1. Difficulty with social interaction:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome may find it difficult to read and understand social cues, to engage in conversation, or to make friends. They may also have difficulty understanding sarcasm or humour.
2. Poor communication skills:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome may have difficulty speaking in a clear and concise manner or taking turns in a conversation. They may also find it difficult to understand idiomatic expressions or slang words.
3. Limited range of interests or activities:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome may have a very narrow range of interests or activities, which they repeat over and over again.
4. Difficulty empathizing with others:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome often find it difficult to understand other people’s feelings or perspectives. They may not be able to ‘read’ other people’s body language or facial expressions.
5. Repetitive behaviour or obsessive interests:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome may engage in repetitive behaviour, such as hand-flapping, rocking back and forth, or lining up objects. They may also have obsessive interests in specific topics, such as history, math, or science.
6. Problems with organization and planning:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome often have problems organizing tasks and completing them within set timeframes. They may also struggle with planning for the future.
7. Sensory issues – eg sensitivity to light, sound, touch or taste:
Many adults with Asperger's syndrome are hypersensitive to certain sounds, lights, textures, or tastes. For example, they may find it painful to be touched lightly, be very sensitive to loud noises, or dislike certain foods/ smells.
8. Trouble adapting to change:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome often find it difficult to cope when things change unexpectedly. For example, they may struggle when there is a change in routine at work or school, when someone new joins the family unit, or when there is bad weather forecasted.
9. Easily overwhelmed by emotions or sensations:
Adults with Asperger's syndrome can sometimes become overwhelmed by their own emotions or sensations – for example, they might feel bombarded by too many sounds at once, become overwhelmed by strong smells, or feel sad for no reason.
10. Unusual eating habits or rituals:
Some adults with Asperger's syndrome have unusual eating habits (e.g., only eating food of a certain colour or texture) or rituals (e.g., having to eat in a certain order).