Both gifted children and children with Asperger's may have difficulty creating and maintaining friendships due to a lack of interest in age-typical activities or because they are not attuned to the desires of their peers.
The core social symptoms describe people who have difficulty understanding how and why others think and act in certain ways, understanding how to know what to do themselves in any situation, trouble reading nonverbal cues in a social context and difficulty regulating feelings (Lovecky, 2004).
The Disorder
There is no doubt that a gifted child can have Asperger's Disorder and that this combination has a profound impact on both social interactions and schooling (Amend & Schuler, 2004; Cash, 1999; Neihart, 2000).
Children with Asperger's Syndrome exhibit poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, limited facial expressions and other peculiar mannerisms. They might engage in obsessive routines and show an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
Gifted children often set very high standards for themselves and get frustrated when they can't meet them. This can sometimes result in tantrums and other difficult behaviour. It's great for your child to work towards high standards. But your child needs to understand that they can't have high standards for everything.
Gifted trauma stems from childhood issues with feeling like you don't belong anywhere because of your gift. Bullying, starving for mental stimulation, school mismatch, and other issues specific to the life experience of the gifted child may also contribute both to the main mental health issue and gift-specific trauma.
Hypersensitivities (to lights, sounds, tastes, etc.) Difficulty with the give and take of conversation. Difficulty with nonverbal conversation skills (distance, loudness, tone, etc.) Uncoordinated movements or clumsiness.
Like people with autism, people with Asperger's syndrome have a dreadful time understanding what is going on, socially. They do not always pay attention to the social scene in which they find themselves, and even when they do, they are often not able to make sense of what they see, or to respond appropriately.
It causes impaired language and communication skills as well as repetitive or restrictive thinking and behavior. People diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome typically have high intelligence and no speech delays. However, they tend to play, learn, speak, and act differently from others.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd)
Traits such as intensity, impatience, sensitivity, and high energy are common in children with ADHD, as well as in gifted children.
The child may also be both gifted and autistic, often referred to as twice-exception (or 2e for short), where their asynchronous profile allows them to succeed in some tasks while being challenged by others.
While gifted children may not be any more susceptible to mental health issues as other adolescents, there are certain aspects of giftedness that may influence or amplify a gifted child's experience of mental health issues.
Essentially, giftedness is a neurodiversity with a social-emotional and learning difference. It is highly genetic, meaning that while early experiences are influential, gifted people are essentially just born the way they are.
People with Asperger's can miss social cues that can be obvious to someone that doesn't have the disorder, like understanding what body language is, or even understanding facial expressions.
Social communication and social interaction
Children who have high-functioning autism will have some difficulties with their social communication and interaction and may not be able to use the appropriate language and behaviour in particular situations, particularly when interacting with others.
The Asperger's mind enjoys and focuses on details, while the normal mind is more skilled at assembling whole concepts from details. Some people with Asperger's are visual thinkers and others are math, music, or number thinkers, but all think in specifics.
Individuals with ASDs commonly have a low frustration tolerance and significant irritability. They may report that they alternate from calm to extreme anger very quickly. There have been several studies that suggest individuals with ASDs have difficulty understanding and interpreting their own emotions.
Autism Corner: Personality Types in Asperger's: Fixated, Disruptive, Approach and Avoidant. Fixated Personality–The fixated personality type can be characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and the need to control one's environment (e.g., to have things in a particular order).
The problems gifted children sometimes face with socializing often stem from their asynchrony and educational setting. Asynchronous development, or uneven development, is often considered a core trait of giftedness. These students may be college age intellectually but still 12 in terms of their social skills.