Life of a Child with Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger’s syndrome is becoming more and more common as time goes by. Each year, more children are being diagnosed. This paper focuses on Asperger’s Syndrome and developing social skills in various social settings. By looking at the etiology, diagnostic procedures, how the condition effects development, daily challenges, current social/cultural views, and relevant social interventions, a better understanding on how to develop social skills for children with Asperger’s Syndrome can ensue. The world revolves around social situations. This is how people are hired for jobs, ask for things, make new friends, meet their future spouse, etc. At the moment, social skills training and social support is minimal compared to where it potentially

In the article, “How to Speak Asperger’s,” by Fran Goldfarb and Guthrie Devine, the authors contend that learning to communicate with people with Asperger’s Syndrome is an important skill. The authors introduce the article by providing a narrative about Goldfarb’s son. The point of her narrative is that communication is misunderstood with people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The author, Fran Goldfarb, explains how her son misunderstands communication with his teachers, and how punishment is ineffective, because of his Asperger’s. The authors start by explaining why communication is very complex. To begin with, people with AS struggle with communication, because of their lack of social cues. They tend to miss irony, humor, and they take everything literally. That’s why people with AS don’t understand communication and everything is a struggle for them.

Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average

Asperger’s syndrome, which is also referred to as Asperger's disorder, is a type of Persuasive Developmental Disorder. Persuasive Developmental Disorder or PDD are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of basic skills, the most recognizable of these skills is the ability to communicate and socialize with others as well as use their own imagination. Although Asperger's syndrome is similar in some ways to autism, there are important differences between the two. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically function higher than those children with autism. In addition to them being higher functioning; children with Asperger's syndrome generally have normal intelligence and slightly less than normal language development.

Over the years, more people are becoming aware of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. The growing number of individuals who are affected by ASD have been increasing over the years. This could be do to the new DSM development of what is considered ASD or simply more children are being born with ASD. Either way, ASD is more predominate in our society today. ASD is defined in the DSM 5 as having abnormal social aspects, lack of social skills, non-verbal communications skills, deficits in development, lack of understanding of relationships, and self-stimulation through repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although these are not all of the symptoms caused by ASD

Many children today unknowingly face the disorder known as Aspergers. Their traits can affect their social, mental, and behavioral aspects of life. Because of this, peers might classify them as weird simply because they do not act the same way, causing a decline in self confidence. Diagnosis can tremendously help to jumpstart treatment in this area. Despite lack of knowledge about Aspergers, a disorder closely related to autism, it is very much its own; not only in the way it is diagnosed, but also in its characteristics.

The prognosis for the individual with ASD is dependent on the severity of the disorder. In Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of ASD, the symptoms of shyness and impaired social interaction are present. However, in more

Amazingly, one percent of new births will have some type of autism (Autism Society of America, 2010). Asperger’s disorder is one type of Autism, and is at the high end of these disorders. This “disorder, which is also called Asperger's syndrome (AS) or autistic psychopathy, belongs to a group of childhood disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) or autistic spectrum disorders”(Exkorn, 2006). A characteristic of this disorder is harsh and strict disruption of a certain type of brain development. The most affected areas of Asperger's disorder is difficulty in social understanding and in behavior or activities that are limited or recurring (Frey, 2003). Students with Asperser’s have different levels of seriousness,

Today there are many different types of disabilities and syndromes. When you have a child to be diagnosed with a disability or a syndrome life can suddenly become overwhelming. This is especially true if they have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Parents sometimes feel guilty because their child has a disability or syndrome. Parents may feel that they are responsible for their child’s disability or syndrome. Parents may feel guilty about their child being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome since it is a neurological disorder. This particular syndrome is not widely recognized by the general public. Since Asperger’s Syndrome is not widely recognized by the general public, the public sometimes may not understand

Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD) is defined as a developmental disorder related to Autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills. People suffering from ASD can overcome this disease and live a normal, productive life by learning basic life skills, communication techniques, and developing meaningful relationships. These essential life skills are important to everyday life and need to be learned in order for these individuals to maintain a self-sustaining life. Without these skills, it is highly possible these individuals will be unable to leave home or even hold down meaningful employment. John Robison writes

Asperger’s Syndrome is described as an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), once known as Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD), and is characterized as a milder version of autism. Children with Asperger’s seem to adapt easier to social interactions as they get older, contrary to autism. Autism is a syndrome of extreme withdrawal and obsessive behavior. Asperger’s syndrome is similar to autism in a way that children experience difficulties with social interaction and communication. Also, children will have issues with concentration or coordination. Asperger’s and autism do have a lot of differences as well. One difference being the onset for autism is in infancy whereas in Asperger’s it is, at least, recognized later. Children with Asperger’s tend to have average or above average intelligence and seem

Cognitive behavioral therapy is psychotherapeutic in design and is centered on the acceptance of the fact that some behavior can not be controlled using rational thought alone. The therapy combines both cognitive and behavioral based therapeutic approaches. Its main advantage is that it is designed to target the clients specific problem by having the therapist assist the client choose the most appropriate strategies to tackle the particular problem. Asperger’s syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder is categorized as one form of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) conditions characterized by delays in the development of many basic skills. Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome have problems with developing skills necessary for imagination, communication and interacting with others. Adolescence is a turbulent time for most people but it is especially difficult for most individuals with Asperger’s syndrome. Such individuals already find it hard to make friends due to poor social skills. They also like things to remain the same which means that they do not deal well with change. Middle school and high school come with more changes where they now have more classes and more teachers to deal with unlike in grammar school (Russell et al. 2013). Adolescence comes with a confusing array of new demands and complexities for them which may make life even harder for them. This period may require guidance and therapy to help them cope with the numerous challenges they face and

While people with ASD will always have impairments in their abilities to form social relationships, understanding or expressing verbal or nonverbal communication, and may always have limited interests, the ways these characteristics change over time. A young child may not respond as expected to caregivers or appear physically rigid. A teenager may find themselves with difficulties understanding the nuances of their peer's social interactions and complications with dating and relationships. An adult faces the new challenges of transitioning into independence facing issues related to understanding the dynamics of the workplace.

Barnhill, G. P. (2007). Outcomes in adults with Asperger Syndrome. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22(2), 116-126. doi:10.1177/10883576070220020301

Children with Asperger’s (AS) and high functioning autism (HFA) are commonly known to struggle with social interaction skills with others at a very young age and throughout their entire life. In school they are known to be outcasts because they are a lot different from their typical peers. Although they have a high level of cognitive functioning, they have severe impaired social skills which they can lack and have difficulty with “all areas of academic, emotional, and social development.” It is not uncommon for these children to be unable to develop close relationships with family members, friends, or colleagues, in the future. They often they lack the ability to achieve normal relationships with others. According to (Rao et al., 2008) “social skill deficits identified in children with AS/HFA include: lack of orientation