Asperger's syndrome is a disorder similar to, but considered milder than, autism. People with Asperger's have obsessive interests or behaviors and difficulty with social communication. As a child, sufferers may reach motor skill milestones at a later age than peers while intelligence is normal or above average. The syndrome is much more prevalent in males, but symptoms in females are often milder, clouding recognition of the disorder.
Commmunication Difficulties
A girl with Asperger's finds that social communication does not come easily. She must struggle to find topics to talk about that will interest her peers. She often attempts to mimic the interests, behavior and body language of others in an attempt to fit in. Many girls become quite adept at this mimicking, causing them to elude diagnosis and treatment throughout life. A girl with Asperger's syndrome who does not mimic others appears shy and socially awkward. Her body language is different from her peers and she seems oblivious to the body language of others. Her voice may lack inflection, and she may show no happiness at the good fortune of others.
Inflexibility
The U.S. National Library of Medicine explains that an individual with Asperger's syndrome may be inflexible about her daily routine. She may want to eat the same meal each day and avoid food that has touched other food on her plate. She may arrange her toys a certain way on the shelf, perform the same grooming ritual each day and become upset by any change in her schedule.
Obsessional Interests
Obsessional interests is another indicator of Asperger's. The girl may talk incessantly about her topic of interest or spend the majority of her free time studying it or playing with it. An article by Newsweek describes the obsessional interests of females with Asperger's syndrome. According to the article, a girl with Asperger's is more likely to have interests that are common to healthy females, whereas a boy is more likely to have an unusual interest. In the example, a girl is obsessed with horses while a boy is obsessed with vacuum cleaners. This highly focused interest can prove helpful or harmful. For example, a strong interest in math can help a girl function well in school, while an interest in dolls may cause her to not focus on schoolwork and to eventually bore her peers.
Repetitive Behaviors
The girl with Asperger's syndrome may exhibit repetitive behaviors such as hand-flapping, pacing, stomping, blinking or finger-tapping. These may become more obvious when she is stressed. Even when she is made aware of these behaviors, she is unable to control them.
