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[W520]What Is Research Development

by Dave Angel, Dav

Aspergers is not actually a disease at all but more of a condition that many children have. The word disease itself can give the wrong impression of Aspergers and the many wonderful children who experience it. In this article I will give a simple explanation of some of the characteristics of Aspergers and then give some useful tips on how to manage challenging behaviours which are often associated with this condition.

Aspergers is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Aspergers typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Signs and symptoms of Aspergers include displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures. People with Aspergers will often show an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes. They will appear not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings and will have a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor. When they speak it is often in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast. They will sometimes appear to move clumsily, with poor coordination and display an odd posture or a rigid gait

Children with Aspergers frequently display challenging behaviors as a response to a world which they cannot deal with effectively. Any attempt to discontinue the behaviors must first consider why the behavior is occurring. The best way to establish why the individual with Aspergers is displaying challenging behaviors is to complete an A-B-C analysis. This includes an analysis of the Antecedent, Behavior, and the Consequence. The antecedent is what happens before the behavior. The behavior is their response to the antecedent. The consequence, and this is the tricky one, is whatever immediately follows the behavior. Often the child with Aspergers will have limited ability to verbalize their needs; you can help them with this once you have identified the cause of the behavior. Remember it will be something that happens either before or after the behavior occurs. Once you have established the reason for the behavior, the child with Aspergers will need a consistent behavior program or method of intervention. Children with Aspergers crave consistency and routine and need to know what is coming, or you will simply create more challenging behaviors.

For children with Aspergers, the behavioral intervention should include consideration of environmental changes that may need to be made. This may include removing items that may be over-stimulating or providing things that they appear to need. For the child with Aspergers, the behavioral intervention should also plan to provide the individual with a replacement behavior. Remember, if you eliminate the behavior without meeting the need, they will find their own replacement behavior! Autism and Aspergers are difficult to diagnose especially in young children where language and cognitive skills are still developing. All children are different, and many toddlers show a sign or symptom of Aspergers at some point. It's natural for small children to be egocentric, and many little ones show a strong interest in a particular topic, such as dinosaurs or a favorite fictional character. These alone aren't reasons to be alarmed! However, if your child has frequent problems in school or seems unable to make friends, it's time to consult your pediatrician. These difficulties have many possible causes, but developmental disorders such as Aspergers shouldn't be ruled out. Hopefully this article will have provided you with some ideas of what to do next, where to seek help and how to manage your child's behaviors better.

I personally don't like the term disorder as it implies something "wrong" with the child and Aspergers children have so many great qualities that they can bring to the world. In this article I will give a simple explanation of some of the characteristics of Aspergers and how to manage feelings of depression and stress often associated with this condition. Firstly Aspergers is described as a ?pervasive developmental disorder' the same as autism. A pervasive developmental disorder is basically a term used by psychiatrists to loosely refer to people who have been impaired in their development in areas of socialization and communication. To be specific pervasive developmental disorders have the following characteristics which are outlined below.

Impairments in social interaction (e.g. talking and communicating with others) and imaginative activity (e.g. struggling to play games that need imagination such as "cops and robbers"). There will also be difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication skills (e.g. problems in knowing what to say and also other things we all use for communication like body language, tone of voice) Usually there are a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive. Individuals with Aspergers can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. People with Aspergers have problems with social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer things to be the same. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They may also be too sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights. For example the person with Aspergers may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see.

Children with Aspergers face challenges that affect their daily life, their communication with others, and their self-esteem. Some children as they approach adolescence and find themselves faced with increased social interaction may experience anxiety and depression. Children with Aspergers have even been described to have social phobias. They are intelligent and recognize their inability to interact with others in social situations, making those situations seem even more threatening. They also have the inability to communicate their feelings of anxiety or distress, further challenging the ability to diagnose or understand their moods. Because of their lack of facial expression or body language, they may not even appear to be depressed. The danger is that such an illness may not be recognized until it becomes serious. The child with Aspergers needs to be taught problem solving skills, relaxation techniques, and skills to recognize when their emotions are being impacted by external events. Maintaining optimal health is also a deterrent to possible depressive symptoms or feelings of low energy or stress. It's important to remember that the person with Aspergers sees the world very differently. To assist the child with Aspergers, it is important to consult with a professional (usually a pediatrician) who not only has information about the child, but also about Aspergers.

Hopefully this short article will provide useful information for you of the signs and characteristics of Aspergers and a greater understanding of how this may affect that person's emotional stability. This will help you to relate better to those people and support you both in planning effective interventions.

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Dave Angel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Autism, Fitness and Family. Dave Angel is a social worker with families who have children on the Autistic Spectrum and is the author of a new e-book that answers the 46 most asked questions by parents of children with Asperger’s. To claim your free 7 day Mini-Course for parents of c. Dave Angel's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.