Treatment for aspergers Syndrome

Asperger syndrome is a neurobiological condition that affects children and adults. Many people feel it's a form of high functioning autism and it falls in the group of conditions of spectrum disorder or pervasive personality disorder. It affects the ability of the person to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Individuals often exhibit social communication, social interaction and social imagination.

At this time doctors and researchers have not found a cause or cure for aspergers syndrome. There has been some research to indicate that individuals who suffer from this condition have had permanent changes to their frontal lobe. These changes make a difference in the ability of the brain to process social activities.

In 1944 Hans Asperger labeled this disorder autistic psychopathy and published a paper describing the symptoms and behaviors. However it wasn't until 1994 that the disability was recognized in the DSM-IV. Throughout those years, and the many different research studies which have been performed, the exact cause of this disorder has never been found.

While there is currently no cure for asperger syndrome there are treatment protocols that help both adults and children to learn how to interact more successfully in social situations. Treatment which will be recommended will depend upon the individual's level of adaptive functioning. Just as with autism there is a range of disability or functionality of individuals who have asperger's.

Resources that are available for children and adults with asperger syndrome are communication and social skills training which help individuals to learn the unwritten rules of socialization and communication. These are often too hot to children in much the same way that students learn to speak a foreign language. This is because for children and adults with asperger syndrome learning these social communication skills is a foreign language.

It is possible for children with asperger syndrome can learn how to speak using a more natural rhythm as well is how to interpret communication such as gestures, I contacts, tone of voice, humor and sarcasm which usually fly right over the top of their heads.

Another behavioral therapy that may be recommended if cognitive behavior therapy. This technique is aimed at its decreasing problem behaviors such as interrupting, obsessions and angry outbursts. They also focused on helping children and adults to recognize a troubled situation, such as a new place or events, and then be able to select a specific strategy to cope.

While there is no medication specifically aimed at treatment of asperger syndrome there are some symptoms that can be controlled, such as anxiety, depression or hyperactivity using medications. Most commonly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics and some stimulants are used to treat these problems.

Treatment outlook for individuals with asperger syndrome is usually heavily correlated with the measured IQ. Those who have a high IQ will fare better and show greater improvements in social function than those who have a below average one.

Children who experience the symptoms of asperger's syndrome will also require a bit of assistance in the school system. Schools who have a communications specialist with an interest in social skills training, opportunities for social interaction and structured settings, a concern for teaching real-life skills and a willingness to individualize the curriculum are best suited to help individuals who have asperger syndrome. Parents should stay informed of what is happening in the child's classroom and maintain frequent communication with the teacher.

Even though a specific pill is not available for treatment for asperger syndrome, and there is no cure, individuals who have this condition have a degree of adaptability to the environment when they are taught coping strategies and have a good support system in their relationships.

Treatment and Interventions for Those With Asperger's Syndrome

The purpose of treatment and interventions for Asperger's Syndrome is to give a child the best chance to improve his or her abilities to interact with others. The treatment will be tailored to the specific child, as each person with Asperger's Syndrome will have differences in the number and the severity of symptoms. The treatment plan will also revolve around the family's available resources. The treatment plan and interventions are designed around the symptoms exhibited by the individual with the syndrome.

Families with children that have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome can secure services by contacting the local school district, or by contacting organizations for Asperger's Syndrome. Federal laws require that public schools provide educational services that are appropriate for individuals with disabilities including those who have Asperger's Syndrome that are between the ages of 3 and 21. There may also be certain state and local laws pertaining to the education of those with special needs. The school personnel will identify goals by initiating and designing an Individualized Education Program known as an IEP. The IEP will be specific to the particular need of the student with special needs such as Asperger's Syndrome. The IEP will be designed based on the evaluation of the level of disability.

Typical school programs that may be set up to meet the needs of those students with Asperger's Syndrome include smaller groups or classrooms, a communication specialist to work on social training, opportunities for structured social interactions, individualized curriculum, and an assigned counselor to help the child cope with emotional issues encountered during school.

Treatment:

The treatment plan will involve therapies to improve communication, social skills, and behavioral management. Activity-oriented groups and focused counseling may also be offered. The treatment plan may also include other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder, and depression. These conditions often coexist with Asperger's Syndrome and must also be addressed when treating the individual. These conditions may require therapy or therapy in combination with medications.

Ongoing research continues in an attempt to discover the cause or causes and any preventative measures that may be taken.

Home Treatment:

Those who care for a child with Asperger's Syndrome including parents, other family members, babysitters and other caregivers should seek education regarding Asperger's Syndrome so that they can better understand the individual with Asperger's Syndrome and be better equipped to assist the individual in learning new coping skills. Speak with the individual's physician to locate resources for education about Asperger's Syndrome and also contact organizations for Asperger's Syndrome.

Children with Asperger's Syndrome typically respond better when they have daily routines and rules that are consistent. They are able to respond better to verbal communications rather than to non-verbal communication.

When teaching someone with Asperger's Syndrome it might be beneficial to teach in parts that build up to the big picture instead of trying to present the entire concept at once. They also respond well to visual supports such as schedules, charts and other organizational aids. It is important to be aware of sensory stimuli in the learning environment like ticking clocks, humming machines and fluorescent lighting; all of these things are sensory distractions that make it more difficult for the individual to learn.

Bottles of Pills: Medication Options for Autistic Patients

As with any illness, disease, or disorder, there are a number of medicine options available to help control these symptoms. It is important to remember that none of these medications will "cure" autism; they simply help control some of the effects of the disorder. There are advantages and disadvantages to each drug, as they all have side effects as well as benefits. When choosing medicines to effectively treat autism, your doctor can make recommendations, but since autism is a disorder which varies from person to person, you should use drugs very carefully, watching to see how the body reacts to the treatments.

First, consider the safety of the drug. Some cannot be used in children or in people under a certain weight. Make sure the dosage is easy to understand and before you choose one medicine or another find out how it is administered (pills, injections, liquid, etc). This is important if you are not comfortable with certain methods, such as injecting yourself or your child. Also find out how safe the drug is to individuals who do not suffer from autism. If you have small children in the house, you'll want to be sure that the drug is not lethal if it gets into the wrong hands. Find out what to do in case this happens, just to be on the safe side.

Also consider the side effects of the drugs you are considering. While they may be very good at controlling aggression, responsiveness, hyperactivity, or other autistic tendencies, they may also cause sedation or other side effects such as nausea or dizziness. Weigh your options carefully before beginning one of these treatments, or you could find yourself with ten bottles of pills, each taken to counteract the side effects of another. Also remember that medications may have long-term effects. Will you or your child become dependent on the drug? Will you be tolerant? How else will it affect the body over time? These are all important questions to ask your doctor before beginning any medication.

You can research the many studies on these drugs at your local library or on the Internet. Publications such as journals and healthcare magazines are probably most current and most reliable, whereas you may get some altered information on the World Wide Web, so be careful about following advice you find without first consulting your doctor. He or she may also be able to provide you with literature about the medication options available for autistic patients. Do your researching on the many choices before making any decisions, and you'll be able to better control your health.

Gluten Free Diet

The Gluten free diet consists of removing any foods from your Autistic child's diet that contain Gluten. This can seem hard at first because so many foods do have Gluten in them. Gluten is found in most prepared foods. Foods containing wheat, barley ,oats, or rye need to be eliminated from the diet. Gluten can also be found in some vinegars and sauces. Artificial flavorings often contain Gluten.

When using the Gluten free diet you have to be careful and read all labels on foods. Gluten can be in foods you would not think of, like spices. The theory behind removing Gluten from an Autistic child's diet is that when the child eats a food with Gluten it causes their body to react differently than a child without Autism.

The Gluten free diet can be expensive to follow. Most Gluten free products are sold in specialty, or health stores. These stores usually charge a much higher price. Some major grocery stores are now carrying Gluten free products. You can find Gluten free flour, pancake mix, waffles, cookies, snacks, and many other foods. Most parents find out it is cheaper to make their own Gluten free food. Recipes can be found on the internet, or in Gluten free cookbooks. Some parents go together with another family following the Gluten free diet and buy in bulk. Then they share the foods. This can help lower the costs of the Gluten free items.

Autistic children following a Gluten free diet can eat meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nut, eggs, and products made with gluten free ingredients. It can be hard to keep a child from eating their favorite snacks, and treats. Some of these can be made by using Gluten free products. Muffins and cookies can be made from Gluten free flour. It just takes some getting used to the new way of eating.

Often people following a Gluten free diet will remove all dairy (Casein) products from their diet as well. You can find out if your Autistic child has an allergy to a certain food by having allergy testing done. The doctor can arrange for this testing.

If you are going to try the Gluten free diet with your child you have to be prepared to follow it for several months to tell if it is going to make any difference. Gluten remains in the body for a long time. Most people do not give the diet a long enough chance to work. Trying it for a week or two will not give the body enough time to remove any remaining Gluten from its system. Some people do however see improvements right away in their Autistic child.

If you want to find more information about Gluten free dieting there are several books available. Visit your local library, or book store to find one. To find Gluten free recipes try searching online using your favorite search engine. The Gluten free diet will not work with every autistic child. The majority of the children that show improvement had a sensitivity to the gluten to begin with.

The Gluten free diet is not a cure for Autism. It is used to help lesson the symptoms of Autism.

Smooth Transitions: School to Work

One of the most major transitions in any person's life is that from school to work. In high school or college, many people lead a protected life and are still helped financially and otherwise by their parents. After school, these ties are often cut, leaving the recent graduate to fend for his- or herself. This transition is scary for anyone, but even more so for an individual with autism. Because school is a time to learn to live with peers in a controlled environment, the work force is a difficult concept for autistic people because one must often deal with new situations daily rather than have the comfort of a set living situation.

One of the main things autistic graduates need to learn is how to deal with people in a business world. This includes proper grooming, something that may not have been such a big deal in high school or college. Proper grooming, such as brushing your teeth, wearing appropriate clothing, using deodorant, and combing your hair probably comes natural for most people, but an autistic person needs help with these tasks-he or she may not realize that they are being inappropriate. By this stage in life, many autistic individuals who have gone through schooling are at a maturity level where they can do the task assigned with no problem and avoid outbursts in most situations. In fact, it has been shown that some autistic individuals are highly skilled at tasks involving things such as math or music. Learning a new job in the work force is not the problem-relating to others in a social situation is.

These relationship problems also, unfortunately, help people take advantage of autistic individuals. Most people who suffer from autism believe that all people are like themselves, and inherently good. In business, it is sadly very common to come across companies and business people who do not practice ethically. This often shocks autistic individuals, who may have no idea how to handle this sort of situation. Others in the work force may also not be skilled to deal with autism, leading to bad relationships among employees. By hiring an autistic individual, employers must not only teach them their new job, but also provide direction for others who have to work with him or her. Intolerance in the work force is common, and autistic individuals need to be prepared for this.

Overall, it is important for people with autism to realize that there will be a major change between life in high school or college and life in the work force. It is probably very beneficial for these individuals to seek help in the transition from therapists, family members, or mentors. Going from school to work is difficult, but with a little motivation and hard work anyone, autistic or not, can succeed.

Understanding Asperger's Syndrome

An autism spectrum disorder, Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is milder than autism but is very similar in some of the symptoms. Asperger's Syndrome is more common in boys. Children who have AS are seen as "little professors" in their ability to command a large vocabulary. They often have an obsessive interest in a single subject that occupies a lot of their time. They often have trouble reading social cues and to "read" other's non-verbal communications. They also have difficulty being able to have empathy for others. Children with AS usually have poor communication skills, express inappropriate behavior, and have obsessive or repetitive routines such as having to dress in the same order or eat in food in the same order. They often have physical repetitive movements such as wringing of hands or flapping hands. Their walking gait is often awkward and they can be accused of being clumsy.

So You Want To Know About Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's Syndrome (AS) has autism-like behaviors, extreme difficulties with social situations and with communicating with others. There are more boys diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome than girls. In the past those who exhibited the symptoms of AS were diagnosed as high-functioning autism. In 1994, Asperger's Syndrome was added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-Iv). Despite this, there are still doctors who view, AS is a less severe form of autism.

Children with AS do not have any language delays as children with autism do. Children with AS desire to make friends and to fit into social situations but lack the understanding or ability to do so. Children with AS are socially inapt, and unable to understand the social rules of society. Children with AS typically have good rote memory but a good deal of difficulty with abstract concepts. Children who are diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome have no speech delays; in fact they typically have a large vocabulary that is advanced for their age. Their speech patterns though may be unusual, lack inflection so as to be more monotone, and also lack rhythm. The speech of a child with AS may be too loud, be high pitched or interruptive. Kids who have AS are not able to distinguish when someone is kidding, joking or teasing. They cannot distinguish humor from seriousness.

Children who have AS are usually of normal or high IQ, and have distinctive cognitive ability.

The DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome is that children with AS have normal language development and normal or high intelligence and "severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities that must cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning."

Symptoms That Those With Asperger's Syndrome Exhibit

There are quite a few symptoms that are possible for a person with Asperger's Syndrome to have; the one that stands out is that the person has extreme difficulty in social situations. The range of symptoms can be mild to severe; they can have few symptoms or lots of symptoms. The range of severity and amount of symptoms means that no two children or no two adults with Asperger's Syndrome will be the same.

During childhood there can be different symptoms because as the child grows into childhood the Asperger's Syndrome will change. Preschool is when the first symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome are noticed. A child may show signs of not being able to "read others' body language", or they are not able to take turns talking. They may have a great deal of difficulty accepting changes in routine. They may also appear to be empathetic towards the feelings of others. Preschool teachers may pick-up on the fact that the child may not have any differences in speech tone (monotone), may not vary in pitch. The child may not be able to understand the meaning of a joke because they take everything literally. The child with Asperger's Syndrome may have a vocabulary that seems advanced for his or her age. The child may also be observed avoiding eye contact, may use unusual facial expressions or body postures and hand gestures such as flapping. The child may become obsessed with a certain topic or subject starting in preschool or kindergarten such as a preoccupation with jigsaw puzzles, or drawing detailed pictures. A child with Asperger's Syndrome will often times verbalize internal thoughts or have one-sided conversations. A child with Asperger's Syndrome usually has a high sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights, strong tastes and different textures. The child is usually normal to highly intelligent and has an advanced command of vocabulary.

During the teen years when social skills are more noticeable the teen with Asperger's Syndrome may suffer an inability to read the non-verbal communication of peers, which will make participating in social events such as dances difficult. The teen with Asperger's Syndrome will feel different from others in a keener fashion.

People with Asperger's syndrome are often accused of being eccentric or odd. They have repetitive behaviors such as hand wringing, hand flapping or finger twisting. They are often preoccupied with certain behaviors or rituals such as getting dressed in a particular order or eating food in a particular order. People with Asperger's syndrome often have difficulty meeting the gaze of others especially during introductions, or making eye contact when speaking with others. They have trouble being able to "read" the body language of others such as facial expressions or hand gestures. When observing someone with Asperger's Syndrome you may notice that they appear to be awkward or clumsy. They may also be very talented or skilled in a particular field such as math or music.