As a milder form of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome was originally discovered in 1944, named after an Austrian psychiatrist and pediatrician who first discovered this complex biological condition which affects the communication and social skills of an individual. Because Asperger’s Syndrome is generally misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed in childhood, the following is a review of the condition, the symptoms, diagnostic measures and treatment which should be considered in childhood when the child exhibits impaired social networking which may indicative of Asperger’s Syndrome symptoms.
Considered a physiological disorder with marked psychiatric component, children with Asperger’s Syndrome will generally exhibit very inhibited behaviors in social interraction both with adults and with other children. Because social communication and body language use are impaired, the child will often exhibit symptoms of delayed or repetitive speech and can be impaired in performing general physical activities, most often labeled as a clumsy child. More often than not, boys will suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome more commonly than girls with the condition believed to be hereditary. With an increased risk for symptom magnification in children born to substance abuse mothers and children who may have been abused or subjected to trauma early in childhood, Asperger’s Syndrome is often mistaken for other child growth and development complications until proper diagnosing takes place.
Diagnosing Asperger’s Syndrome will generally come during a diagnosing process for autism. With autistic children commonly suffering from genetic or comorbid health conditions, Asperger’s Syndrome is generally diagnosed when the child is found to exhibit no abnormal brain structural conditions and when confirmed as Asperger’s Syndrome through neuropsychological testing. It is during this testing that the child will be confirmed with Asperger’s Syndrome upon confirmation of the child’s inability to show emotional and social understanding, when the child has an inability to show empathy and may use odd, unusual or no body language as part of a communication process and the child exhibits a normal to high intelligence quotient (IQ). Unfortunately, for some children, the condition is not diagnosed as Asperger’s Syndrome and, instead, is labed, instead, as autism even with a high level functioning IQ.
Treating the Asperger’s Syndrome child with cognitive behavioral therapy has been the primary approach in treatment recommendations. In cognitive behavioral therapy, the child is trained in more normal social skills, improved communication patterns and therapy to negate the effects of repetitive activity. In some Asperger’s Syndrome children, the use of anti-depressants may be used. Additionally, treatment may also include parental training which includes “at-home” methods for eliminating specific behaviors in the Asperger’s Syndrome child. With or without treatment, Asperger’s Syndrome children will live normal life expectancies but may suffer a greater risk of other co-morbid psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. For this reason, it is imperative that the Asperger’s Syndrome child be diagnosed and treated early in life.
As with any developmental disorder, diagnosis and treatment, during childhood, will work to ensure a more happy and productive life. When caring for a child who exhibits abnormal speech, verbal and communication patterns, consider consulting a pediatrician regarding testing for conditions such as Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.
