{"id":88498,"date":"2018-05-31T11:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T10:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=88498"},"modified":"2022-05-16T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T11:00:00","slug":"signs-of-aspergers-in-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/signs-of-aspergers-in-adults.htm","title":{"rendered":"Signs of Aspergers in Adults \u2013 Sound Familiar?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"signs<\/a>

By: irina slutsky<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

What are the signs of Aspergers in adults to look for? And what do you need to know if you suspect that your colleague<\/a> might be on the spectrum?<\/a> That you are dating someone with Asperger’s?<\/a> Or even that you might have it yourself?<\/p>\n

What is Asperger’s syndrome?<\/h2>\n

Asperger’s syndrome is a subtype of autism which sees<\/strong>\u00a0you communicate and socialise in ways that are outside of the norm, and can have a more restricted and repetitive way of approaching things than others do.<\/p>\n

Also called \u2018Asperger\u2019s disorder\u2019, it is actually no longer an official diagnosis in the UK<\/strong> (or the USA, for that matter). Since 2013 this was dropped in favour of using the more general umbrella diagnosis of \u2018autism spectrum disorder\u2019 (ASD).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But those who have a diagnosis may still<\/strong> like <\/strong>to use the term ‘Asperger’s’, or ‘Aspie’ for short. And most medical practitioners are fine for you to use either term.<\/p>\n

Is Asperger’s an illness?<\/h2>\n

No. Aspergers isn’t an illness. There seems to be some biological and neurological differences in those that have it, but the research is still new and small. (Such as a study using magnetic resonance brain imaging<\/a> on 32 adults with Asperger’s and concluded they had a volume difference in their amygdala). Otherwise, like all mental health labels<\/a>, Asperger’s is just a term to describe a group of symptoms shared by certain individuals.<\/p>\n

It’s also important to remember that nobody is a mental health label. They are a person with their own unique character, who might just fit the profile of ‘Asperger’s.’\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[Want to hear about the experience of Asperger’s from someone who actually lives with it? Read our connected piece, “My Life With Aspergers Syndrome<\/a><\/span>“.]<\/span><\/p>\n

The three main Aspergers symptoms in adults<\/h2>\n

There are ongoing disputes over what is and isn’t Asperger’s<\/strong>, such as discussion over gender-based differences. A girl or woman with Aspergers syndrome<\/a> might, for example, have a different experience with it than someone who identifies as male. And they might be better at ‘masking’, hiding the signs of Asperger’s in adults.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And note that symptoms can vary from person to person<\/strong>, as well as the ways that symptoms manifest. Some people will have high functioning Asperger’s, managing to have a fairly normal life, and others will struggle more.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But this said, the three main signs of Asperger’s syndrome in adults that will generally be present, as per the NHS<\/a><\/span>, are difficulty with social communication, social interaction, and social imagination.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Secondary symptoms include:<\/strong><\/p>\n