My Aspergers Child: “Oxytocin Hormone Inhalation” Improves Social Learning In People with Aspergers

27.2.11

“Oxytocin Hormone Inhalation” Improves Social Learning In People with Aspergers

A recent study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Science” is the first to demonstrate the effects of oxytocin, a hormone that allegedly promotes mother-infant bonding, socialization, trust and cooperation. Researchers stated that Aspies showed dramatic improvement in their social learning ability subsequent to inhalation of this “socialization-eliciting” hormone.

The results of this study influenced several Aspergers specialists to speculate that when usually depleted levels of oxytocin among Aspies are supplemented, it may benefit their social interactive skills.

The study was related to the Aspie’s tendency to avoid eye contact with others. In this study, 13 participants with Aspergers - and a control group - were quizzed about photos of human faces. Such images normally prompt Aspergers subjects to avert their gaze, especially avoiding looking at the eyes. For 90 minutes after inhaling oxytocin, those subjects were more willing to study the photos, including the eyes. They were also better able to tell whether they were being ignored in a computerized ball-tossing game. Aspies would usually not pick up on such differential treatment.

Researchers also stated that the oxytocin's effect in the second test was especially important because it prompted subjects to interact with others and learn from others' feedback. Two related studies in Aspergers adults found that oxytocin decreased repetitive behaviors and improved interpretation of emotions.

Oxytocin is a peptide of nine amino acids, which evokes feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security. Many studies have already shown a correlation of oxytocin with human bonding, increases in trust, and decreases in fear. One study confirmed that there was a positive correlation between oxytocin plasma levels and an anxiety scale measuring adult romantic attachment. This suggests that oxytocin may be important for the inhibition of brain regions that are associated with behavioral control, fear, and anxiety.

Conclusions—

Oxytocin may play a role in Aspergers and may be an effective treatment for Asperger's repetitive and affiliative behaviors. Intranasal administration of oxytocin may increase emotion recognition in children as young as 12 who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

While this research suggests some promise, further clinical trials of oxytocin are required to demonstrate potential benefit and side effects in the treatment of Aspergers. As such, researchers do not recommend use of oxytocin as a treatment outside of clinical trials.

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2 comments:

timetoknow said...: how long after usage do the effects show up in the child. does it act on accumulation or does it take affect within the hour or so?; July 7, 2011 11:18 AM
timetoknow said...: I have a 13 year old daughter, and I am wondering about the experience of others who have used it. What does the study reveal to be the down time from administering the inhaler to the seeing the effects in the aspergers child? Is oxytocin cumulative or does it leave the system quickly. Also, are there any addictive properties.; July 7, 2011 11:21 AM

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Aspergers Children

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.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Aspergers Teens

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.

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Aspergers Children “Block-Out” Their 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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Living with an Aspergers Spouse/Partner

Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%. Why so high!? The answer may be found in how the symptoms of Aspergers affect intimate relationships.

People with Aspergers often find it difficult to understand others and express themselves. They may seem to lose interest in people over time, appear aloof, and are often mistaken as self-centered, vain individuals.

A person with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of their partner, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a person with Aspergers might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring.

These are unfair labels, because the affected individuals are neurologically unable to understand other people's emotional states, and they are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told their actions were hurtful or inappropriate!

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