Aspergers and Associated Disorders

When a child has got one or more disorders along with the main disease or disorder, the condition is defined as Comorbid and Comorbidity, which is the effect of all these disorders as seen in the patient. Aspergers is enlisted as an Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD as well as Pervasive Developmental Disorder or PDD, and in this condition the child has trouble interacting socially with the others around him or her. Unlike Autism, in Aspergers the child has no difficulty in learning the language or the process is not even delayed but when it comes to communicating with others at a social scale they fail miserably.

Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD is one such disorder which is common among those that have Aspergers, and in this case the child becomes over sensitive to the various sensory stimulations. For instance, they form an intense dislike of loud noises and sounds and become very distressed when they need to face loud noises. They are easily irritated when dealing with unusual textures and so strictly adhere to the same textures that they are comfortable with and scratchy clothing material is an absolute no-no to most people having Aspergers.

Dyspraxia is when a child is not able to coordinate as well as perform certain acts in spite of having the prior plan for it (i.e., they fail to execute a plan or face real difficulty in the process, and at times they even have trouble in planning with coordination). This disorder is one reason why kids with Aspergers have always been described as clumsy.

Tourette’s Syndrome is when a child faces the repetitive vocal as well as motor tics, and even though it is not extremely common to find Tourette’s Syndrome as a comorbid condition of Aspergers, it is still to be seen in many cases. In spite of the fact that not every Aspergers child will have Tourette’s Syndrome, it is true that most kids diagnosed with Tourette’s have Aspergers as well.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is something which is found in most kids of Aspergers, as autistic people - even those with mild autism or Aspergers - adhere to strict routines, and they like to keep every particular object in one particular way, and when changed, they get very distressed. This is one habit which later on leads to OCD.

Depression and anxiety are two most common disorders to be found in a child who has Aspergers. Even the slightest thing can cause them to get anxious, and this develops into severe anxiety disorder. Teens with Aspergers suffer from depression, and this is probably caused by the realization that they are different and the fact that they are often bullied and are made fun of by teens of the same age. Teens and adults with Aspergers often turn to alcohol as a way to deal with these disorders and comorbid conditions.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is also a very common comorbid condition of Aspergers. Here the child is unable to concentrate and becomes impulsive to a great degree.

Anger control problems or meltdowns (i.e., intense temper tantrums) are also common is Aspergers children. Aspergers kids are often easily frustrated and confused in their relationships with family and friends and, as a result, tend to use anger as a way to cope and make sense of their environment.

My Aspergers Child