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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Their walking gait may be stilted or bouncy, awkward and poorly coordinated.
Prognosis and treatment of Asperger's Syndrome:
With early intervention a child with AS can undergo behavioral therapy, social training and can be encouraged to learn how to interact socially with peers. Desensitizing can be achieved through occupational therapy so that they can cope better with sensory stimuli such as light, sound and touch.
Adults who have gone through intervention in childhood can learn to cope with the signs and symptoms of AS and are able to find ways to have mainstream jobs, and are encouraged to seek normal relationships and maintain independent living.
Asperger Syndrome
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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
09/02/2010
First Asperger's college opening
The first specialist college for young people with Asperger syndrome in Wales opens its doors.
First Asperger's college opening
09/03/2010
A journey for knowledge
BORDENTOWN CITY Itâs special because itâs the only program of its kind in the Burlington County Library System.
A journey for knowledge
09/01/2010
NYPD: Transit Impostor Took Bus On Joyride To JFK
A Manhattan man with a reputation for impersonating transit workers and stealing subway trains is apparently up to his old tricks.
NYPD: Transit Impostor Took Bus On Joyride To JFK
09/01/2010
Transit kook arraigned on charges he stole not one -- but
The mass-transit madman who yanked a bus from a Hoboken depot yesterday appears to have stolen yet another bus 21 days ago from the same spot and driven it to Washington D.C., police sources said. Darius McCollum, 45, told officers after his arrest yesterday that he stole another bus...
Transit kook arraigned on charges he stole not one -- but
09/03/2010
Autism workshops kick off parenting series at library
AMESBURY — The first in a series of four parenting workshops at the Amesbury Public Library will be held on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Nancy Wiseman, author and founder of the national organization First Signs, will discuss the first signs of autism, what to be concerned about and what not to be, what to do if you have a diagnosis, and resources to use. Feel free to bring any questions you might have ...
Autism workshops kick off parenting series at library
09/02/2010
First Asperger's college opening
The first specialist college for young people with Asperger syndrome in Wales opens its doors.
First Asperger's college opening
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