Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) This type of “talk therapy” is typically used to help a person with Asperger's better regulate his or her emotions and impulses. It can also help children and adults cope with anxiety or depression.
The majority of children and adults with Asperger syndrome live well and are able to enjoy life and do many things that neurotypical people can do. Many people will have some level of difficulty with some daily tasks or interactions.
Some of the effects of unaddressed or untreated Asperger's syndrome may include: Social isolation. Difficulty making and keeping friends. Challenges in finding and maintaining steady employment.
Asperger's in adults typically causes issues with communication, emotion regulation and interpretation, social interactions, and behavior. People who have Asperger's may also experience other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or OCD.
Though people with Asperger's may find conversations to be hard or frustrating, they generally have average to high intelligence and strong verbal skills. They tend to engage in repetitive behavior and may have trouble understanding complicated feelings, gestures, or sarcasm.
The cause of Asperger syndrome, like most ASDs, is not fully understood, but there is a strong genetic basis, which means it does tend to run in families. Multiple environmental factors are also thought to play an important role in the development of all ASDs.
Every person with Asperger Syndrome is developmentally delayed, not intellectually, but at the social-emotional level. This delay can be significant; for example, a 21-year-old may seem socially and emotionally more like a 14-year-old.
Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness. Asperger syndrome is a part of the larger developmental disorder category of autism spectrum disorder.
Asperger syndrome, or Asperger's, is a previously used diagnosis on the autism spectrum. In 2013, it became part of one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5).
Asperger's syndrome is lifelong. But symptoms tend to improve over time. Adults with this condition can learn to understand their own strengths and weaknesses. And they can improve their social skills.
Because Asperger's syndrome is an Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is among the conditions that qualify for disability benefits. Asperger's syndrome is classified in the Social Security Administration's blue book under autistic disorders and other pervasive developmental disorders.
The SSRIs most commonly prescribed to autistic people are fluoxetine and sertraline. Sertraline is often the top choice because its side effects are milder than those of other SSRIs and because it has fewer interactions with other drugs.
A meltdown is where a person with autism or Asperger's temporarily loses control because of emotional responses to environmental factors. They aren't usually caused by one specific thing. Triggers build up until the person becomes so overwhelmed that they can't take in any more information.
displays unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures. does not empathize with or seems insensitive to others' feelings and has a hard time “reading” other people or may have difficulty understanding humor.
NT spouses can often experience their own mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, affective deprivation disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of being in a relationship with an undiagnosed and untreated partner with AS for an extended period of time.
Like people with autism, people with Asperger's syndrome have a dreadful time understanding what is going on, socially. They do not always pay attention to the social scene in which they find themselves, and even when they do, they are often not able to make sense of what they see, or to respond appropriately.
People with Asperger syndrome often have difficulty 'reading' other people - recognising or understanding others' feelings and intentions - and expressing their own emotions. This can make it very hard for them to navigate the social world. They may: appear to be insensitive, even if they don't intend to be.
Many kids are diagnosed after age 3, with most diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9. AS is characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, few facial expressions, and other peculiar mannerisms. Often, kids with AS have trouble reading the body language of others.
No one thing causes Asperger's syndrome. However, research suggests that certain factors during pregnancy and after birth may put a child at higher risk of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Those factors include: A chromosomal abnormality (such as fragile X syndrome).
Though some may need assistance, many adults live with Asperger's syndrome independently. However, long-term planning by their family may be required.
Asperger's syndrome affects a person's affect and manner more than it does any particular body part. Children with Asperger's syndrome speak very quickly and have a dull voice, and often have an unusually formal manner of speaking.