Signs of Aspergers Syndrome
Top 10 Signs of Aspergers Syndrome in Adults
There are many signs of of Aspergers, especially in children. However it can be harder as adults mask and adults do things that can obscure or hide their true personality (quirks and all). Many times people Generation X or above may go years without realizing there is a problem until they go to therapy to deal with comorbidities. So let's shed a little light on some signs that are very common in adults with Aspergers. This is not comprehensive, as many adults can show a variety of signs or it can be very specific. Also before being definitive that you have Aspergers or some other condition that is on the Autism Spectrum, please discuss this with a medical professional to confirm this. So without further ado, here are the top ten signs of Aspergers in Adults.
1. Obsessing About Special Interests.
Often this may manifest in things such as computers, trains/model trains (yes the jokes are true), tabletop gamine, gaming, academic topics, anime/manga, and perhaps more obscure topics. This is not just a passing interest in things, but an all consuming fixation. Some might be socially acceptable and lead to a career (such as computer programming), while others (such as a fixation on the Bubonic Plague or on pane crashes) are a passing curiosity. Another common similarity is collecting things thins like model trains or stamps.
2. Liking Introversion (Being Alone).
This does not mean that every introvert is an Autist, but a book chunk of those on the Spectrum are introverts. Introversion is more common on the Spectrum due to bullying, safety (not knowing what to say when), and having a deep mind entrenched in more interesting things (to the adult with Autism or Aspergers). They may also avoid social situations and focus on activities that take them into solitude or they may act as hermits. This is why we stress an official diagnosis and weighing one little aspect, as many people could have one or two symptoms (especially in the case of introversion), so try not to overanalyze or overweigh one factor, but look at multiple factors.
3. Struggling with Relationships.
This may not even been with the opposite sex (which is common), but with family (wife, children, parents, or others), with co-workers, and is common with strangers. Small talk is often one large struggle for adults with Aspergers. Another area this may manifest in would be providing emotional labor from a place of authority, such as a parent or boss. For instance, a father (or mother, Aspergers is not exclusive to men), may find it hard to relate to something a child is dealing with at school or may be so focused on their special interest, that they ignore the social and emotional needs of their child.
4. Rule Follower/Creator.
Often times an adult with Aspergers will follow the rules to a T and will verbally go after someone who does not follow the rules in place. In practice, adults with Aspergers will be on a rule committee and create a rule or standard operating procedure and be very strict about it. Having said this, some subsets of people may strongly resist authority figures or rules that are not logical, are stupid, or are an appeal to emotions.
5. Comorbidities.
Often times an adult with Aspergers might be dealing with one issue, and while they are in therapy and there might be something (such as emotional unavailability or obsession with something) that may make a therapist or medical professional interested whether a diagnosis may fit. Someone may deal with depression, anxiety, ADHD (when paired with Autisim Spectrum Disorder it is often referred to as AUDHD), and other things may bring Aspergers or other Autisim disorders to light during therapy.
6. Rigid Schedules/Templates for Things.
Many times Adults with Aspergers need an exact recipe for things. For things like work or hobbies, this may be great and make them a superstar, but for things that are more arts than sciences, like romantic relationships, it can be a disaster. They will have a schedule or checklist (in their head or physically) that keep them on the straight and narrow. Not everyone is very exact, but plenty of adults with Aspergers do. This may play into number 4 (being a rule marker/sticking to the rules) as going off the path will leave them in shambles.
7. Hard to Show Emotions.
This may be hard to explain, as adults with Aspergers do have emotions, but they may not be linear and may be complex. In some cases, the "appropriate" emotional response is not present with certain events (such as a death, someone going through a rough time, etcetera). However, when something that is minor to certain people (death of a character on a shower, their favorite item is ruined, and so on), adults with Aspergers may show a variety of emotions.
8. Their Body Language is Just Weird.
They may walk weirdly, be very stiff and rigid, and seem unwelcoming to an outsider due to their body language. This likely is from anxiety due to stimuli, being uncertain of something, or a similar situation. In some cases as you get to know someone, their body language may lighten up and that may show trust in you. This is not the same with all individuals. They also may seem sad but are in deep thought or also may avoid eye contact.
9. Smaller Number of Friends
An adult with Aspergers Syndrome will likely have a smaller number of friends, but the friends they do tend to have are loyal and stick close to them. This does tend to overlap with introverts in general so in and of itself does not mean someone does or does not have Aspergers Syndrome. Some of this may be due to personality, some opportunity, and some may be due to perceived weirdness.
10. Monotone Voice.
This is something that does not get talked about a lot and may be a turn off to many people, as it is part of the "uncanny valley" (we will dive into this in a future article. Because someone with Aspergers might sound a robot, it is off-putting to many people, not just to it's weirdness, but it is hard to pick up emotional information from a person's voice. There are a few ways to fix this that are beyond the scope of this article or our training, but this is something that can be experimented with and can lead to less reasons for you to be declared "in uncanny valley".
Disclaimer: We are not doctors or licensed therapists and always suggest you reach out to a professional. This is here for informational purposes only.