Do you know that Asperger syndrome can also be detected in adults? In many cases, Asperger’s can go unnoticed during childhood and adolescence. Find out.
Detect the Asperger’s in adults , currently included under the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, is sometimes complicated since the person can detect certain anomalies in their way of communicating but their difficulties in responding to social situations, emotions and affection prevent them from understanding how it affects their loved ones. dear ones. Therefore, when it comes to this autism in adults, it is often overlooked until the first problems arise in the closest relationships.
What is Asperger syndrome?
Currently, the formerly known as Asperger syndrome , is included under the general diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. But, even so, although it is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there are some common characteristics of the old Asperger syndrome that can help us detect if we are facing an autism spectrum disorder.
Mainly, people with Asperger’s tend to have difficulties in different social situations because they cannot understand the feelings of others. However, their linguistic and cognitive skills tend to be typical. In addition, people with this autism spectrum disorder also present repetitive and restrictive patterns, whether in interests or body movements.
What is Asperger syndrome like in adults?
When the Asperger syndrome is in adults Its characteristics can be reflected in the constant difficulties in communication and social interaction that this person may have had during the course of their childhood, adolescence and to a lesser extent in adulthood. Furthermore, the fact that there are different levels of severity means that on many occasions when people have good verbal skills, it is not diagnosed or is diagnosed in adulthood.
The people with Asperger’s They usually have average or above average intelligence, but have certain difficulties in social relationships throughout their lives. In this way, Asperger syndrome in adults is often perceived as a challenge in certain areas of the adult’s life and not as a problem at hand.
How to detect Asperger’s in adults?
Asperger’s syndrome It is a high-functioning neurodevelopmental disorder. Although many of the symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder in these cases are not notable enough, the reality is that many social situations are experienced that can be distressing. In this way, in order to identify the symptoms of this autism spectrum disorder in adults, we can look at the following signs.
- Social awkwardness: Adults with Asperger’s traits They may seem socially awkward in many situations. So much so that adults often do not understand the nature of conversations. In many cases, one of the characteristics of Asperger’s in adults is precisely when they talk too much about themselves and do not give the other person time to talk about them. Additionally, another of the symptoms of Asperger’s is precisely when certain social cues are ignored, including facial expressions and body language. This is not done actively but rather not using these elements of social interaction is part of Aspeger syndrome.
- Difficulty understanding jokes or sarcasm: One of the most famous characters with Asperger’s syndrome It is precisely Sheldon Cooper, from the series The Big Bang Theory. One of the most well-known characteristics of Asperger’s is precisely the difficulty in understanding jokes or sarcasm in a conversation. So much so that in some cases living with a partner with Asperger’s or having a friend diagnosed with Asperger’s can lead to certain confusing situations for those who suffer from it.
- Difficulty making or keeping friends: In many cases, autism in adults induces certain social difficulties such as making or maintaining friendships with people outside of their closest relationship. He Asperger’s in an adult It can thus be translated into their preference to spend time in solitude immersed in their own interests.
- Sensory problems: Some people with the presence of this autism in adults They may also suffer from certain sensory processing disorders. On some occasions, these difficulties can occur due to hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity, that is, the person can react intensely to external stimuli or, they can present a low reactivity, appearing to be tired or disinterested.
- Avoidance of eye contact: One of the Asperger’s symptoms in adults What can be recognized most is precisely the avoidance of these to make eye contact with others. As previously mentioned, this avoidance is not done actively but rather presents alterations in the use of non-verbal behaviors (postures, eye contact, etc.). So much so that this can lead to certain problems with interaction with others because it may seem that they are not interested in the conversation.
- They don’t follow social rules: He Asperger It can induce people who seem like it to not follow certain social norms. In many cases where Asperger’s is in an adult, this can be seen as a lack of education, when in reality those rules assumed by others are simply not perceived intrinsically.
- Very strong and particular interests: One of the Asperger’s traits It is precisely the interest that they present in an area. Mainly, these vocations end up being almost an obsession on the part of the person who has Asperger’s. In most cases they tend to be topics such as reading, movies, video games, animals or even mathematics.
- Difficulty with changes: A large part of the population finds it difficult to leave their comfort zone. But in the Asperger’s cases In adults this is usually more than a difficulty. So much so that people with autism have a great tendency to follow a routine and become distressed if this changes for some reason or another.
- Great ability to concentrate: In it Asperger’s world It is well known the great ability that people who suffer from it have to maintain concentration for very long periods of time. So much so that in many cases, this is one of the characteristics of Asperger’s that can lead them to success in their professional life.
How does Asperger syndrome in adults affect relationships?
One of the most identifiable problems in Asperger syndrome is that they express their emotions differently from others. In many cases people tend to isolate adult Aspergers due to the fact that they do not seem to show emotions on certain occasions. These characteristics of the Asperger On an emotional level, they can cause problems in their relationships since by expressing emotions differently, people interpret their responses incorrectly. Therefore, most of the difficulties experienced by an adult with this autism are the following.
- Sexual problems: Sex is one of the first areas that are usually affected in adult autism. In these cases, the people with Asperger’s They usually have attitudes that can be interpreted as a lack of empathy but that occur due to a lack of reading the body language of others.
- Lack of social adaptation: Due to the difficulties in social skills that adults suffer from, in many cases they end up feeling out of place in certain events.
- Conflicts with parents: In many cases the adult person with Asperger’s She is usually affected by certain parenting problems to which her parents have not been able to adapt due to lack of knowledge. In this way, sometimes these individuals can have trauma in relation to experiences with their parents.
Most of the adult Asperger symptoms They must be treated through the help of a mental health professional. Taking into account that we are social beings, social skills become very important. Therefore, through treatment, they are able to improve them and, therefore, improve their interpersonal relationships.
How to live with a partner with Asperger’s?
When you have a couple with Asperger’s syndrome There are certain actions that we can do to facilitate communication on many occasions. Some of the tips that we can follow are the following.
- Practice very open communication: Communication is a vital part of any love relationship. In the cases of adults with autism it is much more necessary than usual since they are not guided by non-verbal language. So much so that to live with a couple with Asperger’s We need to communicate many aspects that perhaps in other relationships we would overlook. Saying our emotions or expressing how we feel about an attitude or fact is essential for these links to work.
- Establish clear rules: On some occasions the adults with autism They require certain rules to be able to follow some social situations such as raising children or having dinner with friends.
- Seek support from therapy or friends: The key to strengthening ties with a adult person with Asperger’s It is having a support group to be able to express the difficulties and in some cases, couples therapy may be necessary to solve it.
Although being in a relationship with someone who suffers from Asperger’s characteristics It may seem difficult at first, the reality is that these people tend to be very loyal to their relationships. In this way, although there are certain obstacles that you must overcome, you can establish a loving and emotional bond with people with Asperger’s despite their emotional difficulties.
Asperger’s treatment in adults
Treatment of Asperger’s or autism spectrum disorder in psychological therapy is completely necessary in these cases. On many occasions this help will entail a change that will improve all the social relationships of a adult person with Asperger’s During these sessions, the person with Asperger’s will be able to learn the following:
- Identify social rules and cues: As we have already indicated, Asperger syndrome in adults can lead to social isolation on their part due to their inability to recognize certain social rules. So much so that in many cases, they must learn to identify these situations through their reasoning and not through non-verbal components.
- Practice social situations: The key to being able to learn certain social skills is to practice them in ‘safe’ environments. One of the most effective exercises for Asperger’s and treatment in adults is precisely the activities that allow them to enhance their inclusion and social participation.
- Learn to show interest in social interactions: One of the characteristics of Asperger’s in an adult It is precisely the lack of interest that he can incorrectly make known to others. So much so that in order to establish more links with