Is Asperger’s A Type Of Autism

Intellectual Or Artistic Interest

Many of the diagnosed Aspergians will have at least one particular field of intellectual or artistic interest and talent. Asperigans show great skill in their area of interest at an early age and proceed to effectively excel at it later in life. Wolfgang A. Mozart is a great example of a historical figure with Aspergers-like characteristics. Mozart was extremely skilled at composing music he was known to compose as a young child and continued doing so late into life. Aspergians may thrive in fields such as photography, webpage design, accounting, engineering, or data entry.

Difference No : Less Severe Symptoms In Aspergers

Some experts describe children and adults with Aspergers as having high-functioning autism. While this exact terminology is often debated, its true that those with Aspergers generally experience less severe symptoms than those with autism.

Because of this, people with Aspergers are often able to live independently and may be able to attend mainstream schools where they can excel academically. Conversely, many kids with autism will need specialized education and support, although this isnt always the case.

Differences In Social Interaction

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Can Medications Treat Aspergers Symptoms

There are no drugs specifically prescribed for ASD. Some people with Asperger’s or related conditions are able to function well in life without taking any medications. Whether or not your healthcare provider prescribes medication depends on you or your childs symptoms. Focusing on treating only the problematic symptoms also helps to lower the number of medications you or your child is taking.

Certain types of medications can help manage severe Aspergers symptoms or related conditions. These medications include:

• Antidepressants .
• Anti-psychotics.
• Drugs for attention-deficit disorder.

These and other medications have potentially serious side effects so speak with your provider about whether theyre right for you or your child.

What Should I Do If My Child Has Aspergers

As we mentioned numerous times before, Aspergers Syndrome is no longer diagnosed as a condition by itself.

It is now a part of many disorders categorized under the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

If you are concerned that your child may have issues with their social development, unusual patterns and different behaviors, you should consult a pediatrician first.

Pediatrician will be able to assess the situation and may refer your child to a specialist if need be.

These specialists include developmental pediatricians, child clinical psychologists or other clinicians who are experienced in dealing with autism spectrum disorders. They will conduct certain tests to see if the child is on the spectrum.

The specialist will ask parents and caregivers various questions to determine the childs development and other skills and issues.

They will also interact with the child to detect if there are any symptoms in terms of interacting with others. In this assessment, the childs language abilities will also be examined.

Getting a correct diagnosis on your childs disorder will be a great way to start to equip them with what they need to have a balanced and normal life.

It may be a difficult process for the parents and caregivers to get ASD diagnosis. But with professional help and your support, your child can receive therapies and interventions that will help them live an independent and a quality life.

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Deterrence And Patient Education

Parents and families who have children diagnosed with ASD encounter many challenges, such as frustration, social isolation, relationship conflicts, and financial difficulties. They may experience more stress, and they are more likely to face negative consequences than parents of children with other disabilities. However, parents and family involvement is an essential aspect of ASD management. Some interventions involve trained parents and may be provided in the home. Parent support interventions are knowledge-based training programs that provide indirect benefits to the child by improving parental self-efficacy and include care coordination and psychoeducation. Parent mediated interventions are technique focused, involve trained parents or other caregivers, and provide direct benefits to the child. Parents or caregiver role is also important in teaching social skills, particularly in young children. The importance of this responsibility needs to be emphasized for families. Moreover, educational interventions through social skill instruction is an important component of management in an individual with ASD.

Continued Use Of The Name

Despite being excluded from the DSM-5, Asperger’s syndrome sometimes is still used in both the United States and in other countries. A common reason for this is that a diagnosis of ASD can carry stigma, and people who were previously diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome may still identify with the term and prefer it.

A 2017 study analyzing the effect of removing Asperger’s syndrome from the DSM found the change “has the potential to threaten the identity of those affected,” citing autism as a stigmatizing diagnostic label. Some advocacy groups and organizations continue to use the term as well, at least in part because some people continue to identify as having Asperger’s, not autism.

Even so, medical consensus continues to move away from the Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis. Following the DSM’s lead, the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases , to take effect on January 1, 2022, has moved Asperger’s syndrome under the autism spectrum disorder umbrella. The ICD-11 will be used by all World Health Organization member states.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Aspergers Syndrome

Children with Aspergers Syndrome exhibit poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, limited facial expressions and other peculiar mannerisms. They might engage in obsessive routines and show an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

While all children with Aspergers Syndrome are different, what sets them apart are their unusual social skills and obsessive interests. For a child with Aspergers Syndrome, you may see one or more of the following symptoms:

• Inappropriate or minimal social interactions
• Conversations that almost always revolve around themselves or a certain topic, rather than others
• Not understanding emotions well or having less facial expression than others
• Speech that sounds unusual, such as flat, high-pitched, quiet, loud, or robotic
• Not using or understanding nonverbal communication, such as gestures, body language and facial expression
• An intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects
• Becoming upset at any small changes in routines
• Memorizing preferred information and facts easily
• Clumsy, uncoordinated movements, including difficulty with handwriting
• Difficulty managing emotions, sometimes leading to verbal or behavioral outbursts, self-injurious behaviors or tantrums
• Not understanding other peoples feelings or perspectives
• Hypersensitivity to lights, sounds and textures

Repetitive Behaviours And Routines

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Was Aspergers Linked With Nazism

Some prominent historians have argued that Hans Asperger was complicit in Hitlers regime of euthanasia in his bid to create a genetically fit German population.2 Psychiatrists and other physicians were involved in a Nazi programme that murdered children who were seen as either physically or mentally “inferior” or “undesirable.” Asperger, along with some of his colleagues, attempted to mould certain autistic children into “productive” citizens. He was also responsible for sending others to the Spiegelgrund clinic, where they were starved or given lethal injections. Asperger’s complicity in the death of neurodiverse children has fueled some calls to further abandon the Asperger’s label, even in a colloquial sense.

Why Was Aspergers Left Out Of Dsm

Rather than continuing to view Aspergers syndrome as a separate category, experts decided that with the publication of the DSM-5, autism should be considered a spectrum disorder. This distinction recognised the similarities between the causes and symptoms of autism, regardless of its severity. The different levels, therefore, were established to distinguish between presentations of varying severity.

This conception of autism was not entirely new. From its initial inclusion in the DSM-IV, some researchers were concerned about the Aspergers diagnosis, as they felt it was simply a variation of autism.1

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Is There A Cure For Aspergers Syndrome

Currently there is no cure for ASD. Nor are there any home remedies or herbal supplements proven to cure Aspergers syndrome or related conditions.

But several non-surgical treatments exist to help manage many of the conditions symptoms including depression, social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder .

Therapy is another good alternative for exploring ways to improve quality of life for you, your child or your students.

Many people with Aspergers syndrome say that therapy helped them to deal with their symptoms or other problems. Therapy providers for children and adults with Aspergers syndrome include:

• Physical therapists: Physical therapy can help improve coordination and balance. It can also help them to focus better when faced with distracting noises or sights.
• Speech therapists: Speech therapy can improve your ability to speak clearly and at appropriate volumes.
• Occupational therapists: Occupational therapy can help you learn job skills needed to become and stay independent.
• Family or relationship therapists: This type of therapy can help children and adults have healthier relationships with friends and loved ones.

Your healthcare provider can give you suggestions or referrals to these kinds of therapists.

Why Some People Continue To Use Asperger’s Syndrome

One of the issues with letting go of Aspergers may be that the category of autism spectrum disorder is very broad. It, perhaps, doesnt speak specifically enough to people who might be leading independent lives, holding down jobs, and functioning at a high level. It may be difficult for some of these people to identify with a condition that is often linked to severe intellectual disability.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder that is widely described as a mild form of autism. People with ASD tend to have many of the social and sensory issues of those with more severe forms of autistic disorder but have average to above average IQs and vocabularies. They often have trouble picking up on subtle forms of communication like body language, humor, and sarcasm.

Find below some common signs of Asperger Syndrome :

• difficulty making friends of the same age, children with ASD may feel more comfortable with adults or much younger children
• engages in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is still listening or trying to change the subject
• 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
• doesnt understand the give-and-take of conversation or engage in small talk
• seems egocentric or self-absorbed
• may speak in a voice that is monotone, rigid, jerky or unusually fast
• may be extremely literal or have difficulty understanding the nuances of language, despite having a good vocabulary

While all children with ASD are different, their unusual social skills and obsessive interests tend to set them apart from their peers. They may have in common some or all of the following symptoms:

How Has Our Understanding Of Asperger Syndrome Evolved

1944: Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger described four strikingly similar young patients. They had normal to high intelligence. But they lacked social skills and had extremely narrow interests. The children also shared a tendency to be clumsy.

1981: British psychiatrist Lorna Wing published a series of similar case studies. In it, she coined the term Asperger syndrome.

1994: Asperger syndrome listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders .

2013: Asperger syndrome and other previously separate types of autism folded into one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in DSM-5.

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Are Aspergers And Autism The Same

Aspergers Symptom was added in 1994 to the fourth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of American Psychiatric Association.

This was a separate disorder from Autism back then. In 2013, the DSM-V removed Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders and gathered them under the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Although it is no longer used, some professionals still consider Aspergers Disorder a less severe form of autism.

In addition, some people who were previously diagnosed with the symptom still strongly identify with being with Aspergers.

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Myth 1: Aspergers Is A Type Of Autism

Well, I feel like this explanations going to be quite long. First of all, there is no such thing as a type of autism. You are autistic and nothing else.

Now, onto the Aspergers topic. Trigger warning for Nazis and severe ableism ahead.

While it doesnt happen as much now , people used to diagnose autistic individuals with something known as Aspergers, and considered it a type of autism. Basically, it was a separate diagnosis for high-functioning autism. People still see Aspergers as a type of autism to this day, but in reality, its just autism. Eventually, it was removed as an official diagnosis, and was replaced with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD for short, which is what its now known as.

Some people still may not see the harm of the Aspergers label, which Im going to explain here. Again, some of this stuff is pretty upsetting, so you may not want to continue if you are easily upset by talk of Nazis and extreme ableism .

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Treatment For Children With Autism

Learning about the difference between autism and Aspergers is helpful, but taking action is even more important. At Therapeutic Pathways, we encourage parents to seek treatment for their child as early as possible. Research suggests that early intervention provides the best opportunity for children to learn valuable independent life skills.

For more information about treatment options, contact Therapeutic Pathways at 422-3280.

What Is Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s syndrome is part of a wide diagnosis called autism spectrum disorder . Since 2013, Aspergers syndrome is replaced by the broader diagnosis of ASD within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders revised criteria.

People with ASD have difficulty with socializing and social skills. They tend to have narrow range of interests, rigid routines and will often show repetitive behavior .

Aspergers syndrome, as defined before 2013, was different than other ASDs because people with Aspergers have average or higher-than-average language and intelligence levels.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Asperger’s Syndrome

While people with Aspergers syndrome often have average or above average intelligence, good language skills and can be quite creative, they can often find life hard. In particular, they can find it hard to communicate and interact with other people.

For example, they often:

• do not understand social rules or cues
• speak in an unusual way, such as by using formal language, being too loud or using a monotone voice
• find it hard to make friends
• find it hard to work out what others might be thinking

These difficulties can lead someone with Aspergers syndrome to feel anxiety, confusion and frustration. Sometimes their family and friends can experience these emotions, too.

Additionally, people with Aspergers syndrome often:

• have a rigid routine or repeat certain behaviours
• focus intense interest on particular topics and become bored when other topics are discussed
• are sensitive to bright light or loud sounds

However, you can’t tell whether someone has the diagnosis simply from how they look.

Difference No : Theres Rarely A Language Delay

One big difference between autism and Aspergers is that kids with autism tend to start talking later. Those with Aspergers usually dont experience a language delay.

While children with autism often seem aloof, those with Aspergers usually want to interact with others.

Though they welcome conversation, kids with Aspergers do find it difficult to communicate and may come off as socially awkward.

Difficulty maintaining eye contact and reading facial expressions, and speaking without emotion are signature traits of Aspergers. Children and adults with Aspergers also find it difficult to recognize and express their own feelings.

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Restricted And Repetitive Interests And Behavior

People with Asperger syndrome can display behavior, interests, and activities that are restricted and repetitive and are sometimes abnormally intense or focused. They may stick to inflexible routines, move in stereotyped and repetitive ways, preoccupy themselves with parts of objects, or engage in compulsive behaviors like lining objects up to form patterns.

The pursuit of specific and narrow areas of interest is one of the most striking among possible features of AS. Individuals with AS may collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as weather data or star names without necessarily having a genuine understanding of the broader topic. For example, a child might memorize camera model numbers while caring little about photography. This behavior is usually apparent by age 5 or 6. Although these special interests may change from time to time, they typically become more unusual and narrowly focused and often dominate social interaction so much that the entire family may become immersed. Because narrow topics often capture the interest of children, this symptom may go unrecognized.

According to the Adult Asperger Assessment diagnostic test, a lack of interest in fiction and a positive preference towards non-fiction is common among adults with AS.