060-93-93 ! nine0005
Asperger's syndrome: do symptoms improve with age?
Asperger's Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) is a lifelong developmental disorder, but ironically, most scientific studies of the disorder have been cross-sectional (that is, they only provide insight into what is at one point in time). Why? Because following people with Asperger's for longer periods of time is expensive and requires a lot of effort on the part of families and researchers; this is unfortunate, as long-term studies are the only way to understand that early developmental factors help some children with Asperger's syndrome better than others over the long term (something that cannot be assessed in cross-sectional studies).
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Thanks to new statistical methods, researchers can now group study participants based on common characteristics over time. A small number of long-term studies, each with up to a few hundred participants, have now followed people with Asperger's syndrome for nearly 20 years. When the young people in these studies reached puberty, the researchers pieced together how the disease progressed throughout life. Let's take a look at some of these studies (not in any particular order):
- Study #1
A researcher assessed the cognitive skills of 37 children on the autism spectrum with an average IQ. She found that children between 4 and 7 years of age who have the strongest "executive skills" (i.e., the skills needed to plan and complete complex tasks) also have the most developed "mental model" 3 years later (t ie the ability to understand the "thoughts and feelings" of others). The study shows that improving executive function skills in children with Asperger's may also benefit "models of mind.
" nine0028 - Study #2
showed that children whose moms and dads are more involved in their therapy early on have better verbal and daily life skills during adolescence. Unpublished data showed that the children with the best outcomes (for example, being able to go to school without additional support) had moms and dads who participated in their therapy over the age of 2 years (although this should not be construed as the fault of the parents if their children are worse). nine0028 - Study #3
found that adolescence is a time of behavioral and symptomatic improvement for some adolescents with Asperger's, but that improvement slows down around the time adolescents graduate from high school. Perhaps in part because a) school structure and routine are beneficial for Asperger's teenagers, and b) these young people often lose access to support services by the time they leave school. - Study #4
followed approximately 300 participants aged 2 to 21 and found that about 10% of them improved significantly by mid-adolescence.
It should be noted that these young people tended to a) have a high verbal intelligence quotient and b) improve their verbal skills early on. This confirms other studies suggesting that language skills and IQ are critical conditions for adolescent outcomes. nine0028 - Study #5
was a longitudinal study that followed 39 children with Asperger's Syndrome, aged approximately 4 to 19 years. Data analysis shows that increasing "model-of-mind" skills can help children who start out with poor language skills overcome their deficits. These data are typical research methods using long-term studies to analyze how changes in one area of development affect another. - Study #6
According to another study, most adolescents and adults with Asperger's syndrome have less severe symptoms and behaviors as they get older.
The long-held hope of mothers and fathers of children with Asperger's Syndrome that proper care and support can reduce or even reverse some of the developmental problems associated with the disorder.
But while studies have found that the introduction of behavioral programs is associated with improved social skills, the question of whether children can technically "outgrow" Asperger's is still difficult to answer. Research to date that hints at this possibility is fraught with questions, most notably whether children who appear to have lost features of Asperger's were correctly diagnosed. nine0173 Who can answer better than adults on the autism spectrum? So we asked a few young people with Asperger's to answer the following question: "Did your symptoms decrease as you got older, or did things tend to get worse?" Here are their responses:
"While the condition remains constant, of course the severity of symptoms can change over time. At times, I might seem quite neurotypical (albeit shy), but at other times... well, quite the contrary From my personal observation, I have days when I really seem to "read" others better, and other days I don't. Of course, I had really hard periods, but inside I'm still the same.
" nine0260
"As a person gets older, Asperger's is indeed easier to deal with. However, that doesn't mean big setbacks can't happen. The truth is that they will. I'm generally better than when I was a teenager , but this "improvement" was accompanied by two suicide attempts and many really hard moments."
"When I'm under stress, I just can't make the effort to initiate my coping mechanisms. Some of them are automatic (like blocking too much sensory input) and when I'm not stressed. In the end, my my autistic nature affects me more - it doesn't mean I'm more autistic, it means my coping strategies don't work." nine0260
"In my experience, I become more autistic every year from the age of 16, however, I was less autistic from the age of 11 to 16 in high school. So the school environment supposedly caused me to be much more neurotypical, almost certainly because I was in a group of neurotypical guys all the time.Now that I'm getting older, the differences are becoming more obvious, and it's more and more difficult to connect with people and tolerate society.
A lot has changed around, for example, when I was I was young then collected rocks, was much more talkative for my age, now I find it increasingly difficult to connect with people, I have more social anxiety I'm sure the features of Asperger's syndrome continue to change as I grow up I think people around you and the way you look at yourself." nine0260
"You don't have to think that your asperger gets worse or better as you get older. What you do, the skills you learn, can either help you manage your condition or make things come out of - under control Stress fluctuations, stress/anxiety make our coping mechanisms less effective Sometimes it seems like we get worse as we get older because life changes are going on that are very stressful... spouse, kids, house, job, and etc. The longer you work, the higher level you tend to strive to achieve, so you can get promoted in jobs that require more social interaction." nine0260
"I don't think it's a matter of whether Asperger's is getting worse (at least in my case), as comorbidities and just life make it harder to compensate.
It's hard to do anything when you still need to have Dealing with Depression and Anxiety I know that during very stressful times in my life it was extremely difficult to deal with the negative consequences, especially at the height of it all. I have found that my ability to compensate and adapt can drastically decrease from time to time." nine0260
"I think over the years I have improved some things related to my disability, such as better handling my special interests on the security level. By that I mean when I was 13-15 years old, I was obsessed some of the locals who lived next door to my cousin, I started having this obsession and got to the point where I tried to really get involved in their lives (in other words, stalking), it got too "freaky" for them (plus they had child) so they went to the police station and reported me. The obsession got out of hand and I talked about this couple at school, people got fed up with it, I lost a lot of friends because of it. Now I'm obsessed with some people that I didn't know before (these are bus drivers), but they don't know about it.
That's how I learned to keep my obsessions under control - such an improvement. I'm proud of myself. " nine0260
"I have to say that this is individual. While aspie symptoms are technically supposed to improve with age, you have to constantly fight them to lessen them. Some aspies choose to give up and retire, live without social interaction, to keep their symptoms under control. And they're perfectly satisfied with what they have... that's what makes you happy."
"In a way, it seems that the older I am, the more autistic I am, and something gets lost. My autistic traits mostly just accompany me, and some manifest differently. As a child, I didn't stimulate much, at least I stim a LOT now, but I'm more tolerant of certain sensory things... My social skills have improved a bit since I've gotten older and learned things, and the people around me have changed. I say sometimes, but that means I'm more likely to make communication mistakes and my special interests are more obvious to other people When you're older, more is expected of you than when you're little, so my life skills issues now more obvious.
" nine0260
"It's not really getting worse, but it may seem like it is. Due to anxiety and depression. Depression makes your asperger worse. It's just an illusion."
"I find myself becoming more and more isolated as time goes on. I think you have friends in school (often with similar traits), but as soon as you leave school, your true nature slowly takes over. If you stress or you don't like being around a lot of people, then you inevitably seek solitude. Not sure if it's worse because of my aspie traits or if I'm just more aware of what they are." nine0260
"I've had a few 'failures' but it wasn't like a regression from when I was younger. It's just different. Even if I have cognitive lapses, I still consider that by forcing myself difficult to deal with people.As a teenager, I found that I was afraid to interact even with the storekeeper, but eventually learned to deal with it [fear], and today it is not a very difficult thing.And I can even handle a few small talk (although they still drain).
" nine0260
"Periods of high stress definitely cause my symptoms to regress, my obsessions become more intense, impulsive behavior is more difficult to control. worse) during periods of high stress throughout life."
"Stress is to blame. All the coping strategies I've learned over the years are systematically cut off as stress increases. First of all, verbal communication... I don't strive for it, I avoid it to such an extent, finally I don't bother to say. Meltdowns are getting more. Auditory problems are more noticeable. One after the other seems to get worse. But if I can eliminate stress, then my ability to cope increases. I don't think there is a literal change in my problems, it is just changing my ability to deal with them." nine0260
In my experience with clients on the autism spectrum over the years, many of these people do not get worse over time. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to get somewhat better over time as they learn some adaptive skills that they lacked earlier in life.
Generally, most people with Asperger's develop these skills automatically as they age (the saying "the longer you live, the more you learn").
Of note, there seems to be a period of time (lasting about 5-10 years) after high school when symptoms worsen (eg anxiety, depression, isolation, etc.). As indicated in the information above, this may be due to a) the loss of structure due to regular school attendance and/or b) the lack of constant connection with "typical" peers. But by the time these young people reach their mid-to-late thirties, many believe that the accumulation of life experience has helped reduce some of the symptoms (undesirable) associated with Asperger's syndrome. However, again based on my experience, the exception to this seems to be those who do not have a job, a place to study or some form of continuing education still live with their parents. This suggests that exclusion from the community (i.e., isolation) exacerbates Asperger's symptoms and possibly delayed emotional maturation due to a lack of relevant, multifaceted life experiences.
