Aspergers Syndrome: Symptoms, Treatment, And Support
Aspergers Syndrome (AS) is sometimes called “high functioning autism”. Children with Aspergers Syndrome often are socially awkward, display obsessive behaviour and have unusual speech patterns or habits. It is considered by medics to be a neurological disorder that is a type of Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
Social interactions can be stressful for children with Aspergers Syndrome. One of the problems they have is in reading another person's body language. They have trouble reading someone's face and making eye contact. They often don't form friendships easily and they may not seek out social interaction.
Some children with autism have difficulty or delays in speaking. Children who are suffering from this often are able to amass a large vocabulary but may not be able to use or understand language that is used in a non-literal way. They are normally at about the same level as other children in skills like tying their shoes.
One of the markers of a child with aspergers is that they may find a subject they are interested in, such as trains, and they seem to have little interest in anything else. Many of these children prefer routines and may have obsessive rituals in their daily lives. They may be very uncomfortable when those routines are disrupted. Children with Aspergers may be thought to be clumsy or uncoordinated but in truth they just end to have odd mannerisms or stand in strange ways.
There are treatments that can help an Aspergers child to live a functional and fulfilling life. The first step is in educating parents about the syndrome and the challenges that the child faces. Training in social skills and teaching children to get better at reading other people's reactions can help with their social lives. The anxiety related to the disorder can sometimes be helped by the appropriate medication.
The range of behaviours and symptoms of Aspergers Syndrome can make it difficult to diagnose. They may initially be thought to have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or Anxiety Disorder due to the symptoms that they display.
There are several organizations that can be helpful to parent of children with Aspergers. GRASP (Global and Regional Aspergers Syndrome Partnership) offers advocacy, education and support for those who have AS and their parents. The US Autism & Aspergers Association (USAAA) is a nonprofit organization to support those with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome. They help to educate parents, teachers and other professionals about the disorder.
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