The Asperger syndrome is a form of autism characterized by social and communication difficulties and repetitive patterns of behavior and / or restrictive.
A person with Asperger's finds it extremely difficult to read social cues and therefore finds it more difficult to communicate and interact with others. This situation can lead to states of anxiety and confusion. Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that Asperger's currently affects between 1 and 5 out of every 1,000 births, and has an incidence four times higher in men than in women.
Some facts about Asperger syndrome
· The Asperger syndrome is framed in the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), although due to its intellectual and linguistic competences it remains a distinct entity from classic autism.
· It affects communication and social skills.
· A child with Asperger's may show signs of the disorder in his first year of life.
· It affects men more than women.
· Some Asperger signs include obsessive interest in certain subjects, overly formal verbal communication, rituals, social withdrawal, delayed motor skills, lack of imagination, or sensory difficulties.
· Educational strategies can dramatically improve the quality of life for people with Asperger's.
Symptoms of Asperger's syndrome
The signs and symptoms of Asperger's can vary greatly from one person to another. The first symptoms may appear during the first year of life, observing some clumsiness derived from poor motor coordination.
Some of the most common symptoms of Asperger's are:
· Restrictive or repetitive interests, for example, becoming experts in a single topic and performing activities that include collecting, numbering, or listing items.
· Different or excessively formal verbal communication. There may be a lack of rhythm or intonation, such that your speech sounds flat, monotonous, or abnormally slow or fast. The volume may be inappropriate.
· They may have routines, rules, and rituals that they keep methodically to reduce their confusion. A change in your routines can cause anger or anxiety.
· Social isolation, derived from their limited social skills and their tendency to talk about a single topic. They may appear to have no interest in other people and be distant, so making and keeping friends can be difficult for them.
· Delayed motor development, due to their poor coordination, which can make it difficult for them to perform actions that require some precision, such as tying their shoes. The person's gait may be stiff or bouncy, and their arms may not move while walking.
· Problems with proximity: People with Asperger's may find it difficult to know how far away to keep when talking to other people.
· Humor, jokes, sarcasm or irony can cause stress and confusion, since these people can tend to have an excessively literal interpretation of the world around them.
· Lack of imagination: It can be difficult for a person with Asperger's to imagine alternative outcomes for different situations, so games that involve assuming different roles or imaginary situations can be frustrating or impossible with them.
These difficulties may not be recognized until the demands of your environment grow, which can happen in adolescence or early adulthood.
Topics related to logic, memory, and closed systems can be very interesting for people with Asperger's, so they can be people with a great ability for mathematics, computers or music.
Treatment
The treatment of Asperger syndrome is usually related to therapies that help the individual to adapt their behavior to improve their social relationships and to better manage anxiety, so that the risk of social isolation is reduced.
Training may include the development of educational and academic, as well as social and communication skills, such as learning to recognize social cues or using an appropriate tone of voice when speaking. Strategies are also included to teach them to control emotions and reduce obsessive interest in topics, and to have more affective behavior.
It is possible to use medication to treat symptoms related to anxiety, common in people with Asperger's.
In Spain, the Asperger Spain Confederation is a group of non-profit associations whose objectives are the scientific dissemination of the disorder, promoting early detection and specialized psychosocial intervention, recognition of the rights of those affected and their families, and job placement and, ultimately, the social inclusion of people with Asperger's. Exercise, eat right and stay at a healthy weight. These goals are at the core of every type 2 diabetes treatment plan. And, for some people, that’s enough. When it’s not, insulin therapy is one of the treatment options that can help patients. But among the possible side effects is weight gain.