Your Child and Asperger's Syndrome
You may have been told that your child has Asperger's Syndrome
(AS), a neurobiological disorder this is part of a group of similar
conditions called "autism spectrum disorders". These similar
conditions can have different combinations and different degrees of
severity of similar symptoms. Any two children who receive the same
diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome may have similar behavior patterns
and different skills and abilities. These children with the same
diagnosis of AS may have different terms used to describe them such
as low-functioning, or high-functioning, or autistic tendencies,
and pervasive developmental disorder. Kids who have been diagnosed
as having high-functioning autism often share the same symptoms as
kids diagnosed with AS.
Asperger's Syndrome is often difficult to diagnosis and treat.
Your child may have been misdiagnosed along the way to the
diagnosis of AS.
A Viennese Pediatrician first described the set of behaviors in
1940 that later became known as Asperger's Syndrome, his name was
Hans Asperger. He noticed that children had the following
behaviors: normal to high intelligence and language development,
severely impaired social skills, an inability to effectively
communicate with others, and had poor movement coordination.
Those with Asperger Syndrome typically have onset of symptoms
later than kids with autism. Usually the diagnosis of Asperger
Syndrome is made after age 3, with the majority of kids being
diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9.
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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.
Asperger'S Disorder
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A child with Asperger's Syndrome usually exhibits poor social
interactions with others, exhibit obsessions, have odd speech
patterns, and other peculiar mannerisms. They usually show very few
facial expressions and have difficulty interpreting or noticing
body language expressed by others. They also have an unusually high
sensitivity to sensory stimuli such as to light, sound and touch.
Though individuals with AS can function in society, they generally
are socially immature are seen by others to be eccentric, odd, and
clumsy. Children with AS are usually picked on by bullies at school
because of these behaviors that set them apart from other kids.
As the child grows he or she may show trouble having empathy for
others, and have difficulty dealing with social situations. AS is a
lifetime disorder that with early intervention and treatment can
have a positive outcome.
Your child may show the following signs and have some or all of
these symptoms:
Minimal social interactions with others, inappropriate
interactions with others, repetitive speech that may seem robotic
or scripted, a lack of common sense, difficulty when it comes to
reading, math, or writing skills, an obsession with complex topics
such as music and patterns, average to below-average nonverbal
cognitive abilities, with average to high verbal cognitive
abilities, awkward physical movements, and odd behaviors or
mannerisms.
Where a child with autism usually shows a delay in language
development, kids with AS have good grammatical skills and usually
have an advanced level of vocabulary early on in childhood. Kids
with AS show appropriate age development when it comes to feeding,
dressing and other self-help skills but have difficulty with
attention span, and organizational skills. Kids with AS typically
have normal to high IQs.
Asperger's Syndrome
11/18/2008
Colleges Seeing More Autistic Students (NBC 5 Chicago)
For years, the increase in autism diagnoses among young children has been reported, and now colleges and universities are seeing their first influx of autistic students.
Colleges Seeing More Autistic Students (NBC 5 Chicago)
11/18/2008
Get Well Soon: Travis Barker, Courtney Love, and Others (Spin)
Here's a compilation of the latest evidence supporting the theory that the music industry can be hazardous to your health. The Vines : The band has nixed all of their upcoming shows due to their lead singer Craig Nicholls' mental condition. Nicholls has been suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism [via NME.com ]. In a statement on the band's website, the Vines explained the ...
Get Well Soon: Travis Barker, Courtney Love, and Others (Spin)
11/19/2008
New library books (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
The following new books about autism are available at the Tecumseh branch of the Allen County Public Library: “The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s” By Temple Grandin Diagnosed with autism when little was known about the condition, Grandin went on to earn a Ph.D.
New library books (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
11/18/2008
Colleges Seeing More Autistic Students (NBC 5 Chicago)
For years, the increase in autism diagnoses among young children has been reported, and now colleges and universities are seeing their first influx of autistic students.
Colleges Seeing More Autistic Students (NBC 5 Chicago)
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