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WELCOME! Feel free to post a comment or question in the chat room above. For information regarding psychiatric medication, please address your question to David McLaughlin, MD (Consultant: Psychiatry). For information regarding psychiatric testing, please address your question to Julie Kennedy, Psy.D (Consultant: Clinical Psychology). For all other questions, please address Mark Hutten, M.A. (Counseling Psychology). Someone will respond to your inquiry within 12 to 24 hours.
What are meltdowns?They are overwhelming emotions thatare quite common in Asperger’s children.
What causes them?It can be anything from a very minorincident to something more traumatic.
How long do they last?It’s anyone’s guess. They last until the childis either completely exhausted, or he gains controlof his emotions -- which is not easy for him to do.
Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and the Asperger’s child are totally exhausted.
But...
Don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next -- the meltdown can return in full force.
If your child suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, expect him to experience both minor and major meltdowns over incidents that are part of daily life. He may have a major meltdown over a very small incident, or may experience a minor meltdown over something that is major. There is no way of telling how he is going to react about certain situations. However, there are many ways to help your child learn to control his emotions.
Moms & dads of kids with Asperger syndrome can typically trace differences in their kids's development to as early as 30 months of age.[31] Developmental screening during a routine check-up by a general practitioner or pediatrician may identify signs that warrant further investigation.[1][6] The diagnosis of ASPERGERS is complicated by the use of several different screening instruments,[6][26] including:
• Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS)
• Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; with versions for kids,[49] adolescents[50] and adults[51]).
• Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
• Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST),
• Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS)
• Krug Asperger's Disorder Index (KADI)
None have been shown to reliably differentiate between ASPERGERS and other ASDs.[1]
Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Cambridge's Autism Research Centre have created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults. In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher. The test is not a means for making a diagnosis. Many who score above 32 - and who even meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's - report no difficulty functioning in their everyday lives.
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