Staff Difficulties when dealing with an Asperger's Syndrome Inpatient

Much has been written about the difficulties patients with Asperger’s Syndrome may experience in social settings and even in the more regulated school or work environment. It is interesting to note that there is not a lot of data available that speaks of the difficulties staff members, other than teachers, experience with children and adults diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Granted, as professionals they are expected to learn how to deal with any problems that might arise through their interactions, but this does not negate the fact that they are very real indeed.

Especially when interacting with an Asperger’s Syndrome patient in an inpatient setting, there are a number of problems that arise and need to be dealt with.

* The insistence on routines which are counterproductive in the institutional setting. This may be the absolute necessity to wash hands after touching every third surface or doing something as simple as eating lunch ahead of the rest of the patients, even if there is no medical reason to have lunch sooner. Insistence on such routines is sometimes so marked that it borders on manic and the only way to calm down the inpatient is with compliance or willfully ignoring the havoc a failure to abide by the routine creates. * The inability to have proper facial expression and body language accompany their language makes it hard to interact with a patient suffering from a more severe form of Asperger’s Syndrome. Caregivers have noted that the kind of disconnect which exists between words and body language someone renders the exchange questionable. Even if the caregiver asks more questions to make sure she or he has properly understood the needs of the patient, there is still a good chance that meeting all the needs is not possible. * The apathy which is noted in patients with Asperger’s Syndrome greatly complicates interactions in the institutional setting. Born from stress, the patient suddenly seems to space out, not following the directions of the care giving staff. This leads to upsets in the routines, problems with other patients, and also an inability of the staff member to meet the patient’s needs as well as the needs of other patients. Since many staff members lack the ability to help a patient overcome the apathy in the institutional setting, this often becomes a point of discord between the institution and the caregiver. * Perhaps the most commonly cited difficulty a nurse, aide, or other caregiver may report is the patient’s inability to correctly and completely report any discomfort or pain. Even when asked repeatedly, the patient lacks the voice inflection and the facial responses that help a caregiver recognize pain or discomfort and then adjust the treatment currently being administered. At times the individual may not even be able to describe the pain felt, further making it harder to deal with an Asperger’s Syndrome patient in an inpatient setting.

There are not hard and fast answers for dealing with this problem. Instead, the best suggestion is to enlist the help of a patient advocate or caregiver to spend as much time with the patient and the staff to foster proper communication.