My ASD Child

Aspergers is not widely recognized by the public or by health care providers. What does it mean to have Aspergers? Do they have severe AD/HD, mild autism, learning disabilities, or are they just “nerds?” For years, psychiatrists have debated how to classify and subdivide the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Pervasive Developmental Disorder is a category that contains several specific diagnoses. People with PDD have problems with the social interaction and often show delays in several other areas. These other areas may include language, coordination, imaginative activities, and intellectual functioning. The degree of severity can vary tremendously in the various forms of PDD. Autism is one of the more severe forms of PDD. A person with Autism has marked difficulty relating to other human beings. He or she frequently has delayed or absent speech and may be mentally retarded. Aspergers is on the milder end of PDD. People with Aspergers generally have normal intellige

No specific treatment for the core symptoms of Aspergers is available, and no cure exists for the disorder. Educational and behavioral supports are the primary treatments used for chidlren with Aspergers. Psychopharmacology and other treatments may also be used to manage some of the problem behaviors associated with Aspergers. Some Aspergers children are on no medication. In other cases, we treat specific target symptoms. One might use a stimulant for inattention and hyperactivity. An SSRI such as Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft might help with obsessions or perseveration. The SSRIs can also help associated depression and anxiety. In individuals with stereotyped movements, agitation and idiosyncratic thinking, we may use a low dose antipsychotic such as risperidone. Comments— We tried Abilify for my Aspergers son when he was about 16. Although it did make him a bit more comfortable and appropriate socially, it made him very groggy. The right balance of meds is very dependent on the indiv

Depression is one comorbid condition of Aspergers and it is one disorder which is seen in almost every person suffering from Aspergers. This very disorder makes its appearance when the youngster with Aspergers is as young as three years of age and the parents will find that the youngster is prone to crying several times a day. This number can be more than twenty or thirty times in a single day and that too for the most trivial reasons. The youngster is unable to explain as to why he or she is crying as one with Aspergers has a difficulty in expressing their own feelings. Soon enough it is likely that the youngster will begin to talk about death wishes and all of this will worsen as the youngster is admitted to school and when he or she faces the situation where he or she has to interact socially with the teachers as well as the other students of the same age. This depression can get really aggressive when the youngster might start talking about killing himself or herself or the pers