Asperger's syndrome is one of the autism spectrum disorders. These developmental disorders affect verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction and other behaviors. According to the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, Asperger's syndrome is the least severe of the autism spectrum disorders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 80 to 240 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder, with boys disproportionately affected.
Restricted Interests
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that a hallmark symptom of Asperger's syndrome is an intense preoccupation with a single subject or object, to the virtual exclusion of all other competing interests. Although children with Asperger's syndrome are of average or above average intelligence, the restrictive nature of the child's interest can interfere with broader, normal learning.
Impaired Nonverbal Communication
Children with Asperger's syndrome typically lack nonverbal communication skills that are necessary for normal social interaction. According to the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," this can manifest as failure to make eye contact, decreased range of facial expression, unusual body postures and failure to make appropriate social gestures.
Social Isolation
Although children with Asperger's syndrome do not withdraw from social contact with others, they typically are socially isolated. In a 2003 article on Asperger's syndrome published in the "Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry," Dr. Ami Klin of the Yale Child Study Center noted that children with this disorder often approach others but do so without the skills to make successful social connections. Klin specifically cites awkwardness, eccentricity, a propensity to engage in lengthy monologues and failure to notice others' social cues as reasons for unsuccessful social interaction among children with Asperger's syndrome.
Unusual Speech Characteristics
Although children with Asperger's syndrome have normal or above-average language skills, the characteristics of their speech often are unusual. The Mayo Clinic says children with this disorder often speak too rapidly, too loudly for social circumstances or with a tone that lacks normal emphasis and inflection. Their use and understanding of language is literal: Children with Asperger's syndrome typically fail to appreciate jokes, irony or other nuances of language.
Emotional Aloofness and Insensitivity
Children with Asperger's syndrome often fail to notice others' expressions of emotion, Klin says, so they appear to lack sensitivity and empathy. Their demeanor often is formal and lacking in spontaneity.
Behavioral Rigidity
The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" lists inflexible adherence to idiosyncratic routines or rituals as a defining symptom of Asperger's syndrome. For example, a child might insist on taking out and resetting a group of toys each morning before being willing to leave his room. Any attempt to get him to deviate from this ritual is likely to meet with staunch, if not impossible, resistance. Similarly, the child might engage in repetitive physical routines that typically serve no functional purpose.
