Understanding Asperger's Syndrome/Disorder - Parent Guide
Understanding Asperger's Syndrome/Disorder - Parent Guide
Understanding Asperger's Syndrome/Disorder - Parent Guide
AS is often not identified in early childhood, and many individuals do not receive
diagnosis until after puberty or when they are adults. Assistance for core symptoms
of AS consists of therapies that apply behavior management strategies and
address poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical
clumsiness. Many individuals with AS can adopt strategies for coping and do lead
fulfilling lives – being gainfully employed, getting married or having successful
relationships, and having families. In most cases, they are aware of their
differences and recognize when they need support to maintain an independent life.
There are instances where adults do not realize that they have AS personalities
until they are having difficulties with relationships and/or attending relationship
counseling. Recognition of the very literal and logical thought processes that are
symptomatic of AS can be a tremendous help to both partners in a close/family
relationship.(Wikipedia)
Asperger’s FAQ
What is Asperger syndrome?
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder that is characterized by:
Parents usually sense there is something unusual about a child with AS by the time
of his or her third birthday, and some children may exhibit symptoms as early as
infancy. Unlike children with autism, children with AS retain their early language
skills. Motor development delays – crawling or walking late, clumsiness – are
sometimes the first indicator of the disorder.
Studies of children with AS suggest that their problems with socialization and
communication continue into adulthood. Some of these children develop additional
psychiatric symptoms and disorders in adolescence and adulthood.
Asperger’s observations, published in German, were not widely known until 1981,
when an English doctor named Lorna Wing published a series of case studies of
children showing similar symptoms, which she called “Asperger’s” syndrome.
Wing’s writings were widely published and popularized. AS became a distinct
disease and diagnosis in 1992, when it was included in the tenth published edition
of the World Health Organization’s diagnostic manual, International Classification of
Diseases (ICD-10), and in 1995 it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the American Psychiatric Association’s
diagnostic reference book.
Using advanced brain imaging techniques, scientists have revealed structural and
functional differences in specific brain regions between the brains of normal versus
AS children. One study found a lack of activity in the frontal lobe of AS children
when asked to respond to tasks that required them to use their judgment. Another
found differences in brain activity when children were asked to respond to facial
expressions. Other methods of investigating brain function have revealed abnormal
levels of particular proteins in the brains of adults with AS, which correlate with
obsessive and repetitive behaviors.
Many of the Institutes at the NIH, including the NINDS, are sponsoring research to
understand what causes AS and how it can be effectively treated. One study is
using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show how abnormalities in
particular areas of the brain cause changes in brain function that result in the
symptoms of AS and other ASDs. A large-scale study is comparing
neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments of children with possible
diagnoses of AS or HFA to those of their parents and siblings to see if there are
patterns of symptoms that link AS and HFA to specific neuropsychological profiles.
A clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of an anti-depressant in individuals with
AS and HFA who exhibit high levels of obsessive/ritualistic behavior. Other
investigators are conducting a long-range study to collect and analyze DNA
samples from a large group of children with AS and HFA and their families to
identify genes and genetic interactions that are linked to AS and HFA.
Children with AS will gather enormous amounts of factual information about their
favorite subject and will talk incessantly about it, but the conversation may seem
like a random collection of facts or statistics, with no point or conclusion.
Unlike the severe withdrawal from the rest of the world that is characteristic of
autism, children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow
interests. In fact, they may approach other people, but make normal conversation
impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about
their singular interest.
Many children with AS are highly active in early childhood, and then develop
anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Other conditions that often co-exist with
AS are ADHD, tic disorders (such as Tourette syndrome), depression, anxiety
disorders, and OCD.
social skills training, a form of group therapy that teaches children with AS the skills
they need to interact more successfully with other children
cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of “talk” therapy that can help the more
explosive or anxious children to manage their emotions better and cut back on
obsessive interests and repetitive routines
medication for co-existing conditions such as depression and anxiety
occupational or physical therapy, for children with sensory integration problems or
poor motor coordination
specialized speech/language therapy, to help children who have trouble with the
pragmatics of speech – the give and take of normal conversation
parent training and support, to teach parents behavioral techniques to use at home