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Treatment for Asperger Syndrome

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:33:03 +0000

Aspergers syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior.

Asperger syndrome is usually diagnosed in children and the disorder continues into adulthood. There is no cure for asperger syndrome, but people affected by this syndrome are taught social skills and behavioral skills in order to cope with the real world.

Individual treatment plan for asperger syndrome

There is no standardized treatment procedure for Asperger’s syndrome as the range of symptom always varies to a great degree for different individuals. So health professionals focus on symptomatic treatment and an individual treatment plan specially designed to meet the needs of the affected person. Clinical studies have shown that the earlier a person with the disorder receives treatment the better he is able to learn coping skills. Social skills training, behavioral training and medicines are some of the various methods commonly used in a treatment for Asperger’s syndrome. These methods when used as part of the treatment for Asperger’s syndrome help to reduce the severity of the symptoms and enable an individual to lead a normal life.

Treatment for asperger syndrome is focused on symptomatic relief

The treatment is focused on addressing the three core issues of asperger disorder. These include poor communication skills, repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness or awkward physical movements. The ability of a child to communicate with other people and to learn social skills is greatly improved with the correct treatment for asperger syndrome taken up at the correct time.

Teaching social skills to people suffering from asperger disorder

Children with asperger syndrome are formally trained in social skills. These training sessions are usually conducted in groups so that children learn to cope well among peers.

Behavior therapy is widely used in the treatment of children affected by asperger syndrome

Behavioral training is the primary line of treatment for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome.

Behavior therapy is used to teach the affected person techniques or skills to alter their behavior. People with Asperger syndrome are taught certain skills to cope in the social environment. They are taught communication skills and social manners and etiquette. Children and adults are encouraged to participate in organized, supervised, and structured activities. This provides them with opportunities for practicing their newly learned social skills. They also facilitate in the development of friendships.

Use of medicines in the treatment of asperger syndrome

There is no cure for asperger syndrome. So no specific medications are available to treat the people affected by this disorder. However, health professionals often prescribe medications to treat specific behavioral symptoms associated with asperger syndrome, especially when they cause the individual distress or when he tends to indulge in self harming behavior. These behavioral symptoms may include severe anxiety, panic attacks, attention problems, aggressive behavior, and behavioral rigidity and mood disorders. Medicines are also used to treat repetitive behaviors especially when these repetitive gestures include inflicting injury to himself.

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Causes of Autism

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:10:57 +0000

The exact cause of autism has not yet been determined. A significant amount of clinical research has been conducted to determine the cause of autism. Some of the theories that can explain the development of autistic disorder have been mentioned below.

Genetic Predisposition may be linked to autism

Some scientists believe that autistic disorder has a genetic tendency and it runs in families. Research has found that in many cases of autism there was a family member or a close relative or even a twin who also suffered from the same disorder or had a history of other developmental disorders like Asperger syndrome or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder or learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the autistic disorder.

Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters may be linked to autistic disorder

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers in the brain. They are responsible for the communication among the nerve cells. Some studies have pointed out that that people suffering from autism spectrum disorders have abnormal levels of serotonin, dopamine or other neurotransmitters in the brain. Abnormal levels of these neurotransmitters affect the communication among the nerve cells and may lead to the development of autistic disorder.

Abnormalities in brain may cause autism

Clinical studies have shown that there are abnormalities in the brain of people affected by this developmental disorder. Some scientists believe that autistic disorder may be caused as a result of these abnormalities. Another theory suggests that these abnormalities could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal life. This may be caused by defects in genes which are responsible for controlling brain growth. Defect in the genes may also hamper the communication between brain cells in early fetal life, thereby causing abnormalities in the brain which may lead to the development of autism spectrum disorder.

Autistic disorder is not caused due to a person’s social upbringing

Many people believe that a faulty upbringing of the child is responsible for causing autistic disorder. Parents are blamed for causing this disorder in their children. However, it has to be understood that autism is a developmental disorder and not a disease. This disorder is not caused by a person’s upbringing or is not related in any way to their social circumstances. The individuals affected by this disorder are not responsible for their condition.

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What is Autism

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:24:45 +0000

Autism is also known as autistic disorder. It is one of the autism spectrum disorders. Autism is a developmental disability and it is characterized by poor language development, social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

Autism spectrum disorder or ASD is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders. They are lifelong developmental disabilities. The hallmark symptom of Autism spectrum disorder is impairment in language and communication skills, marked difficulties in social interaction, along with repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior.

Autism spectrum disorder includes the following different disorders.

Asperger’s Syndrome

This is a milder form of Autism spectrum disorder.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder

This is also known as atypical autism.

Autistic Disorder

This is a severe form of Autism spectrum disorder. It is known as classical ASD or autism.

Rett Syndrome

This is a neurodevelopmental disorder. This condition is extremely rare.

Incidence of Autism

This developmental disorder affects people from all ethnic backgrounds and races. Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD. Males are four times more likely to be affected by autism than females.

Poor communication skills

People with autism often have poor language development. As a result of this they are likely to experience significant difficulties in expressing their needs, wants, ideas, experiences and opinions. They have difficulty in expressing their emotions. Their speech is robotic and monotonous. They are unable to read the expressions and body language of others. They cannot understand the feelings of others. They can use language in poetic way but are not able to communicate using appropriate grammar and vocabulary .They also have difficulty in constructing proper and meaningful sentences.

Social impairment

They are unable to understand the hints, tones and subtle nuances of speech. They take the speech of others by its literal meaning. They may have above average intelligence and are good at remembering facts and figures. But they are unable to express themselves in words.

They cannot look into the eyes of other people. They may also show a robotic or weird body language, making it difficult for other people to connect with them. This makes it difficult for them to mingle with friends and family. They are unable to form friendships and maintain them. They show excessive attachment to one person particularly a family member who takes care of them. But they are not interested in other people. They tend to talk only about themselves. So they are unfairly labeled as eccentric, egoistic and self centered.

Evaluation of Autism

Health care professionals will often use a questionnaire in order to assess and evaluate the thoughts and behavior patterns of the child. The evaluation of symptoms is based on the observation of parents as well as the physician. A comprehensive evaluation of autism spectrum disorder requires assessment by a range of health care professionals including a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and other professionals who diagnose children with autism spectrum disorders.

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Symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:28:55 +0000

Asperger syndrome is one of the autism spectrum disorders. It is a developmental disorder that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. It is not a disease or illness. Asperger’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that is present from birth.

Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome

People with Asperger syndrome have marked difficulties with social interaction

Individuals affected by this disorder have poor communication skills. They experience difficulties in interacting with other people. They cannot understand the body language and expressions of other people. They are also unable to understand the feelings of others. They are unable to empathize with others nor can they understand other person’s point of view. They do not express pleasure at other people’s happiness. As a result they often tend to be socially isolated. They cannot form friendships. They are often labeled as self centered, egoistic and weird.

Monotonous robotic speech is one of the marked characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome

People affected by asperger syndrome often speak in a monotone and are unable to react to the feelings and emotions of other people. Their speech is often described as scripted, robotic and repetitive.

People affected by Asperger disorder show a strict adherence to routines and schedules

Individuals affected by asperger syndrome display a strict adherence to routines and schedules. Any change in their daily routine causes stress and confusion. They cannot cope well with a change in routine. They also expect other members of the family to strictly adhere to their schedules.

Repetitive behavior pattern is one of the common symptoms of this disorder

They tend to show repetitive behavior pattern which may include behavior to harm themselves.

They have increased sensitivity to external stimuli

People affected by asperger syndrome show increased sensitivity to loud noises, flashing lights and get over stimulated.

They often have problems with controlling their emotions

People affected by this condition often experience problems in controlling their emotions. This may result in bouts of violent temper, aggressive behavior and depression. They are extremely sensitive to criticism.

They show intense preoccupation with one subject

They are intense and unusually preoccupied with one subject, for example they may be preoccupied with parts of cars or machines or stars. They can talk about their subject of interest for hours together and in great detail. They do not become aware when the other person loses interest in their conversation. Hence their conversations are often one sided conversations. They usually have an excellent rote memory. They like to memorize facts like the train timetable or certain statistics. They are obsessed with complex topics such as with complex topics such as patterns or music.

Clumsiness in handling things is also an important symptom of Asperger’s Syndrome

The movements of these individuals often exhibit clumsiness and awkwardness. They often have odd behavior and mannerisms.

People with Asperger’s syndrome show a lack of common sense

These people although good at rote learning and memorizing facts often lack common sense.

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Causes of Asperger’s Syndrome

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:05:56 +0000

Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism spectrum disorder. This disorder is characterized by a a lifelong disability that affects how the brain processes information, how a person makes sense of the world and how he relates to other people. This disorder affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees.

Asperger syndrome is a neurological disorder that is present from birth. Individuals with Asperger’s disorder often experience marked difficulties with social interaction. They display poor social communication skills. Children usually tend to play alone or with adults and older children.

Their early childhood years are marked by social isolation and eccentric behavior. There are unable to read the expressions and body language of others. They cannot understand the feelings of others. They are unable to form friendships. They cannot understand another person’s point of view. They are often labeled as egoistic and self absorbed due to their poor communication skills and hampered conversational ability. Individuals affected by this disorder often display repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior. They have narrow interest and are focused on one subject only.

They are extremely sensitive to criticism. If things don’t happen the way they want them to happen they tend to display violent temper and acts of aggression. Their behavior is very erratic and eccentric. They always adhere to strict routines and schedules and expect other family members to do the same. They cannot cope well with any change in routine.

Causes of Asperger Syndrome

The exact cause of Asperger syndrome is still being investigated.

Asperger’s Syndrome may be caused due to abnormalities in the brain

Current research has suggested that Asperger’s syndrome may be caused as a result of abnormalities in the brain that are present since birth. With the help of advanced brain imaging techniques, scientists have pointed out significant structural and functional abnormalities in specific regions of the brains of children affected by Aspergers syndrome. Some theories have claimed that these abnormalities in the brain structure may be influenced by a combination of factors – genetic and environmental. More research is being carried out to investigate if the neurological abnormalities are caused as a result of abnormal migration of embryonic cells during development of the fetus in the mother’s womb.

Asperger Syndrome tends to run in families

Some studies suggest that Asperger’s syndrome may be linked to an abnormal gene as Asperger’s syndrome tends to run in families. Individuals affected by this disorder may have a close relative or a sibling who is affected by aspergers syndrome or other form of autism spectrum disorder. Incidence of Asperger syndrome is found to be higher in families who have a family member with other behavior symptoms.

Asperger Syndrome is not caused due to a person’s social upbringing

However, it has to be understood that Asperger’s syndrome is not caused by a person’s upbringing or is not related in any way to their social circumstances. The individuals affected by this disorder are not responsible for their condition.

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Asperger’s Syndrome

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:56:06 +0000

Asperger’s syndrome is also called as Asperger’s disorder. It is one of the autism spectrum disorders. Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people.

What is an autism spectrum disorder?

Autism spectrum disorders are lifelong developmental disabilities characterized by impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior and marked difficulties in social interaction. The word ‘spectrum’ is used because the range and severity of the difficulties people with an ASD experience can vary widely. Other forms of autism spectrum disorders are autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder which is also known as atypical autism.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a disorder and not an illness

Asperger’s Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is present from birth. It is not a disease or illness. There is no cure for Asperger’s syndrome, however, the effects of this disorder often lessen as people get older and learn coping skills.
Individuals with Asperger’s disorder often experience marked difficulties with social interaction and social communication. There are unable to read the expressions and body language of others. They cannot understand the feelings of others. They are unable to form friendships. Children usually tend to play alone or with adults and older children.

Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome can be very talented

Children with Asperger’s syndrome often have excellent rote memory. They may display above average intelligence level. They have narrow interest and are focused on one subject only. Sometimes children with Asperger’s syndrome are also called as little professors because they can talk in great depth about one subject.

History of Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s syndrome first came into light in 1944. It was brought into attention by Hans Asperger who was a Viennese child psychologist. He published the first definition of Asperger’s syndrome in 1944. In four boys, he identified a pattern of behavior and abilities that he called “autistic psychopathy”. The pattern included “a lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversation, intense absorption in a special interest, and clumsy movements.”

Incidence of Asperger’s Syndrome

The incidence of AS is not well established. Clinical studies estimate that two out of every 10,000 children have the disorder. This disorder is more common in boys than in girls. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is diagnosed mainly in children but the effects continue into adulthood.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of AS is mainly based on symptomatic evaluation as there is no standardized diagnostic screening procedure. There is no cure for Asperger’s syndrome but the quality of life of the affected individuals can be improved considerably by teaching them coping skills.

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