HELP FOR PARENTS WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE ASPERGERS/HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM
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Medications for Aspergers
No medications directly treat the core symptoms of ASPERGERS.[63] Although research into the efficacy of pharmaceutical intervention for ASPERGERS is limited,[1] it is essential to diagnose and treat comorbid conditions.[2] Deficits in self-identifying emotions or in observing effects of one's behavior on others can make it difficult for kids with ASPERGERS to see why medication may be appropriate.[63] Medication can be effective in combination with behavioral interventions and environmental accommodations in treating comorbid symptoms such as anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, inattention and aggression.[1] The atypical neuroleptic medications risperidone and olanzapine have been shown to reduce the associated symptoms of ASPERGERS;[1] risperidone can reduce repetitive and self-injurious behaviors, aggressive outbursts and impulsivity, and improve stereotypical patterns of behavior and social relatedness. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and sertraline have been effective in treating restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors.[1][2][31]
Care must be taken with medications; abnormalities in metabolism, cardiac conduction times, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes have been raised as concerns with these medications,[68][69] along with serious long-term neurological side effects.[65] SSRIs can lead to manifestations of behavioral activation such as increased impulsivity, aggression and sleep disturbance.[31] Weight gain and fatigue are commonly reported side effects of risperidone, which may also lead to increased risk for extrapyramidal symptoms such as restlessness and dystonia[31] and increased serum prolactin levels.[70] Sedation and weight gain are more common with olanzapine,[69] which has also been linked with diabetes.[68] Sedative side-effects in school-age kids[71] have ramifications for classroom learning. Kids with ASPERGERS may be unable to identify and communicate their internal moods and emotions or to tolerate side effects that for most people would not be problematic.[72]
Has your Aspergers child been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and billied?
Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the Aspergers child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually. Thus, the best treatment for Aspergers children and teens is, without a doubt, “social skills training.”
Although Aspergers is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager with Aspergers are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the Aspergers teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.
The standard disciplinary techniques that are recommended for “typical” teenagers do not take into account the many issues facing a child with a neurological disorder. Violent rages, self-injury, isolation-seeking tendencies and communication problems that arise due to auditory and sensory issues are just some of the behaviors that parents of teens with Aspergers will have to learn to control.
Parents need to come up with a consistent disciplinary plan ahead of time, and then present a united front and continually review their strategies for potential changes and improvements as the Aspergers teen develops and matures.
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.
Parenting children with Aspergers can be a daunting task. In layman’s terms, Aspergers is a developmental disability that affects the way children develop and understand the world around them, and is directly linked to their senses and sensory processing. This means they often use certain behaviors to block out their emotions or response to pain.
Although they may vary slightly from person to person, children with Aspergers tend to have similar symptoms, the main ones being:
=> A need to know when everything is happening in order not to feel completely overwhelmed => A rigid insistence on routine (where any change can cause an emotional and physiological meltdown) => Difficulties with social functioning, particularly in the rough and tumble of a school environment => Obsessive interests, with a focus on one subject to the exclusion of all others => Sensory issues, where they are oversensitive to bright light, loud sounds and unpleasant smells => Social isolation and struggles to make friends due to a lack of empathy, and an inability to pick up on or understand social graces and cues (such as stopping talking and allowing others to speak)
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