Treatments for Asperger's Syndrome

Autism - Photo: Pixabay

There is not one set treatment for Asperger's syndrome. You will not find a medication that will cure a child with Aspergers. Instead, you will find several treatments to help with the problems associated with Asperger's syndrome. Here we will examine some of the treatments used with Asperger's syndrome.

Social Skills Training

Children with Asperger's syndrome have a hard time understanding facial expressions, and tone of voice. They tend to take everything said to them very literally. They do not know when a person is joking with them. Children can be taught to recognize changes in peoples voice, and what different facial expressions mean. They also need to be taught how to use better eye contact. This type of training can help the child to make friends. They are taught how to act around other people. Some children with Aspergers want to be around other kids, they just do not know how to act with them. They can be taught how to act when out shopping, or at a restaurant.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

This type of therapy teaches the child with Asperger's syndrome to find ways to cope. They are taught ways to reduce anxiety. They learn how to spot a situation that can cause them trouble. Then they learn techniques to cope when they are in that situation. Asperger's children often have a lot of anxiety. They have a hard time in social settings. They can have anxiety attacks or complete meltdowns. The Cognitive therapy teaches them ways to stop the meltdowns from occurring. This therapy will teach a child with Aspergers that when they feel an unwanted behaviour coming on something they can do to stop it. They are taught how to remove themselves from a situation that makes them uneasy.

Medication

There is no medication that will treat Aspergers. However, there is medication to help with some of the symptoms of Aspergers. Many children with Aspergers have anxiety and depression. There are medications that can help relieve these problems. Relieving the anxiety can help the child feel more comfortable in social settings. Medications like these can have side effects. You will need to monitor your child's behaviour while they are on the medication. Some children with Aspergers have a hard time sleeping. There are medications to help the child sleep.

Parenting Education

There is training for the parents of Asperger's children. This training consists of ways you can deal with behaviours.  Learning things that can help to calm your child down when they are having a meltdown, or anxiety attack. Parents are taught ways of using reward systems to control behaviour problems. They are taught how to deal with the behaviours in the home. This helps them to deal with behaviours in other places too.

With these treatments, the life of an Asperger's child can be easier. If no treatment is given children with Aspergers can have trouble with depression, and anxiety. They have such a hard time dealing with people socially they might turn to alcohol or drugs to relax them. Getting a treatment plan that works is a number one priority for your Aspergers child.

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A Gift of Sight: Visual Perception Treatment for AUTISTIC CHILDREN

A little autistic girl. 

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Autism effects every child differently, so it is difficult to find the exact treatments your child needs to cope with his or her symptoms. One thing that effects some autistic children (though, not all) is problems with visual perception. By using some standardized methods to help improve visual perception, you can give your child the ability to see the world more clearly, making learning and comprehension easier and possibly curbing some behavior problems as well.

Autistic children mainly have problems with sensory overload and distortion. These are some of the same problems many people not suffering from the disorder develop, and so many treatment options have become available. Individuals with autism often find, however, that the sensory overload of the world due to light, colors, contrast, shapes, and patterns, is too much to handle, causing them to act out or shut down in general.  This is sometimes a genetic condition that is simply enhanced by the autism, so if the child's parents have trouble with reading or have been otherwise treated for visual perceptive problems, there is a good chance that the child needs help as well. 

The Irene Method is one effective way to treat visual perception disorders. This method uses color to create a more harmonized world. You may have heard of these methods if anyone has ever suggested using a color filter over the page when reading to be able to read better and more quickly. This method is proven to work, and if your autistic child is at the maturity level of reading, you may want to try these color filters to see if there is a difference in speed and comprehension. However, it is more likely that your autistic child will benefit from color filters during the entire day, not just when reading. Special glasses have been made using colored lenses to conquer this problem. Not every child responds the same way to every color, so it is a process of trial and error to find out which color is the one blocking the harmful light. You can also choose to use colored light bulbs in your home to help autistic individuals with their visual perception problems. 

This method mainly helps children in 4 areas: depth perception, social interaction, learning, and physical well being. The colors help the child determine how far he or she is from an object, and the world becomes more three-dimensional, helping depth perception. Social interaction also improves because the child feels as though he or she is in a calmer world and can more clearly see and interpret facial expressions. The colors make it possible to learn, especially when reading, and overall, the child will feel better, because it helps reduce headaches and dizziness. By testing this technique and others to help visual perception problems, you can help your child better cope with the world and his or her autism. 

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What are the Signs of ASPERGERS SYNDROM

A "puzzle" ribbon to promote Autism and Aspergers Awareness.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Aspergers is a form of Autism. People with Aspergers syndrome are on the higher end of the spectrum. They usually have normal language skills. Their main problem is dealing with people socially. Usually these problems are first noticed when a child begins school. The  child can have all the signs of Aspergers, or only a few. Here are some of the common signs of Aspergers syndrome.

1. Have a hard time talking to other kids. Kids with Aspergers syndrome have a hard time going up to someone and starting a conversation.

2. Speak in words that are very advanced for their age. The Asperger's child may use words that adults would use.

3. Have trouble understanding when someone is joking, or being sarcastic. Children with Aspergers have a hard time understanding tones of people's voices. They tend to take everything said seriously.

4. Have very limited interests. A child with Aspergers syndrome may only want to focus on one thing. They may take a liking to puzzles, and only want to do puzzles all the time. They will often learn everything they can about one subject. That will be all they focus on.

5. Have a hard time with changes in their routine. This can be hard for a child starting school. They had a routine at home and now that is being changed. The same thing can happen during breaks during the school year. This is a common problem of Autistic children.

6. Talking a lot. Children with Aspergers usually talk a lot. They often say whatever they are thinking whether it is appropriate or not. Most of the conversations they have are one sided. While it looks like the child is talking to you, they are really talking at you.

7. Problems making friends. Kids with Aspergers have trouble making friends due to their inability to relate to the other children. They sometimes try to hard to make friends and scare the other kids away.

8. No eye contact. Children with Aspergers usually will not look you in the eye when speaking. This is another common trait of an Autistic child.

9. Using repetitive movements. This can be a movement like spinning around, or bouncing back and forth while sitting. These movements are calming to the Aspergers child.

10. Problems with speaking. The Aspergers child may speak really fast. They usually do not stop to see if the person they are talking to is paying attention. Their tone of voice is flat and does not change to show emotions.

11. Problems with movement. Children with Aspergers often have trouble with their coordination skills. They may always be tripping or stumbling over their own feet. They may take a long time to learn how to ride a bike.

Asperger  children  have the most positive outcome on the Autism spectrum. They have high intelligence and language skills. They can often be taught the social skills they need to get by. If you notice any of these signs in your child mention them to the doctor.