Asperger Syndrome London
- What is Asperger Syndrome?
- Life at School of Affected Children
- Age of Diagnosis
- Who can be affected by Asperger Syndrome?
- History of Asperger Syndrome
- Symptoms
- Complications caused by the Syndrome
- Multiple Conditions leading to the wrong Diagnosis
- Autism VS Asperger Syndrome
- What Causes Asperger’s Syndrome?
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Best Treatment for Asperger
- Support Groups for Asperger Syndrome
- Living With Asperger Syndrome
- Recommended Books
- FAQ’s
- Related Articles
What is Asperger Syndrome?
Asperger Syndrome can be described as a condition when people feel uncomfortable interacting socially; they are unable to understand humour and sarcasm. The most common features of the Syndrome are clumsy and unusual movements, unusual behaviour with intense interest and non-verbal communication difficulty.
Life at School of Affected Children
Children and teens who have Asperger Syndrome normally perform well at school. They face problems while analyzing social situations and communication, such as they cannot understanding simple humour, sarcasm, and body language.
They tend to think about one topic or their area of interest; gradually, this interest becomes so intense that it tends to affect their normal life, and they become obsessive about it. Boys are more affected than girls, and the condition is referred to as HFA (High Functioning Autism) or ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition).
Age of Diagnosis
Children are mostly diagnosed when they are five or nine years old; some can also be diagnosed at three years of age.
Who can be affected by Asperger Syndrome?
The Syndrome can affect anyone from any background, culture, gender, and age.
History of Asperger Syndrome
The condition was first identified by the Viennese Paediatrician Hans Asperger fifty years back.
Symptoms
Children with the Syndrome do not do well in social interactions; they have poor speech patterns, odd facial expressions, and strange manners. They have an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Every child is different, but the main difference lies in their peculiar social behaviour and obsession with their interests.
The most common symptoms of these children are
- Less Social Interaction
- The conversation focussed on their personality and their interests
- Inability to comprehend the emotions
- Minimal Facial Expression
- Unable to understand nonverbal communication
- Clumsy movements of the body
- Difficulty while writing
- Being upset about very small changes
- Learning easily anything related to their interests
- Self-harming behaviour
- Not being able to understand the feelings of other people
- Being hypersensitive to lights, textures, and some sounds
The affected children have no delayed development in their linguistic ability. They have good grammatical skills, good vocabulary, and literal aptitude. They have average intelligence and have problems with their attention span and organizational skills.
In boys, a particular pattern of behavior was identified that demonstrated less empathy, less interaction and lack of friendliness, problematic motor coordination, and an intense level of interest in special interests.
Complications caused by the Syndrome
Due to the severity of symptoms, people feel isolated. They are often misunderstood as there is a lack of communication. It creates frustration, anger, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Multiple Conditions leading to the wrong Diagnosis
People with Asperger Syndrome can also have autistic spectrum Condition or dyslexia. There are chances of a wrong diagnosis due to the similarity of multiple symptoms.
Asperger Syndrome’s name has been changed officially, but the old name is used by people when they describe their condition. The Symptoms have now been added to another condition known as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism VS Asperger Syndrome
| Asperger | Autism |
| The symptoms of Asperger’s are not the same as the learning level is normal, and there are no delays in linguistic abilities. | Delayed in speaking, motor, and cognitive skills. |
| They have good speech and language skills but poor social skills and poor pragmatic skills. | They have hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviour |
| They perform brilliantly in their area of interest but poor social skills and poor pragmatic skills. | They have issues in learning new things. |
| They have problems with understanding Humor, Sympathy, and Sarcasm. | Unusual mood, reactions |
What Causes Asperger’s Syndrome?
The real cause of Asperger Syndrome is not known; however, Parenting or poor upbringing of the child cannot contribute to the cause of the disease. It could also be called neurobiological order.
Chromosomal abnormality and fragile X syndrome can contribute to the cause of the disorder.
Diagnosis
Suppose you find that your child is experiencing difficulty regarding social development, unusual behaviour, or linguistic patterns. You must take your child to a specialized paediatrician who must be aware of ASD.
The testing and assessment usually include questions from parents by a team of medical and Psychological professionals. These professionals assess the linguistic and intellectual abilities by interacting with the child. Medical tests might be prescribed by doctors in order to analyze the medical concerns of the child.
Diagnosis of the Syndrome is difficult sometimes, as the condition can be confused with disorders such as ADHD, OCD or ODD.
Treatment
All the cases are different; therefore, different treatment plans are needed to address the different needs of children. With time, changes could be made to the plans. Asperger Syndrome is usually treated with the help of
- Training of Social Skill
- Support for Behaviours
- Language and Speech Therapy
- Training and education of parents
- Special Education
- Occupational Therapy
- Behavioural Therapy
- Medication
- CBT
The Syndrome has no cure, But if a person with the condition learns how to cope with the challenges, it can show improvement.
Best Treatment for Asperger
People from all the age groups with Asperger syndrome are treated and benefit from the social skill groups. These behaviour interventions are offered by the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). This type of therapy helps people to learn positive behaviour in their daily lives.
Support Groups for Asperger Syndrome
- The National Autistic Society
- The Disabilities Trust
- Autism Independent UK
- Brain and Spine Foundation
- Neurological Alliance
- NHS Inform
- David Mulhall Centre
- Centre for ADHD and Autism Support
- Harrow Association for Disabled People
- Harrow Mencap
Living With Asperger Syndrome
Many people with Asperger Syndrome are successful in their lives, and some of them need help regarding their work, living and social arrangements. People with the Syndrome perform well in routine life within a predicted environment.
Recommended Books
Author : Tony Attwood
The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome is an effective book on the Syndrome and explains in detail all the guidelines. The Author has shared case studies during his career, and a complete guide about Syndrome has been provided in the book.
If you need help regarding Counselling and Psychotherapy in London regarding Asperger’s Syndrome , we at Seekapsych are here to help. So do not wait and contact us.
