High Function Autism Symptoms
High-functioning autism is sometimes also referred to as Asperger's syndrome or PPD-NOS. Children with high-functioning autism generally have an IQ of at least 85. Children with this diagnosis generally have some symptoms of autism, but it's in a milder form than those with classic autism. Autism is a brain disorder that impairs communication and social interaction.
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Language Development
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Children with high-functioning autism may develop language skills later than their peers. However, in time, most will have an adequate vocabulary. However, they may have difficulty with comprehension. They may especially have trouble comprehending abstract language, such as figures of speech and humor.
Motor Skill Development
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Children with high-functioning autism may have a delay in both gross motor and fine motor skills. Occupational therapy may be needed to master skills such as writing, buttoning and other motor skills.
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Social Skills Impairment
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Children with high-functioning autism may have difficulty starting and maintaining a conversation. They may only want to talk about one topic of interest. These child can benefit from direct instruction in social skills. Also, they may have difficulty discerning non-verbal cues from others.
Obsessions
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Children with high-functioning autism may have a favorite toy or favorite hobby, and they may not want to do anything that does not center around those favorites toys or hobbies. For example, a child may only want to play with hot wheels, or he may only want to learn about dinosaurs. The child may also talk incessantly about these obsessions.
Sensory Issues
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Children with high-functioning autism may have sensory issues. They may be upset by bright lights, loud noises, strong smells, or even the texture of certain foods. Some may exhibit extreme anxiety or fears about certain situations. For example, a child might have an extreme fear of thunderstorms.
Emotional Issues
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Children with high-functioning autism do want to interact socially with others, but they just don't know how to do it. Thus, they may suffer from depression or anxiety because of their situations.
Coping Mechanisms
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Children with high-functioning autism may find ways to deal with stress such as holding on to a preferred object. Also, they may self-stimulate by hand-flapping or other repetitive motions or speech.
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