Today the Asperger's syndrome symptom I would like to talk about is concrete thinking. Children with Asperger's syndrome process thoughts in a much different way than other children. They have trouble dealing with concepts in the abstract.
When you really think about it the English language must have been created by some crazy people. You can take one word and it can be spelled several ways, but pronounced the same/different all with different meanings. Words can even be spelled the same and have different meanings based on the context of the sentence it is used in. I read some where else the example of the word "bow". This can be on top of a package, something to shoot an arrow with, the front of a ship, or something you do in front of a crowd. Then if you change the spelling to "bough" it is a tree branch. In the case of a person with Asperger's syndrome this can be quite confusing. Typically they will take the first meaning of the word they have learned and then that's it. They will not process through all the other meanings to come up with the right one. For this reason you need to be very mindful of your choice of words when speaking to a person with Asperger's syndrome.
I work daily with a young adult with Asperger's syndrome and find myself still rewording a lot. I use figures of speech all of the time, and I can just see the puzzled look spread across his face. My most recent mistake came during a storm when I stated that "It felt like hurricane force winds outside". The fall out from this one simple statement was massive. Bottom line be direct and say exactly what you mean to say.
I would like to give you another more example of concrete thinking in Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's syndrome are logical almost to a fault. They see the steps that need to be performed to complete a task and eliminate any thing they deem a waste of time. The person that works for me that has Asperger's was having problem's cleaning the bathrooms. I could not get him to stop using the dust mop on the bathroom floors. I explained that if the dust mop got wet it would be ineffective and that it could not get the corners, but he would not stop using the dust mop. He would get very upset every time I told him he had to use the regular broom. Finally after this went on for over a week he blurted out that the small broom took longer than the dust mop. I then completely understood why he was so resistant. Then I just had to validate his point and reiterate mine. Then we could move on and we haven't had a problem since.
Lastly persons with Asperger's syndrome will fail to see the logic in things we do every day such a little white lies. This can lead to some very uncomfortable situations for you if you do not do a little pre-coaching if you know event may arise. These event may include anytime the child may be approaching a time in which they may be receiving a gift. If they do not like the gift they will most likely say so, and lead to some hurt feelings, unless you practice ahead of time. Another situation that may require some fore thought would be when they are going to be around someone with an abnormality of some kind (obese, large mole, three arms...) they are almost sure to point it out.
The concrete thinking of the Asperger's brain is "simply complex". If your a parent and are looking for advice, tips, and a proven approach to Asperger's syndrome. Check out Dave Angel's Parenting Asperger's Resource Guide. There is so much in this book/system it is truly amazing.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tons of information on Asperger's syndrome symptoms.
I have worked out a deal with Dave Angel, the President of the Parenting Asperger's Community. You can get total access to the whole site for 2 weeks for only $1. Click the link below if you want to take advantage of this special offer. I would highly recommend you take it for a test drive. I don't know how long this offer will be available. Remember you can cancel anytime.
http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/1225.cfm
http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/1225.cfm
Aspergers Syndrome Symptoms 101
Asperger's is a disorder on the autism spectrum, and one of many pervasive development disorders. Asperger's is close to full on autism, however most people with this disorder are able to function better in society. Asperger's syndrome symptoms usually display in a few different ways. Here are some (by no means all) of the typical Aspergers symptoms displayed.
1. Struggles in the area of social skills. Children with Asperger's Syndrome have difficulties in social interaction with others. They don't pick up on the social ques, that the rest of us instinctively do. They may have problems dealing with such things as sarcasm, flirting, or euphemisms. This can lead to social awkwardness. Children with Asperger's may have trouble forming friendships due to this. Often times children with Asperger's syndrome will often choose to play with children that are younger than they are. The child with Asperger's will find they get to be the leader of the younger kids. They get to control things. The younger children often don't notice the social awkwardness either.
2. Communication issues. This goes right along with the social issues. This Asperger's symptom is displayed by a failure to comprehend things such as nonverbal communication. They may constantly have a flat or robotic affect. What they are saying may not match up with the expression on their face. Eye contact may be difficult for a child with Asperger's. You also may find that they tend to talk at you, not to you.
3. Mechanical Difficulties. This Asperger's symptom refers to the actual mechanics of their body. They may seem clumsy or accident prone. This may be hard to detect depending on how old your child is. Kids are clumsy, but children with Asperger's syndrome would be more pronounced. They would just seem awkward with their own body.
4. Narrow Scope of Preoccupation. Children with Asperger's will often have serious and intense interests. The interests will be only about a few topics. They will be obsessive about this subject. I have found a lot of times it involves a large force of some sort. Weather, trains, and dinosaurs to name a few. You will be able to discern this Asperger's symptom from that of normal childhood interest, by the scope. Often times children with Asperger's can tell you every piece of information you ever wanted to know on a given subject. If you bring up the subject, it will be as though you opened a flood gate. The child with Asperger's will almost verbally assault you with knowledge on the subject. It may seem that once they get started, they can't stop until they have told you everything.
These are just a few of the many Asperger's syndrome symptoms. More information and help with this subject can be found in Dave Angel's program The Parenting Asperger's Resource Guide. There is a lot of help to be found there.
1. Struggles in the area of social skills. Children with Asperger's Syndrome have difficulties in social interaction with others. They don't pick up on the social ques, that the rest of us instinctively do. They may have problems dealing with such things as sarcasm, flirting, or euphemisms. This can lead to social awkwardness. Children with Asperger's may have trouble forming friendships due to this. Often times children with Asperger's syndrome will often choose to play with children that are younger than they are. The child with Asperger's will find they get to be the leader of the younger kids. They get to control things. The younger children often don't notice the social awkwardness either.
2. Communication issues. This goes right along with the social issues. This Asperger's symptom is displayed by a failure to comprehend things such as nonverbal communication. They may constantly have a flat or robotic affect. What they are saying may not match up with the expression on their face. Eye contact may be difficult for a child with Asperger's. You also may find that they tend to talk at you, not to you.
3. Mechanical Difficulties. This Asperger's symptom refers to the actual mechanics of their body. They may seem clumsy or accident prone. This may be hard to detect depending on how old your child is. Kids are clumsy, but children with Asperger's syndrome would be more pronounced. They would just seem awkward with their own body.
4. Narrow Scope of Preoccupation. Children with Asperger's will often have serious and intense interests. The interests will be only about a few topics. They will be obsessive about this subject. I have found a lot of times it involves a large force of some sort. Weather, trains, and dinosaurs to name a few. You will be able to discern this Asperger's symptom from that of normal childhood interest, by the scope. Often times children with Asperger's can tell you every piece of information you ever wanted to know on a given subject. If you bring up the subject, it will be as though you opened a flood gate. The child with Asperger's will almost verbally assault you with knowledge on the subject. It may seem that once they get started, they can't stop until they have told you everything.
These are just a few of the many Asperger's syndrome symptoms. More information and help with this subject can be found in Dave Angel's program The Parenting Asperger's Resource Guide. There is a lot of help to be found there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)