Other Characteristics

Those affected by Asperger's may also manifest a range of other sensory, developmental, and physiological anomalies. It is common (but there are exceptions) for children with Asperger's to evidence a marked delay in the development of fine motor skills. Some may display a distinctive waddling or mincing gait when they walk and may walk with their arms held out in an unusual manner. Compulsive finger, hand, or arm movements, such as flapping, are also observed with some people with AS: however again, there are many exceptions.

In general, orderly things appeal to people with Asperger's. Some researchers mention the imposition of rigid routines (on self or others) as a criterion for diagnosing this condition. It appears that changes to their routines cause inordinate levels of anxiety for at least some people with this condition.

Some people with Asperger's suffer from varying degrees of sensory overload and may be pathologically sensitive to loud noises or strong smells or dislike being touched; for example, certain children with Asperger's exhibit a strong dislike of having their head touched or their hair disturbed. Sensory overload may exacerbate problems faced by such children at school, where levels of noise in the classroom can become intolerable for them. Some are also unable to block out certain repetitive stimuli, such as the constant ticking of a clock. Whereas most children stop registering this sound after a short time and can hear it only if they consciously listen for it, the child with Asperger's can become distracted, agitated, or even (in rare cases) violent if the sound is not removed.

There seems to be a strong correlation between those with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism (HFA) and the INTP type of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): description 1, description 2. Another theory states that Asperger's correlates to the INTJ personality type, whereas high functioning autism correlates to the INFJ personality type.