Aspergers

What It Is
Asperger's Syndrome is a neurological disorder that, like others on the spectrum, is marked by difficulties in communication and social interaction. The set of characteristics that serve to identify the condition was first compiled by the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger.

How It's Similar to Classic Autism
According to the US-based National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, children with Asperger's Syndrome find it difficult to identify and express their feelings, just like those with classic autism. They find it challenging, even impossible, to connect with others, often don't hold eye contact and have trouble reading other people's faces and gestures. Many kids flap their hands, a behaviour often associated with classic autism. They speak without much emotion (or have otherwise unusual speech patterns). They need to follow schedules rigidly or else the world feels out of control. They are intensely, even obsessively, interested in one specific subject, so much so that they become veritable experts in that field. They also exhibit sensitivities to various stimuli including sounds, textures (i.e., clothing) and tastes.

How Diagnoses Differ
Compared with classic autism, children with Asperger's Syndrome usually don't show any signs of major cognitive difficulties – their IQ falls in the normal or even superior range – and they exhibit few, if any, speech delays. They also generally hit most of their milestones within reasonable time periods. Because of this, some describe children with this condition as “high-functioning” or as having a “mild” form of autism, at least compared to others on the spectrum. To many, they may seem just like other children but not quite – socially awkward in a manner that's not easily understood.

This explains why healthcare providers may miss seeing the signs of Asperger’s in their young patients, or may misdiagnose it completely. It also explains why some parents don't seek help until much later than those whose kids display a more profound or more obvious set of symptoms.

What to Do About It

Treatments
Fashioning an approach to manage the condition is a highly individual one that requires the input of everyone on your child's healthcare team, including doctors, psychologists, teachers, therapists and parents. Often, using a multi-pronged approach to treating Asperger's Syndrome, choosing regimens and strategies that address a child's main challenge – inability to connect with others – is the most effective. To this end, interventions may combine such varied modes of treatment as the following:

Various behavioural regimens, including but not limited to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Floortime, sensory integration therapy
Social skills training, which, as the name suggests, teaches children the “how-tos” of social interaction that comes naturally to other kids but not to them. In some cases, pictures are used to explore various events and scenarios so children know how to react when they happen to them.
Alternative therapies – hippotherapy, which has individuals riding horses to improve their coordination, or martial arts therapy, which also targets mobility – may also be helpful.
Medications (which may include antidepressants).

How to Cope
Structure is important to children on the spectrum, and even more so for those with Asperger's Syndrome as it makes them feel secure and grounded. Unfamiliar social situations may unnerve them as they test their ability to adapt. It's best to give these children some time to prepare for what lies ahead. Talk to your child about what to expect and give him the help he needs so that he learns how best to handle the circumstances before him.

As children grow older and become more aware of the limitations that their condition has placed upon them, it may be helpful for them to receive counselling with a therapist trained in dealing with Asperger’s. As difficult as it is for parents to go through this journey, it is even harder for the children themselves who have to work through their own personal challenges and their peer’s lack of understanding of these challenges.

How to Grow With It

Teens & Adults
As with many others on the spectrum, those with Asperger's Syndrome often find the adolescent years to be trying ones. With difficulty relating to peers and the complex and ever-changing adolescent social rules, not to mention their own emotions and hormones that yo-yo up and down, adolescents with Asperger’s may wind up misunderstood and feeling isolated or overwhelmed.

With support and guidance, individuals with Asperger’s are often able to translate their expertise and intellectual abilities into success in the workplace. As they grow older, they may encounter more challenges romantically. With the right mix of therapies and constant support from their friends and families, teens and adults with Asperger's Syndrome are typically able to forge relationships with others on their own terms and carve a place of their own in the world.

Long-term Care
Most often, individuals with Asperger’s will likely be able to live independently, earning a living and taking care of their needs. Social relationships may always be minefields, and as such, could continue to be a source of frustration and, for some, despair. With this in mind, it may be beneficial to have access to a therapist or counsellor familiar with Asperger’s to help your child as he ages and encounters increasingly complex relationships that give way to equally complex emotions and situations.