children with Asperger's can be delightful and amusing too
Absolutely.
If you google you will find lots. A child with Aspergers would have a range of difficulties, which may be not so noticeable to you when he's 4.
Also there is no one symptom they have to have or not have to get a dx of Aspergers. It's looking at the whole child and see if they have a variety of problems. However lots of kids with Aspergers have extreme anxiety problems. And can also be extremely rude. And articulate.
Social-Emotional Skills
Children with Asperger Disorder display social-emotional delays across the board. Here are some of the more common challenges that have been observed:
Does not engage in pretend play activities
Child prefers to avoid eye contact with adults and peers
May speak in a monotone voice
Prefers to do all the talking, doesn't listen very well
Child may talk a lot about a particular area of interest
Doesn't understand jokes and sarcasm very well
Frequently resorts to playing alone, unable to make and keep friends
Does not adhere to the rules of play, or doesn't understand them
Lack of empathy for others
Child has problems reading people's faces
Problems with all types of nonverbal communication
Wants to make friends, even though it's difficult
Child may interact more with adults than with other children
Motor Skills
While a lack of social skills is often the most commonly exhibited symptom of Asperger Disorder, both gross and fine motor skills can also be affected. Here are some of the most common symptoms:
Gross Motor Skills
Overall clumsiness and lack of coordination
Strange gait
Problems learning to ride a bike or scooter
Doesn't excel in sports
Problems learning to skate
Trouble learning to tie shoes
Fine Motor Skills
Poor handwriting, sometimes illegible
Late to learn how to eat with utensils
Prefers not to color, and does not color within lines
Overall delay in fine motor development
Cognitive Skills
Children with Asperger Disorder may be above average in cognitive development, although there are some characteristics these children share in this area. Some of the most common include:
Large vocabulary
Learns to read at a young age
Narrow areas of interest, to the point of obsession in that specific area
Very good with facts, dates, and numbers in some cases, without really understanding underlying concepts
Strictly adheres to routines, and is very inflexible when faced with altered schedule
Sensory Issues
Sensory issues may be apparent in children with Asperger Disorder. Here are some sensory issues to watch out for:
Child may be extremely sensitive to noises. May cry and hold ears when around loud noises
May want all tags removed from child's clothing
Very limited diet. Child may eat only certain foods, refusing to try new ones.
Child may not enjoy activities like swimming or getting wet.