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Find Out the Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

July 28, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Bonita Darula -

Although many experts disagree about a precise definition, the difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome seems to be a matter of severity and is tied to communication issues. Autism is known as a “spectrum” illness, as it has a wide variety of symptoms and associated conditions, the most common elements involve poor or impaired social skills, a very narrow interest range and sensory problems.

Autistic patients exhibit very rigid behavior with limited imagination. Autism is also characterized by limited verbal and non-verbal communication skills and difficulty in understanding or comprehending typical social relationships. When faced with social interaction, for example, they may appear to be indifferent or will implement repetitive functions or comments as a response mechanism. Their listening skills are usually poor.

Asperger’s syndrome is basically a less severe form of autism. While the characteristics of the base illness remain, individuals with Asperger’s syndrome seem to be relatively good at expressing themselves, can have average or above-average IQ and will not always experience or display learning difficulties. As a result, it is often not possible to diagnose the syndrome until after the child is at least five years old. You may notice subtle signs, however, such as the tantrums daily routine, which is often a way for the Asperger’s child to exhibit serious frustration and can be far more noticeable and severe than if it were exhibited by a healthy child.

Whereas children with autism suffer from intense communication difficulties, those with Asperger’s syndrome are much better at speaking, but will find it difficult to skillfully exhibit their abilities in a social situation, play and physical activity.

Some experts define Asperger’s syndrome as simply autism with a functioning language, whilst others believe that they are two distinct issues. Autism, they say, is a left brain illness, whilst Aspergers is an affliction of the right brain. It may be possible to help differentiate between the two by observing early communication skills. For example, monitor your child’s development each year and see whether he or she has the correct range of language at that age.

An Asperger child often becomes obsessed with things, and this can range from statistics to obscure or little known facts. As this obsessive behavior can sometimes take over control, it can lead to impaired development within the social arena. Many experts believe that children with autism can improve and take on the characteristics of children with Asperger’s syndrome and become virtually indistinguishable in comparison.

It is very important to conduct individual assessments and correctly diagnose your toddler, as there’s a very wide range of individual disorders within the overall spectrum. Some children might require very specialist care for extended periods of time, whilst others may successfully be integrated within a mainstream school. The debate will no doubt continue as experts try to more fully define the difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Copyright (c) 2009 Bonita Darula

Bonita Darula is widely renowned for her insights into the prevention of autism. Her celebrated materials have helped thousands of people from around the World find a new sense of hope. If you’d like to discover the secret truth about autism in its early stages, take a few moments to look here http://www.autismintoawareness.com

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Parents of Aspergers Children – Dealing With Asperger’s Syndrome

July 18, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Thord Hall -

Asperger’s Syndrome, sometimes called Asperger’s Disorder or Asperger’s Diesease is not actually a disease at all, but a condition that many children have. You can’t see that a child has Asperger’s Syndrome, but you can usually notice things about them that are different. This is because Asperger’s Syndrome can cause children to act and talk differently than you might expect. Like all of us, children with Asperger’s Syndrome are individuals and Asperger’s Syndrome will affect each child differently. Therefore, many children with Asperger’s Syndrome will behave similarly, but not exactly the same.

Remember, your child with Asperger’s Syndrome is also a child, not just a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Children often get frustrated and angry and all children need to learn to manage those feelings. As parents, it is our task to teach our children to deal with their anger and frustration in an appropriate fashion. Parents of Aspergers children have an additional challenge of teaching their child to communicate effectively without getting frustrated themselves.

Teenagers have a completely different set of circumstances. All teenagers want to make their own decisions, and can’t wait to function independently. Most teenagers struggle with success in school, may have difficulty developing and maintaining friendships as well as romantic relationships, A teenage child with Asperger’s Syndrome may be more or less frustrated than any child with these situations, but he or she may not have the skills to handle those frustrations. As parents of Aspergers children, our patience and understanding is so very important in the teenage years.

It is probably safe to say that most parents of Aspergers children have sought treatment in one form or another for their child. There are many options available, some very expensive and some which are quite affordable.

One of the most affordable and practical solutions that I have found is a compassionate, well written program called “The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide”, a MUST read for parents of Asperger children.

The author, Dave Angel is a social worker, specializing with families who have children on the Autistic Spectrum and his new e-book answers the most asked questions by families and parents of Aspergers children. This is a complete guide for parents of Aspergers children that contains very practical and easy to use information to help parents and the rest of the family.

To claim your free 7 day Mini-Course for parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. Please Click Here

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Asperger’s vs Autism

June 22, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Rachel Evans -

There has been a lot of debate about the nature of Asperger’s syndrome and where it fits within the Autism spectrum. The one thing that is known for sure is that Asperger’s IS a type of autism, but without many of the debilitating symptoms. There are many differences between what most people think of when they imagine an autistic child and one that suffers from Asperger’s syndrome. Let’s take a look at some of the basic differences.

1.    A child who is typically autistic will show severe lapses in the development of language. A high percentage of autistic children may never develop language skills at all. With a child or an adolescent who has Asperger’s syndrome, language skills are usually not affected at all and in fact can be above average. A child with Asperger’s syndrome can show impaired social development that may lead to a lack of language usage, but the actual development of the language itself is on par with other children of the same age.

2.    A second way to differentiate Asperger’s disease from classic autism is the cognitive abilities of Asperger’s children. Most kids that have Asperger’s show normal or even above average cognitive ability in classroom settings and on I.Q. tests. This extends into the later years of development too. However, children with classic autism show cognitive impairments that usually do not improve with age.

3.    A third and major difference between kids with autism and Asperger’s is the way the two interact socially. In most cases, although there are variances since each child with autism and each child with Asperger’s reacts differently, a child who is autistic can sometimes come across as being cocky or not really caring about children around them. However children with Asperger’s syndrome in most cases want to be social but are just very, very awkward. They tend to be too formal in social situations, and they are thought to not show empathy to other children. They may also appear to have no knowledge of social rules and proper mannerisms. They can also show almost complete lack of eye contact, which many regard as a lack of interest in being social, but it is more out of awkwardness than a lack of wanting to be social.

4.    A final way that you can tell if a child has Asperger’s syndrome and not traditional autism is the way an Asperger’s syndrome child becomes obsessed with things. The subject of the obsession can range something like sports statistics to obscure things like names of Russian czars or any other bizarre thing you can think of. This obsessive behavior also has an impact on the child’s socialization. They tend to only want to talk about whatever their current obsession is with other people, including kids their own age. This can add to the awkward social interaction that is common for those with Asperger’s syndrome.

For more information about symptoms and the various treatments for Asperger’s Syndrome sign up for the free newsletter below.

When talking about Asperger’s vs Autism, children with Asperger’s are sometimes referred to as having ‘high functioning autism’. This is a subjective term and has no medical definition. However it is often used to refer to children with typical Asperger’s symptoms or mild autism symptoms.

Sign up for Rachel Evans free Asperger’s syndrome newsletter – Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover more about Asperger’s vs. Autism. In the newsletter you’ll receive regular information like this article on overcoming Asperger’s Syndrome along with additional natural treatments to help alleviate symptoms.

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What Are the Sypmtoms of Asperger’s Disease?

June 9, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Margaret H. Amanda -

First and foremost, let us establish what Asperger’s disease really is and in the circles of child psychology, the condition known as Asperger’s disease is actually part of the autism spectrum disorder. It is named really after the same Austrian paediatrician who recognised a different set of symptoms and behaviours totally different from established mental disorders in children. It is also called a PDD, or a pervasive developmental disorder, and has a spectrum of conditions and symptoms that you need to know about.

This article will address some of the more common symptoms that are associated with the Asperger’s disease and the first one that you should be aware of is the social interaction facet of the child, which would be heavily affected if they are under the conditions of Asperger’s disease. One of the most common symptoms of this is that they children would have a void of normal empathy, which would mean that they cannot have any sort of social interaction with any other children or people and would find themselves at the wrong end of a normal social situation almost all of the time. They cannot enjoy the same things as other children do and they cannot seem to introduce themselves and make friends.

This is the social and emotional reciprocity issue that Asperger’s disease will bring about in young children and it can be quite debilitating because the longer it goes on, the more and more recluse they would become and they would even sometimes; reject the company of their primary care givers. The cognitive ability of most children is that they would be able to articulate and express most of the social normalities when they are in a controlled environment, but when they are placed in the dynamic outside world, they simply cannot perform in the same capacity. This is one of the more common symptoms of the Asperger’s disease you need to know about.

When not treated at an early age, the condition can manifest themselves into other forms of behaviour when they are at an early adult stage of their lives and this can be seen in violent and sometimes even criminal behaviour – funnels of frustration where they an only expressed their repressed emotions. Another thing you might want to take notice of is the normal repetitive behaviour that most children with this condition will go through, and sometimes they can be fixated on a single object and a single activity for hours on end. This is one of the more striking features of Asperger’s disease and it shares some common properties with Autism.

They might even have repetitive motor behaviour like waving of the hand or nodding of the head and this can go on for hours and hours. These are some of the more common symptoms of Asperger’s disease and if you can spot them early, then you can send your child for early regressive therapy. Early treatment is one of the most effective ways to get rid of Asperger’s disease.

MindMatters Psychology Practice provides child development support services for children and young adults. They also provide IQ Testing for children.

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ODD Behavior Or ADHD?

May 1, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Amy Nutt -

When loved ones are struggling with the world around them it’s difficult to know what to do, particularly if you cannot understand the source of their problems.

While understanding may not solve the issues, it can go a long way toward healing relationships and building a good foundation for treatment. Proper diagnosis and education on the facts of any behavioral disorder will drastically increase the chances of your loved one thriving rather than just surviving.

Two Disorders With Two Different Causes

Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are often confused because of symptoms that on the surface seem quite similar. Children, teenagers and adults all have the potential to suffer from ODD or ADHD, making their lives and the lives of their families much more difficult.

In order to fully grasp what issues your child or spouse might be facing you need to look at what behaviors their disorder compels them to act upon and what motivates them initially.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Everyone at some point in their lives has experienced what are called “oppositional feelings”. Moments where you really don’t care about the consequences of your actions, you just want to argue with someone in a position of authority. Maybe it was during your rebellious teen years or maybe at some other point in time, but you were angry, negative, generally feeling hostile and wanting to ‘take it out’ on the entire world.

This is how someone with ODD feels almost all the time.

Moody and argumentative, children and adults suffering from ODD will throw temper tantrums on a consistent basis, refuse to follow rules, blame others for their mistakes, act aggressive, spiteful and vindictive, will annoy peers deliberately, will argue with anyone in a position of authority, are touchy and will often use foul language. Due to these outbursts and negative behaviors people with ODD usually have few or no friends.

Anyone suffering from ODD is distressed and in need of help, just as those who are dealing with the consequences of these extremely disruptive behaviors, need professional help and guidance to cope.

The symptoms of ODD do NOT respond to medication – if there are other underlying disorders these may be treated pharmacologically. Instead physicians generally prescribe Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Training Programs.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In contrast to ODD, children and adults suffering from ADHD are generally not angry but frustrated by information overload. ADHD sufferers want to be good students or employees; they want to follow directions and feel very bad if they find themselves in trouble with others. Unfortunately they are often in trouble because of impulsive behavior, inattention or hyperactivity.

ADHD affects the way the brain receives and interprets information and stimulus from the outside world. Thoughts, images, sights, sounds and smells race through the mind at lightning speed and overwhelm the ADHD sufferer. Unable to focus on any one specific thing it leads to disorganization, time-management problems, procrastination and inattention. Hyperactivity and impulse control problems also affect some ADHDers and cause them to struggle in school and work situations. Those who are overwhelmed with ADHD shut down emotionally from time to time. Many ADHDers have been accused of laziness because of their physical need for downtime. [http://www.drsvec.com]ADHD can be treated with medication. Physicians often prescribe a stimulant medication to help the brain focus while patients learn skills to combat behavioral problems.

Despite their issues ADHDers are usually happy, show empathy, remorse and get along well with peers and younger people.

Proper diagnosis of your loved ones behavioral disorder is the only way to receive proper care.

The Dr. Svec Institute provides psychological services for adults and children including the assessment of ADD, ADHD, work stress consultation, and pain management. When doing research on ADD or ADHD, consider the Dr. Svec Institute of Psychological Services.

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Aspergers Syndrome, About the Disease

April 27, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Oddvar Nilsen -

Aspergers syndrome is a disorder that strikes many children, and is somewhat similar to the problems and disease of autism.  Aspergers syndrome is a milder form of what is called autistic children, and it is being found more common than anyone might have thought in the past. Asperger’s syndrome is more common in European countries, but there are thousands of people, living with this disease around the world.  This disorder is one that will affect social interaction with others, and that will cause eccentric behavior during the young childhood years.

Most children who are afflicted with Aspergers syndrome are found to have grammar and speech problems that are more prevalent, that repetitiveness is something that these children continually are fascinated with, and seem to need to thrive. Repetitive things, such as repeating what you say, doing something in a habitual manner daily, and even writing the same thing on a paper, time after time until they are too tired to continue. Those children who are affected with Aspergers syndrome often are found to be fascinated with other things as well, such as cross word puzzles, math, French, automobiles, astronomy or history and they are not interested in any other subject what so ever. If the four year old only wants to study the stars, and will continually make a habit of repeating all the names of the stars, this could be an example of a child with Aspergers syndrome.

The medical condition known as Aspergers syndrome is not one that was really diagnosed or talked about before the 1940’s. An Austrian doctor who first was describing and working with children with this disorder named the disease so that common therapy and communication about this disease could take place for the future. These children were thought to be previously useless, dependent on their parents forever, but that is not that case with children who have Aspergers syndrome.

Asperger syndrome is one that is also known as AS or Asperger’s for short. Children who are diagnosed with Aspergers will find that there are very common characteristics between children that are said to have this disease. These children have very high, to above average intellectual abilities, their IQ levels are not that of someone who is not capable or functioning. Children with Aspergers feel no need to interact with other children, or anyone else at all for that matter. While their intellect is developing very fast, they feel no social connection to others. Another very common trait of children who are afflicted with  Aspergers is that they seem to be very clumsy, that they have a hard time balancing their self, and the objects they may be carrying or walking around.

Oddvar Nilsen writes about a variety of subjects. He is the owner of http://www.aspergerssyndrome-online.info where you find more information of Aspergers syndrome.

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Does Your Child Suffer From Asperger’s Syndrome?

April 26, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Nitin N -

Asperger Syndrome (AS) generally a neurological disorder, is a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD) which represents by basic skills like weak social interaction, obsessions, poor use of imagination and unusual speech. Asperger’s syndrome affects the child’s ability to interact and communicate with others effectively. Children with Asperger’s syndrome typically exhibit social amateurishness, have normal intelligence and near-normal language development. The disorder also seems to be linked to structural abnormalities in several regions of the brain.

What are Aspergers symptoms in children?

Parents should notice Aspergers symptoms when their child starts pre-schooling and begins to interact with other children. Always remember that two children suffering with Asperger’s disease are not the same. Check out the following :-

1 Animus all changes in daily routines.

2 Unable to make eye contact or directly stare anyone.

3 Always use formal style while speaking rather than advanced. For example may use the word “return” instead of “come back” and “beckon” rather than “call”

4 Speak a lot and fast specially about favorite things. One-sided conversations with verbalized internal thoughts are more common.

5 Lack of understanding .

6 Unable to recognize major difference between speech tone, pitch and accent. Poor to understand jokes or funny comments.

7 Have more sensitivity about loudness, great noise, light, strong tastes etc.

8 Have weak learning power such as may be late in learning to use spoon or fork, ride a bike, or catch a ball.

9 Have analytical postures or facial expressions.

10 Many children with Asperger’s disease are more interested in unusual activities like designing house, drawing more complicated scenes or studying astronomy.

11 Showing unusual non-verbal communication such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, bad body postures and gestures

12 unable to understand and recognized sensitivity to others’ feelings

13 Speaking in a monotonous voice that is rigid or fast

14 Moving loosely with poor coordination

15 Odd posture problem or a rigid gait

Treatment and drugs for curing Asperger’s syndrome

The core symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome can not be cured properly. But many children get benefit from specialized techniques that focus on social skills and behavioral management training. These Options include:

1 Training for social and communication skills : with the help of rote fashion and explicit way of teaching many Children suffering with Asperger’s syndrome, might be capable to learn the more rules of socialization and communication with foreign languages. They also learn speaking way in a natural rhythm or interpretation of communication techniques like gestures, voice tone, eye contact, humor and sarcasm.

2 New therapy for Cognitive behavior : This therapy offers more techniques aimed at curing problem behavior like interrupting, meltdowns or anger, obsessions and developing skills including recognize feelings and anxiety. It focuses on trained a suffered child to find out the troublesome situation related to new event or place consists of many social demands then choose a specific strategy to handle this situation.

3 Special education technique : This kind of education includes structured learning queries to fulfill the child’s unique educational requirements.

4 Behavior modification: This includes strategies which are supporting positive behavior.

5 Speech, physical therapy: These kind of therapies are developed to increase the child’s functional abilities.

Asperger’s Syndrome is curable, read more about Aspergers at http://www.aspergersdisease.net an online help and discussion on Asperger’s disease, Aspergers symptoms and Aspergers treatment.

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Asperger Disease – Its Treatment Modalities

April 26, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Sam Carson -

Asperger’s disease is not actually a disease itself, or something that can lead to a serious complication like other acute and chronic illnesses. This is more of a condition that requires better understanding, especially among parents who have children suffering from such state.

This condition does not require invasive treatment, such as surgeries, or any other expensive pharmacological agents for its cure. Although there are abnormalities in the patient’s brain structure and functioning, surgeries or higher dosage of drugs will not resolve the condition. The treatment modalities needed to assuage and modify its signs and symptoms is focused more on psychological approach, such as behavioral adjustment methods.

Since this problem is mainly centered on the patient’s perception and attitude on socialization, such as getting along normally and interacting with other people, the objectives of the behavioral adjustment approach are to help the patient or the child to have empathy with other people, and to fashion an emotional lability within them.

There is no single “Best” approach to manage Asperger’s Disease, but there are options that are available for the patient, his family, significant others and health care provider to utilize. One for instance is a social training skill in which the patient will be subjected to a certain group therapy. In such setting, it is expected that he will be able to interact productively with his group mates. This can be seen when a child engages on either a parallel play or playing along and sharing his toys with another child.

Another modification plan will include a cognitive behavioral therapy, in which the patient will be able to process his emotions very well and give an appropriate reaction on it. Another major goal of this kind of therapy is that the patient will be able to express his emotions verbally, and he will be able to state what he wants and dislikes. This therapy is also helpful in managing the patients personality disorder, specifically being an obsessive-compulsive, which is common among patients with Asperger disease.

Aside from these behavioral modification regimens for the patient, another essential treatment modality for this kind of condition is Speech Therapy. The speech center in the patients brain is usually affected because of the abnormality in brain functioning and structure, plus there is impairment in flexible thinking that renders the patient to have problems in communication skills.

The major goal of speech therapy is to provide the patient an outlet for his emotions and expression through a normal conversation or communication pattern, in which he will be able to process the message of the sender and provide a positive and acceptable feedback regarding that message. Through this, the patient would feel more “socially accepted” because he can comprehend the message of other people, and others can also understand what he is saying.

These are the major treatment modalities for the patient that would eventually help him attain a higher level of functioning in the society. And most professionals agree that the earlier the child has been diagnosed with Asperger Disease and the earlier the therapies have been initiated, the less likely will the child suffer from difficulties in social interaction in his adult life.

You can get more information on Aspergers at this site? Learn the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Asperger’s Disease here

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What is Asperger’s Disease?

April 26, 2009 By Eric Putnam Leave a Comment

By Nitin Patel -

Asperger’s disease is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder that falls within the autistic spectrum. It is a life-long condition, which affects about 1 in 277 people, more commonly in men than women. People with Asperger’s disease usually have an average or higher than average intelligence, they also have no or few speech problems.

Asperger’s disease is characterised by three difficulties:

- Social Interaction
- Social Communication
- Flexibility of thinking or imagination

To add, there may be sensory, motor and organisational difficulties.

Although Asperger’s disease was first identified over 60 years ago by Hans Asperger, a Viennese paediatrician, there is still no single known cause of this disorder. The most important thing to remember is that this condition is very difficult to diagnose unless you are looking for it. Many children, unfortunately, go undiagnosed every year, and some are even misdiagnosed, as children with attention deficit disorder or other behavioral conditions.

Certain behaviours and abilities have been identified, predominantly amongst boys, including:

- Lack of empathy
- Impaired imagination
- Difficulty in making friends
- Intense absorption in a special interest
- Problems with motor co-ordination

Some other common problems children are found to have include, but are not limited to:

- Tic Disorders, like Tourette’s
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Depression
- Bipolar Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Whilst people with Asperger’s disease will exhibit some or all of these characteristics more or less, many tend to experience isolation and a mis-understanding in their everyday lives, resulting in frustration, anger, depression and a lack of self-esteem.

For more information, discussion and support on Asperger’s disease, Aspergers symptoms and Aspergers treatment, visit http://www.aspergersdisease.net/ http://www.aspergersdisease.net is committed to promoting awareness and understanding of Asperger’s Disease, Aspergers symptoms and Aspergers treatment. Established in 2009 with the support of an online community of Asperger’s disease sufferers and those who are directly part of their lives or have an interest in the condition.

THE VISION:

- To provide information, discussion and support for people with Asperger’s disease and their families and carers.

- Provide a comprehensive and interactive website all about Asperger’s disease, Aspergers symptoms and Aspergers treatment.

- Raise awareness and promote a broader understanding of Asperger’s disease, Aspergers symptoms and Aspergers treatment.

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