About Asperger Syndrome

This disorder was named after the Viennese paediatrician, Hans Asperger in 1940. He first described a group of behaviour patterns which were apparent in some of his patients, mostly males. He noticed that though these boys had normal language development and intelligence, they had impaired social skills, had poor co-ordination and could not communicate very effectively with others.

According to the Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States, the onset of AS is much later than in autism or at least it is diagnosed later. Most kids are diagnosed between the ages 5 and 9, though many are diagnosed after age 3 as well. It is very difficult to understand the symptoms of a child with AS and so it is better that you let an experienced doctor or other health professionals make the diagnosis. It is not unheard of thought that a child is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) before being diagnosed with AS at a later stage.

Symptoms and Signs

• Minimal or inappropriate social interactions
• Most conversations are almost always revolving around themselves rather than others
• They have a lack of “common sense”
• They have “scripted,” “robotic,” or repetitive speech
• Obsession with complex topics such as patterns or music
• Problems with reading, math, or writing skills are apparent
• They have average to below-average nonverbal, cognitive abilities, though their verbal cognitive abilities are usually average to above-average
• odd behaviours or mannerisms
• awkward movements

Note: Unlike kids with autism, those with AS might show no delays in their language development. They usually have advanced vocabulary and good grammatical skills at an early age. However, they typically do exhibit a certain language disorder — they might have trouble using language in a social context and might be very literal.

Treating Asperger Syndrome:

As Asperger Syndrome behaviours and patterns can vary from child to child there isn’t a typical treatment regimen, but these following treatments could benefit your child as they can benefit greatly from the right programme which needs to be structured keeping the child’s needs in mind. You could contact Beach’s Therapy for a therapist to help you out at www.beachstherapy.com.au.

Miaranda Raines has worked as a counsellor with various organisations and has helped a large number of individuals. Her articles are an outcome of her own experiences in the field and are enlightening.
www.beachstherapy.com.au

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/about-asperger-syndrome-1674932.html

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Developmentally he appeared to be somewhat advanced in his speech and upper motor skills. He seemed to fear nothing relating to physical activity. At seven months he was found in the top kitchen cupboard. By one and a half he managed to disappear and was found by a neighbor two blocks away. Yet his perception of his world seemed skewed. He would often complain that people (even his siblings) were “looking at him.” Misinterpretation of what was being said to him became increasingly frustrating for all involved. On the one hand he was fearless (physically) and seemed to be limited in his ability to feel pain. On the other hand he was constantly fearful and expressed irrational anxiety at otherwise “normal” situations. Trips to the Super center and even church became increasingly less worth the bother because of his anxious behavior/meltdowns.

Life was odd, but manageable. Once he began attending school I experienced for the first time a measure of “discipline” problems with my child. Having three older children who excelled in school and were well disciplined, I was unprepared for what was to come. By third grade it was obvious that my youngest son was experiencing some difficulties in comprehension, written expression and social interaction. He was eight years old and in the fourth grade when the situation with my son rose far beyond just the next level. It was then that my life changed drastically as I began to seek out professionals, diagnosis, and information that could help me not just manage, but save my son.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/aspergersthe-beginning-1650536.html

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