Diagnosis Asperger's Syndrome; Now What?

Has your child just been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome? Are you unsure what to do next? Take heart! You are not alone. Each year countless thousands are leaving consultation rooms with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome for their children, and there are more questions than answers. Fortunately, there are some very real answers that can help you map out what to do next.

* Accept your new role. You are no longer just a parent but also an advocate for your child. As an advocate, you are a believer, promoter, backer, activist, negotiator, and clam in the storm. You are the one who will tell the school administrator “no” when it comes to special education, or who will force the administrator to find a special education aide for your child if you believe it necessary. * You must see your child’s weaknesses and her strengths. Do not get caught on either side. Many parents make the mistake of either focusing solely on their child’s limitations, making the youngster believe that she is disabled, or they only focus on the child’s strengths, making her believe that her limitations are only in her mind. Both extremes are dangerous and of little value to your child. Instead, you need to have a clear, unbiased view of your child’s limitations and also strengths, and then help your child to build on her strengths while learning to overcome and deal with her limitations. * Join a support group for parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. They are plentiful and your doctor or specialist most likely has some information. These groups are an absolute must have for any caregiver. It is there that you can vent your frustration and not walk on egg shells as you might be prone to do at home. There you can give a voice to your anger, your fears, and your ill will toward the gods, the doctors, the school administrators and even your child. Getting it out of your system makes parenting a child with Asperger’s Syndrome a lot easier than trying to eat it all in. * Recognize that you must be a visible figure on campus. There is no excuse for not being there. Instead, the teachers should know you by name, have you on speed dial, and expect you to be popping in your head now and then for an in between progress report. The teachers need to recognize you as being there to lend your support, help and strength, while being a fount of information for teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. This takes time but if you set up your schedule properly, it can be done.

Parenting a child with Asperger’s Syndrome is frightening and there is no nice way of putting it in perspective. Take heart in the fact that other parents have gone before you and done spectacular jobs at preparing their youngsters for successful scholastic careers. On the flipside, plenty of parents who decided to leave their child’s education process to third parties lived to regret their decision when their child experienced frustrating episodes on a virtually daily basis.

What is Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger syndrome, or Asperger disorder, is actually a form of autism. It is a lifelong disability that affects how an individual processes information from the world and relates to other people. Autism is also described as a "spectrum disorder" because of the variety of ways in which it affects other people. Asperger syndrome is a piece of that puzzle.

Individuals with Asperger syndrome often have normal or above normal intelligence and language development but also autistic like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. The disorder was originally named by a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who published a paper in 1944 describing a pattern of behaviors. Despite the publication it wasn't until 1994 that the syndrome was added to the DSM-IV and only recognized in the past few years by professionals and parents.

By definition, individuals who experience Asperger syndrome have a normal IQ and potentially exceptional skill or talent in the specific area. These individuals are often viewed as eccentric war on and are easily the victims of teasing and bullying. On the surface, their language development appears normal but they often have deficits in pragmatics. This means they have difficulty understanding the intended meaning in speech.

Individuals with Asperger syndrome were once considered to have a hidden disability. This meant that an outsider may not understand their condition because they were able to function within society. However, they have difficulties in social communication, social interaction and social imagination. While they don't have the learning disabilities associated with autism the condition can be associated with dyslexia and dyspraxia or ADHD.

Individuals who suffer from Asperger syndrome find it difficult to express themselves emotionally and socially and have difficulty understanding facial expressions or differentiating tone of voice. It is difficult for them to know when to start or end a conversation and how to use complex words and phrases. Individuals often want to be social but have difficulty initiating social relationships and may struggle to make and maintain friendships. Individuals with Asperger syndrome don't get the social rules that most of us pick up at an early age without thinking. They see others as unpredictable and confusing and because of this, can become withdrawn and seem on interested in other people.

While individuals may be incredibly imaginative and creative, accomplished writers, artists and musicians-they can also have difficulty with social imagination. This means they find it difficult to predict outcomes to situations or interpret other people's thoughts or feelings that are expressed by facial expression and body language.

Other related characteristics include feeling a certain comforts in routines as well is developing an intense and somewhat obsessive interest in the specific hobby or collection. Some individuals also develop sensory difficulties which can occur with one or all of the senses. The degree of difficulty very is between individuals but most common way the fence is either intensified or underdeveloped. For instance, right lights or loud noises may cause anxiety or pain for an individual who suffers from Asperger syndrome.

Using some advanced brain imaging techniques researchers have found structural and functional differences in specific areas of the brain. These differences are likely caused by the abnormal migration of embryonic cells during development, while the child is still in the womb. A variety of studies have shown differences in brain activity when children to have Asperger syndrome are asked to respond to specific tasks. Although researchers believe there is a genetic component because of the tendency to run in families additional evidence is needed to link genetic mutations and Asperger syndrome.

Treating Individuals With Asperger's Syndrome

There is no cure, no magic pill that will take the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome away. There is however interventions and treatments that can improve functioning and reduce the occurrence of undesirable behaviors in a person with Asperger's Syndrome. The treatment may be a combination of education, behavior modification, speech or physical or occupational therapy, and different medications to treat associated conditions such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Because the symptoms vary as the individual grows the treatment too will change over the years. A young child may have difficulty picking up on social cues, may not know how to recognize personal space when in group situations and therefore preschool teachers can help by establishing routines that teach how to interact with others and make a game about personal body space. The elementary school aged child may have a large vocabulary but has difficulty with tone (monotone) and the speech pattern may seem rigid. The child may fixate on a topic and talk for a long time without being aware that others are bored. The school-aged child needs to have routines that are stable. The child with AS will learn better if a subject is broken into steps instead of having the "big picture" presented at once. The teen has a difficult time dealing with relationships, with communicating with others and with social situations where body language is used to express ideas. School counseling or private counseling may help the teen t o express how he or she is feeling about body changes and peer pressure. Speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy can assist any age child including teens to be able to communicate better and to deal with social situations with better understanding. Teens can be helped to have a better chance at getting jobs when they are helped with interviewing skills and are taught how to behave in the work environment.

It is common for those with Asperger’s Syndrome to have other associated conditions or disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder, even attention deficit disorder. Medications for these conditions can be beneficial in helping children and adults to cope with a life in which being able to communicate means being able to belong or not, being able to participate in sports or not, being able to function well in a work environment or not, being able to form friendships, date, or get married and have a normal family life.

The treatment plan for Asperger's Disorder is individualized as symptoms can range from mild to severe. Medications may reduce anxiety, may help to reduce agitation, and idiosyncratic thinking and may help to improve someone who is depressed. Common medications are Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Risperidone.

Social skills training are typically part of the treatment plan. The individual with Asperger's Syndrome needs to learn how to make eye contact, learn proper personal space perimeters, be able to function in a group, and learn how to relate to another individual and hold a conversation without monopolizing it.

Education interventions are common for school age and teens with Asperger's Syndrome. Teachers, and other staff should be educated in how to handle someone with this syndrome; this may include extra training for the teacher, or giving the child an instructional assistant.

Psychotherapy can help sort out the intense emotional feelings, and can help the individual to learn concrete, behavioral techniques, including role-playing. Group therapy or support groups may be utilized to add to the network of support for the individual. A teen needs someone such as an older teen to teach them how to dress, and use the current slang or the rules of cliques at school.

Test for Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger syndrome is on the mild end of spectrum disorders or a pervasive personality disorders. Because of the characteristics and criteria for diagnosis of asperger syndrome it is related to autism. Many times it has been considered a silent disability because it was only after 1994 when it was recognized in the DSM-IV and even later than that before professionals and parents recognized the condition.

Some consider asperger syndrome a developmental condition because the majority of individuals have normal intelligence and normal language development what falls short in social interaction. At this time there is no one specific conclusive diagnostic tests used to determine if an individual has asperger syndrome. Instead diagnosis and testing is done between the physician, a child's teacher and parents. At times the psychologist is brought into the picture to evaluate pure relationships, reactions to new situations and the ability to understand feelings or other types of indirect communication.

In an effort to increase the social awareness of individuals who suffer from asperger syndrome, and therefore the acceptance of these individuals, there has been some developments of individuals tasks which help to point sufferers in the direction of a potential diagnosis. While these tests are often found online and may not be completely accurate they do help to points individuals in the direction needed in order to find how for their social situation.

These online tests are more accurate in adult situations than they are in the pediatric population. In other words, most of them are designed to ask questions which relate to adult activities and not to those experienced in the classroom. Children are best served by a devaluations with their primary care practitioner, psychologist and with the assistance of their parents. Growing up with this disorder leaves these children at higher risk to bullies and cruel teasing by their peers.

Children are more at risk because those with asperger syndrome will find that they are on able to interact socially with their peers in the way that their classmates are capable. Individuals with asperger is often have difficulty with social communication, social interaction and social imagination. This basically means that, although these children have normal or above average intelligence and normal language developments they are often on able to participate in social interaction with their peers which sets them apart for teasing.

One online asperger syndrome quiz that may help individuals to determine their risk factor for this diagnosis can be found at http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test or at http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=198221545015390802

Adults who suffer from asperger syndrome finds they are never really able to grasp conversations that involve small talk and would rather sit with the computer then with an adults. When adults approach their doctor for a diagnosis the testing usually starts with an IQ test.

Doctors may also administer an autism diagnostic observation schedule for high-functioning verbal young adults. Both tests allow a doctor to look at social communication skills and behavior.

Online tests should never be considered an alternative for a diagnosis by a licensed physician or psychiatrist.

A Closer Look at 10 of Asperger's Own Findings on Asperger's Syndrome

When Hans Asperger worked with the children under his care in Vienna, he was astounded to note several similarities that appeared unique to individuals that are today understood to suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome. In 1944, however, autism was just beginning to emerge as a clinical diagnosis and Dr. Asperger and several of his colleges were still working on cataloging, labeling, and also recognizing the disorders and its nuances.

There are 10l conditions which Hans Asperger recognized:

1. More often than not, boys were affected with the condition while girls made up the minority of cases. In addition, a true diagnosis is not possible to form until about age three, when several other ailments or behavioral idiosyncrasies have been ruled out. 2. Developmental delays were not common in the area of language development, but children suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome appeared to be delayed walkers. 3. Later on the development of gross motor skills also appears to lag behind. Children appear clumsy, fail to make coordinated moves, and as a general rule will greatly fail in games that require motor skills. The same is also true for artistic skills, such as drawing or writing. 4. As language development progresses, children exhibit problems with the use of pronouns and instead of accurately using the first person singular, the second or third person is chosen. 5. Later on, the topics of conversation are abnormal in content. They tend to center on a specific topic of interest and the children may converse at elaborate length about the one item to anyone who would listen. This tends to happen in younger years, when most children have yet to identify a specific item of interest that captures more than a passing fancy. 6. As the child grows older, their chosen skills surpass that of their peers. Memory in these areas are astounding and it is not unusual to have pint sized patients recite extraordinary and exhaustive details about astronomy, history, or even something as mundane as a time table. 7. Phrase repetition is a common sign of autism and also Asperger’s Syndrome. Moreover, the cadence of language is affected in such a manner that expressive speech or reading is not often observed. Children tend to recite facts in a somewhat monotonous manner. 8. It is noted that those suffering with Asperger’s Syndrome are inept at reading and interpreting body language and facial impressions. Their own non verbal expressions are lacking, unless they are subject to very strong internal upheaval. 9. The repetitive nature of activities mimics the repetition of phrases and words, and children are often absorbed in repetitious activities, such as spinning a top and then watching seemingly mesmerized at the object continues to spin and slows down. 10. Children with this disorder have a hard time transitioning from one activity or locale to the next, and change is a hard reality for them. Anything that is unfamiliar presents huge challenges to the child and great efforts must be made to introduce that which is to have some form of permanence in the child’s life.

10 Things Parents Wish Teachers Knew About Asperger's Syndrome Students

Teachers are some of the most important individuals in the lives of children. Often their importance is underestimated, and while they can never hold the same position of authority and influence as a parent, they rank as close seconds. This makes it even more obvious why there are so many parents who want to work closely with their children’s teachers. Parents, who have an Asperger’s Syndrome child at home, are even more eager to accomplish this feat.

Here are the top 10 things parents wish teachers knew about Asperger’s Syndrome students:

1. A child with Asperger’s Syndrome is inevitably picked last by peers for a variety of activities. Since there are some very obvious problems in the arena of social development, the savvy teacher will assign team mates rather than leaving it to the luck of the draw to see who picks whom. 2. Structure is the number one need a child needs when away from home, and Asperger’s Syndrome kids thrive on a structured, predictable environment. Although there are a lot of kids who enjoy the off the wall teacher with the last second field trip ideas, having an Asperger’s kid in the classroom should curtail this kind of teaching behavior. 3. Overstimulation is a very real situation for children with the Syndrome and the wise teacher avoids an overload on sensory input. If this is not possible, she or he will be wise to space stimuli as far apart as possible to give the child the chance to process what she has seen, heard, or just undertaken. 4. Asperger’s children need a quiet spot. While parents do not want teachers to separate their kids from others, they do recognize that there are times when their children need a quiet place to sit and work off some steam or frustration. 5. Meltdowns are part of life, and even though in a school setting they are hard to deal with, they cannot completely be disciplined away. Parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome appreciate the teachers who are willing to do whatever it takes to work with them on helping kids dealing with their temper. 6. The worst part of the day for an Asperger’s Syndrome child is the chaos that ensues during lunchtime and unstructured waiting times when the class is transitioning from one activity to another. Teachers who are aware of this may take steps to minimize the impact on the child. 7. Movement is a must for Asperger’s children. Whether it is simply pacing in the back of the classroom, or being excused from the lunch table to walk around for a bit, teachers who know that the child’s need for movement is not as easily controllable as that of another child will find ways to accommodate this. 8. Asperger’s Syndrome students are very frequently visual learners, and a teacher who knows how to transfer information onto a visual level is certain to reach a child who might be otherwise disadvantaged. 9. Alternative communication methods, such as agreed upon gestures, work well. At the same time, teachers need to be aware that gestures the majority of kids will understand may not make sense to the Asperger’s child unless it is explained ahead of time. 10. Patience is a key virtue for working with a child diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Supplemental Guide for Teachers of Children with Asperger's Syndrome

There is little doubt that teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome can be an intimidating prospect. After all, they do not call these children little professors for nothing. At the same time, their proverbial hair trigger temper is all but legendary, and those who do not work on providing a safe and also structured environment for students with the condition will soon find that their classroom will have a lot of problems. Mind you, these problems are not the fault of the student with Asperger’s Syndrome, but they are the responsibility of the teacher who failed – in spite of being alerted to the child’s condition -- to prepare for teaching properly.

In the hopes of minimizing the problems your classroom faces this year, here is a supplemental guide for teachers of children with Asperger’s Syndrome.

* Underestimating the frustration a child with Asperger’s Syndrome faces is easy, in part because their verbal skills are far advanced ahead of their peers. This leads to repeated overestimation of their academic prowess, which in turn places a lot of pressure on the child. Pressure turns into frustration, and frustration may lead to unwanted acting out. Avoid this vicious cycle by accurately assessing the actual learning rather than inferring skills. * All peer interactions are stressful, and bullying can happen even if you do not personally believe any of the kids in your class to be able to engage in such behavior. Work closely with playground supervisors to know what is going on when the children are not under your watchful eye. Adopt a zero tolerance policy for bullying and nip even the earliest signs of this kind of behavior in the bud. * Remember that students with Asperger’s Syndrome often have a hard time when forming their words on paper. This causes them to fall behind in activities and makes the classroom experience one of intense frustration. Counteract this problem by limiting the amount of writing the children need to do in class, and instead focus on other activities first. If you can schedule the writing activities to be done toward the end of class, this offers an open end that other children who are already done with their writing may use to read or get a start on their homework, while it will not allow the child with Asperger’s Syndrome to fall behind the rest of the class. * Consider a foray into typing. Typing is a normal motor skill that children with Asperger’s Syndrome can easily learn and it will make their homework preparation a much simpler task. Work with parents and caregivers to establish proper typing techniques and then let all your children choose to either type or handwrite their homework assignments. * Whenever possible test orally. This flies in the face of a lot of common school wisdom, but when teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, you will find that the old school wisdom does not always work. Additionally, you may find that this mode of testing also helps your other kids do better on their evaluations and learning. You may be surprised how many actually are auditory learners as opposed to visual learners!