Exams Tests and Places to Get Help For Those With Asperger's Syndrome

Making the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome is difficult and takes the input of doctors, teachers, parents and other caregivers in order to make the diagnosis. There are specific criteria that need to be met in order to make the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome including poor social interaction, unusual behavior, obsessive interests, and activities, normal language development, and normal self-help skills and curiosity about the surrounding environment.

The doctor will take a medical history and ask questions regarding the child's development including his or her motor development, language development, and any special interests that the child has expressed. Social interactions will be noted and a history of the pregnancy and any family medical history or medical conditions will also be ascertained.

Exams and tests will be performed to help determine if Asperger's syndrome is the correct diagnosis for your child.

Testing will probably include a Psychological Assessment, a communication assessment, and a psychiatric examination. The psychological assessment will look at intellectual function, learning style and intelligence quotient (IQ) as well as an assessment of motor skills. Personality assessment tests may also be performed. The communication assessment involves speech and formal language evaluations where the child will be tested to see how well they understand the use of language and how to communicate ideas. The child will also be tested regarding the ability to understand non-verbal communication and nonliteral language skills, such as humor or metaphor. The child's voice regarding volume, stress, and pitch will be evaluated. The psychiatric examination will include the child's family, peer relationships, reactions to new encounters and the ability to understand and respond to the feelings of others, and also the ability to interpret indirect communication such as sarcasm or teasing. Your child may be observed at home and at school. Signs of conditions such as anxiety and depression will be watched for during observations. Medical personnel will be looking for signs of compliance with the criteria set for Asperger's Syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association and used to be a standard for diagnosing Asperger's Syndrome and other Mental Disorders.

Many times a child is misdiagnosed with other conditions prior to be correctly diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Like most diseases and conditions it is often necessary to rule out other conditions and disorders when making a determination of a diagnosis. It is often a team effort that involves doctors, parents, teachers, psychiatrists, and others who have observed the behavior and communicative abilities of the child.

Places to get help for those with Asperger’s Syndrome:

There are many resources available to gather information concerning Asperger's Syndrome online and offline.

Online you can find information by going to Aspergerinfo.com or to the Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support Website located at:

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

Other organizations that can give support and information about Asperger's Syndrome are:

Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership located in New York, USA and also online at:

http://www.grasp.org/

Families of Adults Afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome (FAAAS) located in Centerville, MA USA and on the Web at:

http://www.faaas.org/

MAAP Services for Autism and Asperger Syndrome located in Crown Point Indiana and on the Web at:

http://www.maapservices.org

Diagnosing Asperger Syndrome in Adults

If you have lived all your life with not being able to fully participate in small talk because you do not understand the body language, and other non-verbal communications that goes on with small talk, or you just do not understand the need for such nonessential language, or if you have difficulty dealing with any kind of social situation at work, school or at home perhaps you are an adult who has undiagnosed Asperger Syndrome.

The reason people reach adulthood and go undiagnosed is because it is common for there to be misdiagnosis or for physicians and parents to not recognize the signs and symptoms of this relatively new neurological disorder.

Typically when adults come to be diagnosed they are given an IQ test. People with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) typically have normal or above normal IQs. An assessment of adaptive skills that are designed to test the individual's ability to manage complex social situations is then administered. If the person being assessed is still living with a parent, or if the parent is available, the parent is given the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) for an early history of how the individual functioned in social situations, in his or her behavior and how the individual was able to communicate. The symptoms don't just show up later in life, they were there since childhood. If it is not possible to interview the parent than the individual is asked to describe their childhood for clues of how they interacted socially, behaviorally and how they communicated with others.

Another test is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) which scrutinizes the social and communication skills as well as behavior of young adults and adults. This test helps to determine if the individual meets the criteria for Asperger's Syndrome.

It is the doctor's job to distinguish between shyness, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders and Asperger's Syndrome. Since there are distinguishing characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome that can be similar to other conditions and disorders it is important to get a complete family history since it is known that it runs in families. Often times there is an eccentric Aunt, or odd Grandfather who just may have also have had Asperger’s Syndrome.

The diagnosis is very important because it is with a diagnosis that the adult can finally put a name to the set of behaviors and inability to communicate with others. He or she can finally know why they were so different from others growing up. The diagnosis often brings great relief to those who suffer and to their families. Once the diagnosis is made the doctor can devise a treatment plan. The treatment plan will include interventions and therapies that may include speech therapy, behavioral therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy for awkwardness of gait. Medication may be prescribed if needed for anxiety and depression.

Sounding Off: How Auditory Stimulation Helps an Hurts and Autistic Child

Sounds are a part of our everyday life, and so when dealing with an autistic child who has sensory problems, sound is one of the first things you should learn to control, especially in a learning environment. Sound can both be hurtful and helpful for an autistic child. Because each autistic individual is different, you must closely observe him or her to find out what types of reactions you can expect from auditory sensory stimulation.

Loud or frightening sounds may be the most difficult type of sensory stimulation in an autistic child's life. Many of our routine daily activities include such sounds, hurting the growth process. Autistic children can not and will not learn if they are frightened. For example, parents often find that they have a difficult time toilet training their autistic children. This may be due to the scary sound of the toilet flushing; witch could be overpowering to and autistic child. Instead, try using a potty seat away from the actual toilet until they get used to the idea. Another example is loud or crunchy foods. If your autistic child is a picky eater, try to notice specifically which foods he or she blatantly refuses to eat. Sometimes, food simply sounds too loud when crunching in an autistic child's mouth, and these loud noises can hurt his or her ears. If this is the case with your child, provide alternative soft foods instead of crunchy carrots, apples, or potato chips. Other loud sounds, such as a vacuum clea ner, may hurt your child's ears. Try to do these activities when he or she is not in the room, or consider providing your child with earplugs that he or she can use if the world gets too loud.

Sounds can also cause fixation. Some children, for example, constantly hum and seem fixated on the sights and sounds of lawn mowers. Use this fixation to be beneficial. For example, read stories about lawn mowers or use the humming in conjunction with a song. Music is a great way in which autistic individuals can learn, because sound is a form of nonverbal communication. Teachers and parents should use this tool in learning environments. The key is to make sound work for you and your child. Autism is a difficult disorder to handle, so by being sensitive to your child's specific needs, you can help him or her learn to deal with the sounds of everyday life.

Elementary School Students with Asperger's Syndrome Face Uphill Battle

Even as parents have been alerted to the fact that Asperger’s Syndrome will make their child’s education more difficult, they may have breathed a sigh of relief when junior made it through preschool and kindergarten relatively unscathed. After all, there were few incidents and overall your child seemed to be doing remarkably well. This of course is a rather deceptive relief, especially since the real problems do not usually show up until the elementary school years, when social interactions are compounded with a more demanding academic schedule.

Elementary school students with Asperger’s Syndrome face an uphill battle in that they must now learn to contain themselves and their potential for hyperactivity and also emotion outbursts during a rigorous eight to ten hour day. Needless to say, this is where the first chinks in the armor will occur, and before long the child may realize that it is indeed markedly different from the peers and those who surround her or him. Even as intelligence is not an issue and the speech development is considered normal, the fact that Asperger’s Syndrome precludes the accurate understanding of non verbal clues renders the children almost helpless in a world that to an increases extent seems to be made up of such communications.

This is where the advocacy of parents comes to the forefront. Working together with teachers and school administrators, parents of Asperger’s Syndrome children may succeed in having the teaching methods changed to such an extent as to warrant adaptive technologies, altered curriculum studies, and even a difference in playground supervision. There is little doubt that elementary school children dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome do not have to be the odd man out they so frequently become when unskilled teachers and uninvolved parents fail to prepare them and their peers for successful interactions.

Although this only focuses on the social skills, they are a major factor in the life of any elementary school child, and wise is the parent who focuses her or his attention on this aspect of the scholastic life their child leads. The academic skills will take a bit of work as well, but most likely there it is a matter of helping the child to express their interest in certain subjects without actually disrupting the classroom setting, such as it may happen if the child calls out questions or even answered without being called upon and even after the teacher has already moved on to a difference subject matter.

Teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome does not have to be a complicated undertaking, but it does require some preparation, knowledge, and the support of caregivers. To this end parents and teachers are often urged to cooperate fully in the attempt to make the elementary school years as rewarding and positive for the child with Asperger’s Syndrome as is possible, and while it is simplistic to assert that there will be no problems, the fact that many of them can be nipped in the bud makes it a hopeful undertaking for those who do not want to put the child into a special education setting.

Cause Diagnosis and Treatment of Aspergers Syndrome

There is no known cause for Asperger's Syndrome but experts and researchers are still studying the syndrome. There may be multiple causes, but more studies are needed in order to determine what they may be. It may turn out that Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is associated with other mental disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, or there may be environmental factors that effected the development of the brain, which may be found to have an impact in the development of Asperger's Syndrome. It has been determined that AS has not been caused by emotional deprivation. AS is not the result of bad parenting. Asperger's Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder.

As of this date, there is no known cure for Asperger's Syndrome, but there are effective treatments and medications that can be used to intervene and redirect behavior so that the individual can function better in social situations. Education is paramount to early intervention and understanding when coping with someone with AS. It is important to educate parents and teachers and other adults who come into contact with children and adults with AS so that their behaviors can be understood and modified with help from treatment and therapy. Individuals receiving this assistance can lead functioning lives.

Asperger's Syndrome is difficult to diagnose and many children have been misdiagnosed before receiving the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome.

A specialist in psychosocial evaluation usually performs an evaluation. A history of symptoms is usually taken, and the child's development of motor skills and language skills as well as personality and behavior patterns are observed. The child's social development is assessed as well as communication skills and social interaction.

Asperger's Syndrome is treated using behavior interventions, psychotherapy, education of parents and other adults in contact with the child, and medications. Specialized educational interventions are necessary as well as social training, and language therapy. Sensory integration training is necessary for young children in which occupational therapist help to desensitize the child to stimuli such as light, sound and touch. Older children undergo psychotherapy or behavioral/cognitive therapy. Medications may also be used as part of the treatment plan. There should be a team aspect involving all of the caregivers medical and otherwise of the child including doctors, teachers, babysitters, friends, other family members and parents. Getting help early is key to being able to help the child to cope with the signs and symptoms of AS.

Children with AS respond to self-help programs and programs that address the areas of deficiency such as curriculum or programs that address the particular needs of the child.

Families with children with AS need support for emotional and physical needs.

The key to success is through education and early intervention.