One of the most common and obvious symptoms is a child’s inability to pick up on common social cues and tones. For instance, a child with Asperger’s syndrome may not understand when a joke is being told, or when another child is being sarcastic; they take verbal communication at face value.Having difficulty or inability to initiate a conversation with peers is often a symptom of Asperger’s disorder. Because social cues and responses are difficult for a child with Asperger’s identify, they may exhibit ongoing social awkwardness while in group activities.

Blurting out at inappropriate times or vocalizing internal thoughts is a common sign of the disorder. A child with Asperger’s syndrome may say exactly what they are thinking without realizing social standards or consequences. Facial expressions and body language are very difficult for the child with Asperger’s syndrome to detect and relate to.

In some cases, there is little understanding of the need for personal space and privacy of others; a child with this disorder may frequently butt in on private conversations or repeatedly misunderstand concepts of sharing, personal property and someone who wishes to be left alone. Children with Asperger’s syndrome frequently either avoid eye contact or engage in inappropriate staring, even after being asked repeatedly to correct the problem by adults or peers.

A child with this disorder may also display a lack of fine motor skills that develop more slowly than other children. Riding a bike, putting together complex puzzles or jumping up and down on one foot can be difficult to learn.

Children with Asperger’s disorder frequently use vocabulary that is advanced for their age, exhibiting formal speech patterns not common in children. They are often very interested in one or two subjects and study these with intense focus, but may have extreme disinterest in most other topics.

Routine change, loud noises, bright lights or unexpected events will usually upset a child with Asperger’s, causing tantrums or fits; children with this disorder find it hard to adapt to new routine and may act inappropriately when even a small change has taken place at home or school.