Asperger Disorder is a developmental disorder that is characterized by alack of social skills, repetitive movements and restrictive interests. Considered by some to be a form of "higher functioning" autism the symptomology of the disorder can range from mild to extreme, with many symptoms case specific rather than general.This can cause difficulties in the diagnosis of an Asperger child as many of the symptoms evident can be mistaken from other forms of social developmental delays or autism itself. The key difference between Asperger Disorder and autistic disorders is that the Asperger child is not likely to show any delays in cognitive or language development. This too can be a problem in diagnosis as most developmental problems in younger children are highlighted by significant delays in most areas of development.
There are a variety of symptoms associated with the disorder. These can include elements such as a lack of affection or empathy with family members, delays in early childhood motor skill development, clumsiness and an awkward gait when running. Most Asperger sufferers have normal to high intelligence and can be remarkably clever, but this same child will have problems associating with peers, making friends and adapting to new situations.
Other symptoms evident in smaller children are a tendency to repetitive behavior. Many Asperger children like to have a strict routine and function best in a household where there are very little changes in the daily routine. As these children get older they may object to being sociable with visiting family members if they are not warned in advance of their arrival, and people that are not familiar with the symptoms of Aspergers may feel that the child is being rude or ungracious, when in fact the child may be simply expressing his opinion and will not know that he has caused offence.
The pathophysiology of Asperger Disorder has not yet been determined. Although there have been a number of suggestions including problems during pregnancy and birth, or early childhood trauma’s there has not been any definitive causal element of Aspergers identified. There have been suggestions that Aspergers can be diagnosed through PET scans and other brain imaging methods, but this has not been conclusively documented.
One of the biggest problems faced by Asperger children and adults is their difficulty in forging relationships. One of the most public examples of this was in the movie "Roger Dodger" that portrayed a young man with many of Aspergers identifying elements who was having problems maintaining relationships with women. While the movie was more of a comedy and was fictional the premise behind the movie rings true for most Asperger sufferers.
Moving to a new school or moving house is particularly traumatic for Asperger children, many of whom will be impacted negatively for months before and after a move. Because they have trouble making new friends they get insecure and will often prefer to live in a negative situation rather than move house.
Studies on a twelve year old boy that was taken from his family home by his mother after spending years watching the domestic abuse between the mother and father got very ill himself because of the rapidity of the change in environment. He developed the need to vomit after every meal; he started sleep walking; many times his mother had to put him back to bed after he was found banging his head on the floor in his sleep, and basically it took him almost six months to settle into a new life.
There is no cure for Aspergers Disorder, but skills training, counseling and helping a family understand the nature of the disorder can be instrumental in assuring a positive outcome for the patient. Asperger is a condition that lasts well into adulthood and there is no case evidence to support the idea that a person will “grow out” of the disorder, but treatments that play to the strength of an affected child will be helpful in ensuring that as the child moves into teenage and adulthood he learns to adapt more readily to the changes that growing up bring to a life.
Some Aspergers learn social skills through mimicry, while in normal child development children learn their social skills through interaction with their peers. Because Asperger children do not have this ability and tend to stay on the outside of groups in an early childhood center or similar they are often deemed as loners as this then discourages other children from making overtures to them. However as the child gets older it is possible for him to learn to mimic social skills from his peers if he is in a situation where he is accepted for the way he is.
Sensitivities to light and sound are two further problems experienced by Asperger children. Many children have difficulty in a mainstream classroom because the level of noise in a classroom makes it difficult for them to concentrate on their work. Likewise sensitivity to light, although alleviated by sunglasses can make the child stand out from his peers, causing further social isolation. Time management and the need to complete chores in their own time frame also causes problems especially older children at a high school level as they struggle to keep up with an increased workload. Although many Asperger children are very intelligent they do prefer to learn and complete tasks within a time frame that suits them and they tend to loose valuable self-confidence if they are forced to conform to a system that does not appreciate that fact.
There is still a lot to learn about Asperger Disorder particularly with reference to causal elements and effective treatments. The growing body of literature written by Asperger sufferers is helpful in providing an insight into a mind that is generally closed to introspection. Likewise more researchers have become interested in the topic, not only because the symptomology closely resembles some aspects of other developmental order such as OCD and autism, but also in the topic in its own right as there is a more general awareness of the higher than assumed numbers of Asperger children fighting their way through a mainstream school system.
While it is more difficult for the Asperger child to move through their adolescence into adulthood, if attention is paid to the positive skills the children have – their intellect, dedication to task, sense of focus and for some stunningly gifted creativity – then it is possible for the Asperger adult to enjoy the same level of fulfillment in their life, as is possible with anyone else.
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