Asperger Syndrome Therapy

Asperger syndrome is a permeant developmental disorder. It is a group of neurological conditions identified by the degree of disablement in language and interpersonal skills. It is also characterized by repetitive patterns of thinking and behavior. As per studies, it is found in two out of every ten thousand individuals. Boys are at a higher risk of suffering from asperger's syndrome in comparison to girls.

Asperger Syndrome: Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of asperger syndrome is noticeable when the patient is 2 to 3 years old. There have been a small number of cases reported to have shown the characteristics of asperger syndrome since infancy. One most important sign shown by the patient of asperger's syndrome is unusual interest with a particular subject to the riddance of other activities. The patient expresses certain distinctiveness in speech and language. He/she may speak in an excessively formal or monotonous manner. He/she may show repetitive routines of rituals and inability to interact successfully with compeers. Another common symptom of asperger's syndrome shown by its patients is awkward and uncoordinated motor movements along with problematic non-verbal communication. The latter may include limited use of gestures, a particular stiff gaze and inappropriate facial expressions.

Asperger Syndrome: Therapy
Asperger syndrome therapy begins with the diagnosis of a peculiar group of behavior. They include abnormal eye contact, a lack of interest in compeers, a lack of interactive play, aloofness, failure to use gestures to point or indicate and the failure to respond when their name is called. The medical diagnosis of asperger's syndrome is a two-stage process. The first stage involves developmental screening of the child by a pediatrician. The second stage is an intensive evaluation to identify asperger syndrome. It is conducted by a team of medical professionals that include psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, speech therapist and some other experts who are adept in detecting asperger's syndrome.

There is no treatment for the core symptoms of asperger syndrome. However, the over-all attribute of the patient can be improved with asperger syndrome therapy, which is basically a psychological intervention focusing on communication skills and behavior management. A patient of asperger syndrome does not understand the unwritten principles of socialization and communication. Efforts are made by the specialists to teach him/her the social skills in an expressive and rote fashion in asperger syndrome therapy. The patient is also taught to speak in a more natural way and effectively use gestures, tone of voice, eye contact and understand humor and sarcasm. The patient is also instructed to identify troublesome situations such as increased social demands on a special occasion and then choose a special strategy to deal with the situation. This is called cognitive behavior therapy. There are no medicines or drugs to cure asperger's syndrome. But the help of medication can be taken if the patient shows some mental complications like anxiety, hyperactivity or depression.The therapy for asperger syndrome also involves parent training and support. The parents and family members of the patient are taught various behavioral techniques that need to be used at home with the patient.

You might be wondering whether the patient gets better after receiving therapy for asperger syndrome. Well, the answer is, to some extent they do. With proper treatment and training, the patient is able to cope with his/her disability. However, he/she may continue finding social situations and maintaining interpersonal relationships quite challenging and difficult. According to common observation, the patients are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs but they need continuous support and promotion to lead an independent life.