After The Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome Then What?

Once you have a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (AS) you have some decisions to make as to what you want to do with the diagnosis, especially if you are an adult when your receive the diagnosis. You may simply wish to use the information to make sense of your life, as an explanation for your behaviors and your inability to socialize. It may also be helpful to your doctor regarding other conditions that may pop up in the future such as anxiety, depression or symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). You may choose to keep the diagnosis to yourself or you may wish to share it with family, friends, even co-workers so that they can understand your behavior and perhaps even assist you to improve your social interactions by learning all they can about Asperger's Syndrome. The diagnosis may clear up some misunderstanding as others can often view you as rude, or uncaring, odd, even eccentric.

Once you have the diagnosis you can seek out others who have the same diagnosis in order to share experiences and therapies. Sometimes when individuals get together who all have Asperger Syndrome they are able to be friends with each other because they understand each other and friendships are easily forged through the common bound and understanding of each other's behaviors. Organizations that are set up for those who suffer from AS are there to support those with AS and to foster social contacts, to give resources, to encourage treatment, and to give those who suffer from Asperger's Syndrome a sense of community something they were lacking in their life before the diagnosis.

Another obvious way to use the diagnosis is to seek treatment for the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome in order to improve your lifestyle. Your doctor can use your diagnosis to help you seek intervention and treatment including speech therapy, occupational therapy, social training and counseling. These interventions and treatments can help individuals with AS to learn to relate better in social situations including those at work, school and when dealing with interpersonal relationships. Seeking treatment is especially important when it is a child who has received the diagnosis. Early treatment and intervention on the behalf of the child can mean a world of difference for the child when going through middle school and high school. It can also mean that as a teen, many embarrassing and painful situations can be avoided with social training.

A diagnosis can give those around the person new insight into the behaviors and communication experiences that have been a part of the life before the diagnosis. Misunderstanding can be cleared up; allowances can be made for future communications and social events. A diagnosis can lead to action. Action that will improve the quality of life for the individual with Asperger’s Syndrome, his or her family and friends.