Is Aspergers Autism Spectrum Disorder

What Are The Treatments For Asperger’s Syndrome

Treatment of Asperger’s syndrome involves a multidisciplinary approach.

Medical therapy is not effective in treating Asperger syndrome, although medications may be prescribed to help control troubling symptoms or symptoms of other psychiatric conditions that may coexist with Asperger’s syndrome. In some cases, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications are used for relief of anxiety or depression. Medical treatments for ADHD may also be tried if there is significant hyperactivity and/or distraction.

A number of behavioral therapies and educational interventions can help people with Asperger’s syndrome, although all of these may not be necessary in a given individual. The type of interventions chosen must be based upon the individual’s age and needs. Types of interventions that have been shown to be of benefit include:

Language Development For Aspergers

Language development in children with Aspergers Syndrome is often typical in terms of verbal language. Children with Aspergers Syndrome are generally delayed in their use of language.

Compared to other types of autism spectrum disorders, those diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome do not have significant delays or difficulties in language or cognitive development. They have extensive vocabulary.

While their language develops somewhat typically, their non-verbal language development declines as they grow up.

This decline in non-verbal language impacts the overall language development, as it is the structure supporting the functional communication.

Language development in people with AS may appear somewhat typical compared to other forms of autism.

However, the language challenges faced can be more complex and at a higher level compared to other forms of autism spectrum disorders.

Asperger Syndrome Generally Involves:

• Hypersensitivities
• Difficulty with the give and take of conversation
• Difficulty with nonverbal conversation skills
• Uncoordinated movements, or clumsiness
• Anxiety and depression

The tendencies described above vary widely among people. Many learn to overcome their challenges by building on strengths.

Though the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is no longer used, many previously diagnosed people still identify strongly and positively with being an Aspie.

Read Also: How Do You Get Autism

Different Names And Terms For Autism

Diagnostic Criteria For 29900 Autism Spectrum Disorder

To meet diagnostic criteria for ASD according to DSM-5, a child must have persistent deficits in each of three areas of social communication and interaction plus at least two of four types of restricted, repetitive behaviors .

Specify current severity:

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.

Also Check: What’s The Definition Of Autism

How Asperger Syndrome Is Diagnosed

Is Asperger Syndrome The Same As Autism

Aspies, as many Aspergers Syndrome patients call themselves, have long been a group apart from the general population of ASD sufferers.

Aspergers is named after Doctor Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician and pediatrician. Asperger was studying developmental disorders in children around the same time as Leo Kanner, the physician in the United States who is typically credited with describing the modern strain of autistic disorder; unfortunately for Asperger, this research was performed mostly during the Second World War and inside the German sphere of influence. Although both researchers had common findings and came to similar conclusions, they were unaware of one another and Kanners work became the standard.

But Aspergers name lives on for one particular reason: he himself appears to have exhibited some of the same typically autistic features as he was studying. In 1980, English psychiatrist Lorna Wing acknowledged both that fact and his studies by naming a less severe strain of autistic spectrum disorder after him.

Also Check: Can You Get Ssi For Autism

No Link Between Autism And Immunisation

Any link between immunisation and autism has been completely discredited.

During the 1990s, concern in the community about a possible link between the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and autism was generated by the findings of research conducted in London in 1998. The Wakefield study has since been discredited and withdrawn by the journal that originally published it. Dr Wakefields registration as a doctor in the United Kingdom has also been cancelled.;

Extensive research conducted globally for a decade did not establish any link between vaccines and autism.

Where Can I Get More Information

For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute’s Brain Resources and Information Network at:

Office of Communications and Public LiaisonNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeNational Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD 20892

NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

Also Check: Which Month Is Autism Awareness

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.

Come along with 200k+ families!

Explore the endless possibilities of learning!

What Are The Risks Or Complications Of Asperger’s Syndrome

As mentioned before, Asperger’s syndrome may coexist with other psychiatric conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or anxiety disorder. Even when anxiety disorder is not present, people with Asperger’s syndrome may suffer from anxiety or hypersensitivity to certain stimuli such as loud noises. In some cases, disruptive behaviors and/or depression may occur in response to the anxiety and frustration experienced by sufferers of Asperger’s syndrome. Other behaviors that have been reported in people with Asperger’s syndrome include obsessive-compulsive behaviors and difficulties with anger management.

As with any condition, the degree of severity of symptoms can vary widely among individuals, and not all persons with Asperger’s syndrome will experience associated psychiatric disorders, depression, or disruptive behaviors.

Also Check: Are Stuttering And Autism Related

Diagnosis Of Autism In Children

Autism in children is diagnosed through observation by a multidisciplinary team of the following health professionals:

• paediatrician
• psychologist or psychiatrist
• speech pathologist.

Some children will show signs of autism by the age of two and will be diagnosed then. Other may be diagnosed when they are older. The earlier autism can be diagnosed the sooner therapy can begin. Early intervention has been shown to improve outcomes for autistic children.;

Emotional And Behavioral Symptoms

• Repetitive behaviors. Engaging in repetitive behavior is a common symptom of ASD. This may include doing the same thing every morning before work, spinning something a certain number of times, or opening a door a certain way. Just because you engage in this type of behavior does not mean that you have AS other disorders can result in these behaviors, as well.
• Inability to understand emotional issues. People with AS may have difficulties when asked to interpret social or emotional issues, such as grief or frustration. Nonliteral problems that is, things that cannot be seen may evade your logical ways of thinking.
• First-person focus. Adults with AS may struggle to see the world from another persons perspective. You may have a hard time reacting to actions, words, and behaviors with empathy or concern.
• Exaggerated emotional response. While not always intentional, adults with AS may struggle to cope with emotional situations, feelings of frustration, or changes in pattern. This may lead to emotional outbursts.
• Abnormal response to sensory stimuli. This can be hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensations. Examples include excessively touching people or objects, preferring to be in the dark, or deliberately smelling objects.

You May Like: Are There Doctors With Autism

Who Diagnoses Aspergers Syndrome

An ASD diagnosis should be made by professionals specifically trained for it. Often pediatricians are best equipped to accurately examine a childs pattern of development and their relative strengths and weaknesses. These professionals include:

• Pediatricians .
• Child psychologists or psychiatrists .
• Neurologists .
• Therapists .

You may need to see one or more of these specialists while trying to get a diagnosis. The process may take some time, but it can help you learn more and find additional support networks.

What Are Some Common Signs Of Asd

Even as infants, children with ASD may seem different, especially when compared to other children their own age. They may become overly focused on certain objects, rarely make eye contact, and fail to engage in typical babbling with their parents. In other cases, children may develop normally until the second or even third year of life, but then start to withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.

The severity of ASD can vary greatly and is based on the degree to which social communication, insistence of sameness of activities and surroundings, and repetitive patterns of behavior affect the daily functioning of the individual.

Social impairment and communication difficultiesMany people with ASD find social interactions difficult. The mutual give-and-take nature of typical communication and interaction is often particularly challenging. Children with ASD may fail to respond to their names, avoid eye contact with other people, and only interact with others to achieve specific goals. Often children with ASD do not understand how to play or engage with other children and may prefer to be alone. People with ASD may find it difficult to understand other peoples feelings or talk about their own feelings.

Also Check: Do Autistic Toddlers Dance To Music

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.

A Great Debate Over Asperger Syndromes Existence

In the diagnostic sense, today there is absolutely no distinction made between the historical Aspergers Syndrome and modern Autism Spectrum Disorder; there is no longer a definition for Aspergers in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5, the most current edition. Aspergers has been absorbed into the autism spectrum, with most people agreeing that it would now fall somewhere into Level 1, the least severe form of ASD, requiring minimal support.

But for many aspies, the new DSM gradations are insufficient. In fact, many people who consider themselves to have Aspergers, or who were diagnosed with it before it was phased out, dont necessarily agree they need any support. They do not see the condition as a disability, but instead simply one aspect of their personality. It makes them the person they are, and they are justifiably proud to be themselves.

And controversy over the existence of the disorder as separate from the autism spectrum extends into the medical community, where the most recent version of the International Classification of Diseases continues to include Aspergers Syndrome separately as category F84.5, part of a range of developmental disorders.

Although there are no firmly established medical criteria for diagnosis, the previous DSM IV cited issues such as:

• Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject
• One-sided verbosity
• Restricted prosody
• Physical clumsiness

You May Like: Can You Hypnotize An Autistic Person

Some People Use Other Names For Autism

There are other names for autism used by some people, such as:

• autism spectrum disorder the medical name for autism
• autism spectrum condition used instead of ASD by some people
• Asperger’s used by some people to describe autistic people with average or above average intelligence

Unlike some people with autism, people with Asperger’s do not have a learning disability.

Some people call this “high-functioning” autism.

Doctors do not diagnose people with Asperger’s anymore.

But if you were diagnosed with it before, this will stay as your diagnosis.

The Problematic History Of Hans Asperger

Recommended Reading: Can Autistic Child Study In Normal School

Is It Autism Or Aspergers

Aspergers Syndrome became part of the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The symptoms of autism and Aspergers mostly overlap. Symptoms that distinguish Aspergers from Autism diagnosis is the typical strong verbal language skills.

Individuals with Aspergers Syndrome have difficulty in:

• Social interactions
• Tendency to stick to routines
• Distinctive strengths

These vary from one person to another, just like ASD.

In addition to the symptoms above, individuals with autism strongly struggle with delayed language and communication.

If you feel like your child is suffering from delayed speech, they might be on the spectrum.

Diagnostic Criteria For Aspergers Syndrome

Heres a brief summary of the from the previous version of the DSM :

• having difficulty with verbal or nonverbal communication, such as eye contact or sarcasm
• having few or no long-term social relationships with peers
• lack of interest in taking part in activities or interests with others
• showing little to no response to social or emotional experiences
• having a sustained interest in a single special topic or very few topics
• strict adherence to routine or ritual behaviors
• repetitive behaviors or movements
• intense interest in specific aspects of objects
• experiencing difficulty in maintaining relationships, jobs, or other aspects of daily life because of these previously listed signs
• not having any delay in language learning or cognitive development typical of other, similar neurodevelopmental conditions

As of 2013, Aspergers is now considered part of the autism spectrum and is no longer diagnosed as a separate condition.

Don’t Miss: What Do Autistic Kids Like To Do

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.

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.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Meaning Of Autism In Hindi