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Aspergers and Primary Comorbid Conditions

"When a child has Aspergers Syndrome, what additional disorders is he/she likely to have?"

The answer to this question is often contingent upon the age of the child. Children with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism most often have obsessive-compulsive disorder as a primary comorbid condition, whereas Aspergers teens seem to suffer most with depression. We'll look at each of these in turn:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder--

Researchers have found that certain psychiatric disorders are more common in those who have Aspergers. One of these is obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. In fact, some researchers feel that Aspergers is a subset of OCD. This is especially true when the Aspergers child grows to adulthood. They may have problems with intrusive, obsessive thoughts and might perform certain ritualistic behaviors to control these obsessive thoughts. In some cases, the disorder can be very debilitating.

Medications have been used in those with OCD and Aspergers with some success. The medications stop some of the intrusive thinking and reduce the numbers and severity of compulsive behaviors while the core features of Aspergers do not change much.

Depression--

Because those with Aspergers suffer from social deprivation and feelings of inadequacy, they seem to have a higher incidence of depression as well. The depression becomes a secondary complication of having Aspergers and comes as a result of unmet needs and lack of meaningful communication—things that most people have little difficulty in getting for themselves. Antidepressant medication may be helpful in this type of depression as can psychotherapy directed at the unique problems of the Aspie.


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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very interesting. OCD is definitely the most prevalent symptom of my Aspie little boy.

Anonymous said...

My girl has OCD big time.

Anonymous said...

I agree with that. also ADHD and ODD.

Anonymous said...

Where is the fine line between ..Sensory Intergertion and OCD...?

Anonymous said...

My son also has Tourettes and sensory avoiding behaviour.

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD 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.

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How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

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 or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your 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.

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Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

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Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

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Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

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to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

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