Thursday, July 12, 2012

Asperger Syndrome

This post is dedicated to my son. I love him very much and people need to be educated on this disorder, so that it may be taken more seriously.


The following post in it's entirety is from the page:http://www.asdvisualaids.com/asperger-syndrome.html 


What is Asperger Syndrome?
Asperger Syndrome is a form of Autism; it is a life-long brain disorder that is normally diagnosed in early childhood. The disorder effects how a person makes sense of the world. Autism is often described as a ‘spectrum Disorder’ because the condition affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees. 

Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are considered to have a higher intellectual capacity while suffering from a lower social capacity.

Asperger Syndrome is mostly a ‘hidden disability’ this is because you can’t tell that someone has the condition from there outward appearance.

Aspergers can have both positive and negative effects on a person’s life, like many Autistic Spectrum Disorders Asperger’s includes repetitive behaviour patterns and impairment in social interaction and social imagination.

While there are similarities with Autism, people with Asperger Syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average or above average intelligence. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia and dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy.


What are the characteristics
of Asperger Syndrome?

Difficulty with communications
People with Asperger Syndrome may sometimes speak very fluently but they may not take much notice of the reaction of people listening to them. They may talk on and on regardless if the person there talking to is not interested. Despite having good language skills, people with Asperger Syndrome may sometimes sound over-precise or over-literal . Jokes can sometimes cause problems as can exaggerate language and metaphors. An example of this could be a simple statement like "she bit my head off" this statement may confuse or frightened the person with Asperger's.

In order to help a person with Asperger syndrome understand you, keep your sentences short - be clear and concise.

Difficulty with social interaction
Many people with Asperger syndrome want to be sociable but have difficulty with initiating and sustaining social relationships, which can make them very anxious. Eye contact can be very hard for people with Aspergers Syndrome to keep. This intense eye contact can make them feel very uneasy.

Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly. For example a person with AS may engage in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic, while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as a need for privacy or haste to leave. This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd". This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings, and may come across as insensitive.

Difficulty with social imagination
Many people with Asperger Syndrome lack imagination. This means they may find it hard to play pretend games in such as role play. They may find it difficult to imagine alternative outcomes to situation or to predict what will happen next. It can be difficult for them to interpret other peoples thoughts and feelings, subtle messages given through facial expression or body langue may be missed.
Special interests
Special Interests People with Asperger's often develop an almost obsessive interest in a hobby or collection. Usually their interest involves arranging or memorizing facts about certain subjects. Some children with Asperger's may also be very precise while playing with tops and find it hard when other children try to join in and move objects from a certain place. However with encouragement, interests can be developed so that some people with Asperger's can go on to study or work in their favourite subjects.
Love of routines
For many people with Asperger Syndrome, any small change in their routine can be very upsetting and causes anxaiety. To try and make the world less confusing, people with Asperger syndrome may have rules and rituals (ways of doing things) which they insist upon. Young Children may impose their new routine, such as insisting on always going the same way to school. At home or school they may get upset by sudden changes, such as changes to class activities. People with Asperger's often prefer to order their day according to a set pattern.

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4 comments:

  1. I'm still so new to your blog, I don't know a lot yet. I'm aspie and have to blog very compartmentalized, break it down into several blogs because I get overwhelmed so easily by content. So my aspie side comes out more on bluejacky.xanga.com. One thing that stands out in this post, having seen a lot of blogs by parents of asperger kids, is the first thing you say is you love your son very much. I never heard my mother say that. That right there speaks volumes to me.

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    1. Every mother should always make sure to tell their child that they love them. Children need reassurance and in addition to feeling love, they have to hear you say it. Especially in the case of Asperger's where it becomes difficult to interpret actions and body language. I have chosen to look at Asperger's as a gift more than a challenge. Although there are difficulties, there are all those extra bonding moments that may have never happened if we weren't forcing ourselves to do them with a treatment plan. I am not a very "organized" blogger. I would end up with 1000 blogs if I tried to compartmentalized and categorize my thoughts. I just write when/if I feel it. I have 3 kids. My 2 boys have very different, yet similar challenges. My daughter hasn't shown any signs of them, but I didn't develop noticeable symptoms until I had my first child and had a bought of PPD. I hope she never has to go through that.

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  2. Are there support groups for the spouses of those diagnosed with Asperger's, in Payson AZ? My brother-n-law of 24 years was diagnosed a few years ago with Asperger's and my sister is having a difficult time dealing with this diagnoses after 24 years of marriage. I'm in CA and she's in AZ. I need to find her some help.

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    1. There definitely should be! The mental health facility that diagnosed him or currently treats him also should be able to provide her with information on family support services. It is very rare for adults to be diagnosed anywhere on the spectrum (Autism Spectrum) and now they have added Aspergers in and just call it Autism. It is better this way because there were far fewer services available for Aspergers than there are for Autism. Please tell your sister not to give up on him. The love of someone with ASD is so immense and they will feel the hurt and rejection threefold. I know it can be hard, but she loved him for who he was when she married him, he didn't just "catch" Aspergers. The quirks were there all along and with the right family counseling, they can make this work. It will come down to choosing her battles at times, is it worth fighting over?

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