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ANSWERS
TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
ASPERGER SYNDROME
By: Ruth McPhearson, Ph.D.
Table
of Contents
1. What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
2. What is Asperger’s Disorder?
3. Who determined the diagnostic criteria for this
syndrome and are other criteria available?
4. How is Asperger’s Syndrome related to Autism?
5. How is Asperger’s different from Autism?
6. What is the difference between Asperger’s
Disorder and High Functioning Autism?
7. How is Asperger’s Syndrome treated? Is there
a cure?
8. What is the difference between a disorder and the
normal range of abilities and
personality?
9. Do girls experience Asperger’s Disorder differently?
10. What other problems may a person with Asperger’s
Disorder experience?
11. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having
the label Asperger’s Disorder?
12. What is meant by “impaired social interaction”?
13. What is pedantic speech?
14. What is “theory of mind” or “mind
blindness”?
15. What are “stereotyped behaviors”?
16. What are “stim behaviors” and why
does the person with Asperger’s Disorder do them?
17. How can I find out if my child has Asperger’s
Syndrome?
18. When is it good to look for help for my child
with Asperger’s Syndrome?
1.
What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
Generally, Asperger’s Syndrome is understood to involve problems
with social skills and relationships, nonverbal communication difficulties,
restricted, repetitive behaviors, narrow areas of interest, and
adequate development of language skills and intelligence.
Since 1944 when Hans Asperger first wrote of the symptoms he observed,
professionals have included different groupings of the following
symptoms in their definitions of the condition: social impairment,
narrow interest, repetitive routines, nonverbal communication problems,
motor clumsiness, preference for solitary activities, odd speech,
stereotyped behaviors, lack of delay in speech or language comprehension
skills, normal intellectual development, delayed motor skills, problematic
peer relationships, restricted interests, compulsive adherence to
nonfunctional routines, preoccupation with parts of objects or nonfunctional
aspects of toys, tools, machines, etc.
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2.
What is Asperger’s Disorder?
The terms “Asperger’s Disorder” and “Asperger’s
Syndrome” are used interchangeably to describe the same set
of behaviors. Prior to the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; 1994), the
term Asperger’s Syndrome appeared to be more prevalent. In
1994, the DSM-IV made a group of symptoms a “diagnosable”
condition named Asperger’s Disorder. The term Asperger Syndrome
seems to be used more in other countries (i.e., outside of the United
States; Attwood, 2003). American’s, in contrast, tend to use
the label Asperger’s Disorder. This difference is likely due
to the fact that it was the American Psychiatric Association which
first officially “named” the disorder in its 1994 publication
of the DSM-IV.
The following symptoms were required for a DSM-IV diagnosis of Asperger’s
Disorder: (a) impaired social interaction; (b) limited, habitual,
stereotyped patterns of behavior, activities or areas of interest;
(c) lack of significant delay in language skills; (d) lack of delay
in cognitive skills, age-appropriate adaptive or self-help skills;
(e) presence of curiosity in the outside world or the environment;
(f) the first two symptoms must lead to problems in social, occupational,
or other types of functioning for the person; and (g) the symptoms
are not related to a diagnosis schizophrenia or another pervasive
developmental disorder.
These criteria attempt to describe people who:
a. Appear to experience a lack of reciprocity in social interactions
(Meyer & Minshew, 2002). This means a person who does not understand
nonverbal communication (e.g., gestures, facial expressions) and,
for example, may continue a conversation even though the person
s/he is talking to is looking at his watch trying to get away. The
person with Asperger’s has difficulty recognizing and understanding
others’ use of facial expression and gestures during conversation.
Their lack of response to this type of communication creates great
difficulty for them in social relationships. Similarly, a person
with Asperger’s may not use nonverbal communication and may
appear expressionless in most conversations or interactions with
others.
b. Lack a theory of mind (the ability to understand what another
person may be thinking in a given situation). They have difficulty
imagining or understanding how someone else’s thoughts, experiences,
knowledge, or desires could influence their behavior. This concept
has also been called “mind blindness” (Attwood, 1998,
p. 114).
c. Have unusual speech patterns. While people with Asperger’s
may have begun talking at an appropriate age, they often “
. . . used a rather pedantic, long-winded and sometimes rather concrete
or literal style of speaking” (Bowler, 1992, p. 877). Pedantic
describes speech that is overly focused on the details of its topic.
It is speech that appears to list details about a topic one after
the other. In a person with Asperger’s, this type of speech
does not appear to be impacted by the environment (such as by the
nonverbal cues of others), and therefore seems less conversational
and more like a monologue. People with Asperger’s often also
understand and use words concretely and literally. An example could
be when a teacher discussed possible consequences for misbehavior
with a student who has Asperger’s. The student heard that
if he did not complete his homework or class work at any one time,
that he would receive a detention. He became very angry over this
perceived injustice. He did not understand that the teacher had
meant that when she saw a pattern of incomplete work, she would
provide the consequence of a detention. With such a concrete way
of understanding others, the person with Asperger’s can easily
misinterpret others’ intent and respond in an unexpected and
possibly inappropriate way.
d. Have an area of special, sometimes obsessive interest. Many times,
people with Asperger’s develop this interest as a way to overcome
fear - however this does not always have to be the case. Weather,
especially tornadoes and hurricanes, can be fearful or even terrifying.
A child with Asperger’s may develop a preoccupation with weather
to cope with this fear. He might watch the Weather Channel continuously,
read the weather report in the paper numerous times across the day,
or read about different weather phenomena and be able to share details
of past storms when the weather worsens. Trains are often a focus
of interest for many children with autism. Video games and computers
also appear to be strong interests as the younger children mature.
e. Tend to prefer routine, repetitive activities and to avoid and
dislike transitions and change. They have been described as often
having a “one track mind”. They can have a plan, and
if it fails, will continue with it until it does work.
f. Have great ability to attend to detail and recall detailed information
about their areas of interest. While people with Asperger’s
can amaze others with the amount of detailed information they have
stored on certain topics, they often have difficulty using and applying
this information constructively. They can experience difficulty
recognizing the “big picture”, or recognizing the forest
from the trees. The relevancy of the information they know is often
limited.
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3.
Who determined the diagnostic criteria for this
syndrome and are other criteria available?
Although the DSM-IV provides the criteria for diagnosing Asperger’s
Disorder, alternative criteria for identifying Asperger’s
have been suggested by other professional organizations and individual
researchers such as the World Health Organization (WHO, 1993), Gillberg
(1991), and Szatmari, Bremner and Nagy (1989). Tony Attwood’s
(1998) book, Asperger’s Syndrome: A guide for parents and
professionals, provides a listing for each of the different sets
of criteria, and readers are referred to that book for such a list.
Notably, only the DSM-IV version contains the criterion that a child
should not have experienced language delay. The criteria suggested
by Gillberg and the WHO both included the presence of motor clumsiness
(DSM-IV did not). Szatmari, et al’s criteria require the presence
of solitariness (e.g., no close friends, a loner), while the DSM-IV
merely discussed “impaired social interaction”. At a
recent conference (2003), Tony Attwood suggested that the DSM-IV
was incorrect in requiring no significant speech delay for a diagnosis
of Asperger’s. In the case of Asperger’s Disorder and
other diagnoses, criteria are constantly evolving as we learn more
about disorders and the behaviors that characterize them.
Debate also continues regarding the validity of the Asperger’s
diagnosis at all. Some who have reviewed the cases upon which Hans
Asperger first developed his criteria suggest that the children
Asperger worked with would more likely be diagnosed with Autistic
Disorder today (Miller & Ozonoff, 1997). Additionally, a good
deal of recent research has focused on trying to distinguish Asperger’s
Disorder from High Functioning Autism (HFA). To date, support for
significant differences between the disorders has been very weak
(Ozonoff, 2003). It has been suggested that the differences between
children with Asperger’s and children with autism: a) are
based more on differences in abilities (McLaughlin-Cheng, 1998;
Miller & Ozonoff, 2000; Prior, Eisenmajer, Leekham, Wing, Gould,
Ong, & Dowe, 1998); and b) fewer symptoms during early development
among children with Asperger’s than among children with autism
(Klin, et al., 2000; Ozonoff, South, & Miller, 2000). Questions
are still being debated within the literature regarding the existence
of any difference between these two disorders and how to accurately
diagnose the condition.
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4.
How is Asperger’s Syndrome related to Autism?
Asperger’s and some other disorders are believed to fall along
a spectrum. This spectrum has been called the autism spectrum, and
also the pervasive developmental disorder spectrum. Whatever it
is called, Autistic Disorder (or autism) would fall at one end of
the spectrum, while “average” or “neurotypical”
functioning would be found at the other end. Asperger’s has
been conceptualized as a mild, less problematic form of autism that
falls between average functioning and autism on this continuum.
This means that children with autism experience many of the same
symptoms as people with Asperger’s. However, the symptoms
of children with autism are usually more severe and their functioning
is much more impaired. For example, while a child with Asperger’s
may have difficulty using language socially, a child with autism
may be mute. Both Asperger’s and Autistic Disorders may involve
social rejection, lack of understanding or interest in other people’s
feelings, difficulties interacting with others, some rigidity (instead
of flexibility) in play, difficulty using language socially, poor
nonverbal communication skills, odd motor behaviors, and narrow
interests or abilities.
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5.
How is Asperger’s different from Autism?
Autism is the more severe form of problems with social interaction,
restricted behaviors and areas of interest, and impaired language
skills. For example, while a child with Asperger’s Disorder
may have difficulty interacting with others socially and forming
friendships, a child with autism may often avoid direct eye contact
with any individual, dislike physical touch including the experience
of hugs or loving touches, and may not develop verbal skills (a
more severe expression of impaired social skills). According to
the present diagnostic criteria, people with autism usually experience
significant delay in the acquisition of language skills (e.g., the
child did not use single words before the age of 2; communicative
phrases were not used until after age 3). Cognitive skills are also
often impaired. In contrast, people with Asperger’s Disorder
should not have experienced delay or impairment in cognitive or
language skills.
Miller and Ozonoff (2000) summarized the differences between autism
and Asperger’s Disorder as: a) differences in motor ability
(original descriptions of children with autism did not suggest any
motor difficulties, while early descriptions by Asperger did); b)
language ability (as described in #4); c) cognitive skill (Asperger
wrote about children with normal intelligence; research has demonstrated
that the majority of children with autism are cognitively impaired);
and d) “visuospatial development” (p.228) - which means
skill at processing and understanding visual, nonverbal information
(in some children with autism this could be a strength, whereas
this was never addressed by Asperger). Others have suggested that
while people with autism show little interest in peer interaction,
people with Asperger’s often seek such companionship (Powers
& Poland, 2002).
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6.
What is the difference between Asperger’s
Disorder and High Functioning Autism?
Many people identified as having high functioning autism
(HFA) had more pronounced symptoms of autism as children. As they
aged, the development of basic social skills, age appropriate cognitive
skills, and verbal ability occurred. Tony Attwood (1998), a psychologist
who has much experience and expertise in Asperger’s, has written
that HFA is a phrase that is most often used in the United States
and often applies to people who qualified for a diagnosis of autism
as children.
Controversy still exists within the literature about the differences
between these diagnoses. Some people use the terms interchangeably.
At this point, differences between the two labels (HFA and AS) have
yet to be effectively clarified.
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7.
How is Asperger’s Syndrome treated? Is there
a cure?
Currently, there is no “cure” for Asperger’s Syndrome.
Different symptoms of Asperger’s can be treated with the goal
of reducing the problems they create for the child or individual.
Treatment can include medication management of problems such as
anxiety and depression, conditions that often occur as a result
of the difficulties experienced by the person with Asperger’s.
Medication has also been used to manage the obsessive (recurring,
bothersome thoughts) and compulsive traits (behaviors used to get
rid of the bothersome thoughts) that can be exhibited. Historically,
these people have been incorrectly diagnosed with other types of
disorders including schizophrenia, personality disorders, Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder (OCD). Medications, such as anti-psychotics, have been
prescribed. The problem with this approach is that although people
with Asperger’s may experience obsessive thinking, repetitive
thoughts or interests, or exhibit unusual social behavior, their
symptoms are best reflected by the criteria for Asperger’s
Disorder rather than these other diagnoses.
Behaviorally, interventions targeting skill development tend to
be the most common and can be affective at any age. Early intervention
with young children often relies on behavioral principles. Children
are taught new behaviors and rewarded based on their ability to
engage in that behavior with increasing frequency. Consequences
may also be applied to decrease negative behaviors. Interventions
for older children and adolescents focus more on educating them
about their diagnosis, developing new skills, and providing opportunities
to practice those skills. Parents, teachers, and / or therapists
can all play a role in this process. Often however, there needs
to be some intervention at school if a child is going to successfully
learn new behaviors. Parents need to talk to school staff (teachers,
administrators) to determine what resources are available for their
child within the school (such as counselors, special programs, teacher
assistance, etc.). Therapy also provides a means of learning new
skills. Individual therapy helps address emotional difficulties
that may arise as a result of the Asperger’s Disorder. Social
skill training can be a part of this work. Group therapy offers
a chance to learn new skills in a setting designed to offer the
chance to practice and receive feedback on what is being learned.
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8.
What is the difference between a disorder and the
normal range of abilities and personality?
It is important to remember that all behaviors fall along a continuum
or spectrum. At one end of the spectrum is “normal”
behavior, or abilities, traits, and individual characteristics that
are considered appropriate (or typical) on the basis of a person’s
culture, age, gender, etc. At the other end of the spectrum are
groups of behaviors that, when exhibited regularly by an individual,
create problems for that person in terms of his or her functioning
socially, emotionally, or occupationally.
Many people have certain eccentricities, including unusual hobbies,
anxiety or awkwardness in social situations, or clumsiness. This
is considered well within the range of normal behavior. However,
when these behaviors coincide, form a pattern across time, and negatively
impact a person’s ability to function, then they are viewed
as “clinically significant”, and as requiring diagnosis
and treatment.
There is a lot of controversy about the diagnosis of Asperger’s
(summarized in previous questions). Added to the mix is concern
that people with poor social skills are being “pathologized”.
Put another way, the “loners” are now qualifying for
a diagnosis. Our society expects people to be social. When they
are not do we view them as disabled? Simon Baron-Cohen (2002) explored
this argument and looked at both sides. He suggested that many of
the behaviors associated with Asperger’s Disorder represent
a focus on things rather than on people. If placed in a different
environment, he believed that Asperger’s would not be seen
as a “disorder”. He also pointed out that children with
Asperger's tend to meet the majority of developmental milestones
on time, and emphasized the typical or “normal” aspect
of their development. In contrast, he also discussed two reasons
for continuing to consider Asperger’s a “disability”
(p.189): a) so that people with this diagnosis could have access
to support at school (possibly through special education services)
and within the community (some insurance companies will pay for
a person with Asperger’s to get treatment in outpatient therapy);
and b) because lack of empathy (or theory of mind) can create significant
problems emotionally for people with Asperger’s.
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9.
Do girls experience Asperger’s Disorder differently?
Yes, however far fewer girls are diagnosed with Asperger’s
than boys. Earlier, the ratio was believed to be one girl to every
ten boys was diagnosed with Asperger’s (10:1). Currently however
that ratio is believed to be more in the range of one girl to every
four boys (4:1; Attwood, 2003). As professionals become more familiar
with the diagnostic criteria, more girls appear to be receiving
the Asperger’s diagnosis.
Generally, it is believed that girls experience a much milder form
of the difficulties associated with Asperger’s Disorder. American
society emphasizes and pushes girls to develop strong social skills
at an early age. This may benefit girls with Asperger’s by
helping them learn compensatory skills or address any deficits earlier
in life. Alternatively, it has been suggested that girls use different
coping strategies when dealing with social situations (Attwood,
2003). Girls tend to hide in social situations, and remain on the
periphery. This allows them to observe the behaviors of others,
and once comfortable with the process, to mimic those behaviors
(e.g., facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice). Doll play allows
younger girls to re-experience social situations, replay them, alter
them, and learn from them. Girls also often have invisible friends
- a safe tool to use when practicing social skills. Among females,
Asperger’s Disorder may express itself more through immaturity.
Topics of special interest also may not be as intense as the interests
exhibited by boys. Girls’ areas of special interest seem to
be different from those of boys. Their preoccupations center more
on animals and classical literature. The long-term prognosis for
females with Asperger’s Disorder also seems better than for
males (Attwood, 1998), largely because of the females’ ability
to hide their difficulties from others over time.
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10.
What other problems may a person with Asperger’s
Disorder experience?
A number of difficulties can accompany the behaviors that define
Asperger’s. As people with limited social skills and awareness
of others, who tend to have areas of unusual or intense interest,
a strong need for routine, and unusual mannerisms, people with Asperger’s
often experience emotional difficulties, including depression, anxiety,
and anger. Social interaction and negative feedback from others
creates stress. People react differently to such stress. Some people
internalize distress through the experience of feelings of low self-esteem,
hopelessness, helplessness and sadness. Some internalize the distress
through feelings of anxiety. Others externalize the distress through
angry, aggressive, destructive, or rule-breaking behaviors. These
reactions can be triggered by teasing, perceptions of being treated
unjustly, frustration and confusion in response to certain situations
- many triggers can exist and depend solely on the individual. If
any of these additional problems (depression, anxiety, or anger)
affect the person’s ability to function and are pervasive,
they may require diagnosis and treatment as well.
Other conditions can also occur with Asperger’s, but are not
part of the criteria for the Asperger’s diagnosis. Problems
with attention, concentration, and/or impulsive, distracted, or
hyperactive behaviors might suggest a possible diagnosis of Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The occurrence of motor and
verbal tics could suggest problems associated with Tourette’s
Disorder. For people who experience these problems as well as the
difficulties associated with Asperger’s Disorder, a dual diagnosis
may be necessary.
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11.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having
the label Asperger’s Disorder?
The advantages tend to be personal and emotional. For parents, the
diagnosis and label provides them with a sense of relief. Many parents
of children with Asperger’s say that they have known that
something was “wrong”, but felt that they could not
get “the problem” properly identified. When such difficulties
are identified and labeled, parents and individuals are better able
to understand the nature of the problems and how to remedy them.
By labeling the disorder, it is easier to address any problems that
are associated with it, and allows parents and individuals the opportunity
to maximize the positive aspects of the disorder. People with Asperger’s
often have a unique ability to focus, and to catalogue detailed
information about their areas of interest. In many situations, these
talents can be put to very positive, constructive uses. One only
needs to look at the celebrities who some suggest may qualify or
may have qualified for an Asperger’s diagnosis (e.g., Thomas
Jefferson, Albert Einstein) to realize what talents can be associated
with what is called a “disorder”. Other advantages to
“labeling” include providing parents and teachers with
a way to learn about a child’s behaviors. By learning about
Asperger’s people can better understand its implications so
that parental, teacher, and community expectations of the individual
are realistic, reasonable, and do not require that person to meet
standards that are outside his/her range of abilities. Additionally
for children, the diagnosis qualifies the child for assistance in
the schools as defined by IDEA. This means that the schools are
required to provide special accommodations for the child’s
education. The accommodations need to be tailored to the child’s
condition so that they help create a learning environment that is
best suited to the child’s abilities.
Disadvantages associated with the label of Asperger’s are
similar to the disadvantages associated with any label, and generally
refer to people’s tendency to think in stereotypes. Labeling
an individual gives others the ability to “pigeonhole”
or make assumptions about the person based on the diagnosis, or
their understanding of the diagnosis. This can lead people to make
decisions and judgements about the individual based on the diagnosis
rather than on the needs and characteristics of that person.
It is always important to remember that no person is a diagnosis,
and that no diagnosis is a person. Asperger’s Disorder is
merely one quality of an individual. That person will have many
other traits, characteristics, and aspects of his/her personality.
Readers are encouraged to learn about the person first, then to
explore the way the Asperger’s diagnosis affects his/her functioning.
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12.
What is meant by “impaired social interaction”?
Essentially, this means that the person with Asperger’s experiences
difficulty developing relationships, responding appropriately, and
interacting with others with ease. Certain qualities of human interaction
are very difficult for people with Asperger’s. People communicate
with each other through verbal (e.g., speech) as well as nonverbal
(e.g., eye-to-eye gaze, gestures, body posture) communication. While
verbal ability is often a strength for people with Asperger’s,
nonverbal communication is usually an area of difficulty. People
with Asperger’s have trouble understanding the nonverbal communication
of others. They overlook or don’t recognize the meaning behind
another person’s gestures or facial expressions. This means
that they frequently miss the cues they are given that a person
wants to leave, is getting bored, or wants to say something herself.
The person with Asperger’s can also have difficulty using
nonverbal communication, for example: hand gestures do not fit with
what is being said, or there is an absence of gesturing or a complete
lack of nonverbal communication.
Impaired social interaction also means that a person has difficulty
making and keeping friends. As can be imagined, interacting with
someone who does not understand or use nonverbal communication can
be unsettling and uncomfortable. As a result, many people avoid
the person with Asperger’s and relationships do not develop.
When friendships do occur, they are usually built on a shared area
of interest. That interest is typically the focus of the intense
interest and preoccupation of the person with Asperger’s.
Maintaining such friendships can be difficult because the person
with Asperger’s can be rigid and inflexible regarding the
area of interest. In other words, their conversation rarely addresses
other topics, and they tend to be the center of any conversation
about the topic (leaving the other child to listen rather than contribute
to a discussion). Because the person with Asperger’s is so
focused on this interest, s/he often knows a great deal of detailed
information about it. This can often be intimidating to other children
who do not feel as much an “expert”.
Lastly, impaired social interaction also encompasses the distressing
social situations that many people with Asperger’s encounter.
The term “playground predator” has often been used to
describe children who appear to purposefully, intentionally, and
vindictively single out a child with Asperger’s for teasing
and taunting. Bullies often do pick on children who are “easy
targets” or vulnerable. With their difficulties understanding
nonverbal cues, and having limited social support, people with Asperger’s
are often the targets of bullies.
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13.
What is pedantic speech?
Pedantic describes speech that is overly focused on the details
of its topic. It is speech that appears to list details about a
topic one after the other. In a person with Asperger’s, this
type of speech does not appear to be impacted by the environment
(such as by the nonverbal cues of others), and therefore seems less
conversational and more like a monologue. This includes the person’s
likely idiosyncratic, or unusual use of words, e.g., a “Hoover
for the face” being used for razor (Attwood, 2003), or tendency
to make up words to communicate their thoughts. The volume of the
person’s speech may be off - either too loud or too quiet
for the environment or situation. The person with Asperger’s
may also vocalize his or her thoughts rather than keeping those
thoughts to themselves.
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14.
What is “theory of mind” or “mind
blindness”?
It has been suggested that children with Asperger’s Disorder
(and autism) lack a theory of mind (the ability to understand what
another person may be thinking in a given situation). They have
difficulty imagining or understanding how someone else’s thoughts,
experiences, knowledge, or wishes could influence their behavior.
This concept has also been called “mind blindness” (Attwood,
1998, p. 114).
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15.
What are “stereotyped behaviors”?
Stereotyped behaviors are those that are repetitive and unvarying.
They are behaviors that do not have to serve any apparently useful,
constructive purpose, but instead have only personal meaning to
the individual with Asperger’s. They reflect the person’s
adherence to a routine way of behaving.
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16.
What are “stim behaviors” and why does
the person with Asperger’s Disorder do them?
Stim behaviors refer to behaviors that tend to appear in response
to an anxiety-provoking situation or experience, they are repetitive,
and often times appear unusual or inappropriate socially. Children
with Asperger’s often become obsessed with the need for sameness
or routine. When changes occur in their environment that deviate
from that sameness, anxiety is produced and repetitive, ritualistic
behaviors restore some of the sense of “sameness” that
was lost. These behaviors are the way the person with Asperger’s
copes with change, unpredictability, and anxiety. Attempts by teachers,
parents, or significant others to stop these behaviors may lead
the person with Asperger’s to feel panic, anger, and/or extreme
anxiety and can results in extreme behaviors (screaming, temper
tantrums) that are often less desirable than the stim behavior.
In these instances, it is often best to try to help the person with
Asperger’s learn an alternative, more socially acceptable
behavior to achieve this same goal.
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17.
How can I find out if my child has Asperger’s
Syndrome?
Currently, awareness of Asperger’s appears to be increasing.
While this is positive, some confusion continues to exist among
professionals about diagnosing the condition. For this reason, it
will be important to work with someone who either has some pre-existing
knowledge of Asperger’s, or who is willing to learn more about
it. Physicians, psychologists, therapists, and educators are usually
among the first people to identify Asperger symptoms. Consulting
with a trusted person in any of these fields would likely be a good
first step. They can then either help you directly, or can refer
you to someone else within the community who can.
Accurate diagnosis often involves testing by the use of questionnaires,
check lists, clinical interview, psychological tests and possibly
medical examination. Different professions emphasize different means
of identification. If you believe you or your child may qualify
for a diagnosis of Asperger’s, or another autism spectrum
disorder, taking that first step of contacting a trusted professional
will be very important. If you need help identifying providers within
Mississippi, TEAAM can provide you with the names of professionals
who may be able to help.
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18.
When is it good to look for help for my child with
Asperger’s Syndrome?
The earlier the better. Interventions targeted at young children
can help them learn social skills and ways of interacting with others
that will help them avoid the social difficulties (such as teasing,
bullying, social rejection and isolation, and social anxiety) that
affects older children, adolescents, and adults with the disorder.
Alternatively, older children and adults can benefit tremendously
from learning about the disorder, and ways to address its negative
aspects while maximizing its positive side. The key is to seek help.
Without knowledge of the disorder and proper diagnosis, many people
can continue to experience difficulties that can affect them for
a lifetime.
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