Autism-World

There is no specific treatment for the core symptoms of Asperger syndrome is available, and no cure exists for the disorder.?? because Asperger’s is a relatively new diagnosis in the field of developmental psychology and psychiatry, many treatment approaches are still in the developmental stages and lots of work still needs to be done in this area. But there are many interventions which can significantly improve the functioning and quality of life of people and children with Asperger’s. These are only a few:

Psychosocial Interventions?

Individual psychotherapy to help the individual to process the feelings aroused by being socially handicapped
Parent education and training
Behavioral modification
Social skills training
Educational interventions

??Social Skills Training: This should be one of the most important components of a treatment program. Children with Asperger’s Syndrome can be helped to learn social skills by an experienced psychologist. Body language and nonverbal communication can be taught in much the same way as one would teach a foreign language. Children with Asperger’s can learn to interpret nonverbal expressions of emotion and social interaction. This can assist them with social interaction and peer relationships and prevent the isolation and depression that often occurs as they enter adolescence. Teenagers can sometimes benefit from group therapy and can be taught how to use the teenage ’slang’ and language forms of their peer groups.

Educational Intervention: Because children with Asperger’s Syndrome may differ widely in terms of IQ and ability levels, schools should learn to individualize educational programs for these children. Some of them may cope well in a mainstream class with additional support, while others may need to receive specialised education. In all cases, teachers should be aware of the special needs of Asperger’s children, who often need a great deal more support than first appears necessary.

Diet: Although there is no conclusive evidence, there are strong suggestions that changes in diet may significantly reduce the symptoms of some children with Asperger’s Disorder. Many parents report that their children become much more manageable when certain classes of food are eliminated from the diet. These include dairy products, sugar, gluten, wheat and some artificial colorants and preservatives like MSG and tartrazine. It is worthwhile consulting a trained nutritionalist to assist with dietary intervention and parents should not simply eliminate important foods from their children’s diets without expert advice.??

Psychopharmacological Interventions or Drug Therapy: Many children and adults with Asperger’s Disorder do not need any form of medication, while others need to be treated symptomatically?? While there are no specific ‘Asperger’s’ drugs, psychiatric drugs can be used to treat some of the problems which may manifest or be associated with Asperger’s, such as ADD/HD, depression, mood swings, temper tantrums, irritability, aggression, obsessions and compulsive behaviours and anxiety. Many of the drugs used to treat the other Pervasive Developmental Disorders like Autism are also used to treat some of the associated symptoms of Asperger’s. These include Ritalin, Adderall, Paxil, Strattera, Prozac, Risperdal and others. Like many psychiatric drugs, these often come with unwanted side effects and the risk of addiction and their benefits should always be weighed against the potential harm they could cause, particularly in the case of children.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 3:56 pm and is filed under Asperger Syndrome.