Asperger Disorder: Factors and Treatment - Term Paper Example

? Asperger’s Disorder This essay aims to define the Asperger’s disorder based on DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. Theessay also aims to delineate psychodynamic factors as well as biological and interactional understandings, to list helpful resources from online and work system, and to identify available treatments used in Asperger’s disorder. Asperger’s Disorder Introduction Asperger’s disorder was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician who first described the disease in 1944. Asperger’s disorder is also used to refer to Asperger’s Syndrome. There is little information regarding the diagnosis of Asperger’s disorder until Lorna Wing published a similar case of the disorder in 1981 (Webb, Amend, & Webb, 2004, p. 93). It gained interest to define and research the diagnosis of Asperger’s disorder but still, there is little information gathered on effective treatments. Asperger’s disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder that causes significant problems in many areas of the child’s development such as communication, socialization, behavior, thinking, and activities (Ashley, 2007, p. 2). According to DSM-IV-TR classification system, the primary features of Asperger’s disorder are: (Criterion A) “severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, (Criterion B)…the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities,…and (Criterion C)…the disturbance must cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 80). Unlike children with autism, those with Asperger’s disorder do not have problems in intellect and ability to learn but with interpersonal relations. Children with Asperger’s disorder lack empathy and the ability to interpret nuances and social cues. They also prefer routine, structure, and concrete ideas rather than abstract ideas. Symptoms of Asperger’s disorder usually starts at two but most often recognize when the child starts school (Ashley, 2007, p. 2). Manifestations of Asperger’s disorder can be seen in all setting (e.g., at home, in the classroom, on the playground) and requires prompt treatment. Prevalence According to American Psychiatric Association (2000), definitive data regarding the prevalence of Asperger’s disorder are lacking (p. 82). However, studies revealed that Asperger’s disorder is more common than autism occurring approximately in 20-25 per 10,000. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2006, the rates of children with Asperger’s disorder increased dramatically to 2-6 per 1,000; that is 1 per 500 on the low end and 1 per 166 on the high end (Ashley, 2007, p. 21). Diagnosis Asperger’s disorder is differentiated from other pervasive developmental disorders such as Rett’s syndrome and autism through the use of DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger’s disorder. According to this guideline, the criteria for diagnosing Asperger’s disorder are the following: 1) at least two manifestations of qualitative impairment in social interaction characterized by marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, failure to develop peer relationships according to developmental level, lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, or lack of social or emotional reciprocity; 2) at least one restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities manifested by preoccupation with stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal, inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals, stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms, or persistent preoccupation with parts of objects; 3) disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning; 4) no clinically significant general delay in language; 5) no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior, and curiosity about the environment in childhood; and 6) criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 84). If your child has met the above criteria, seek professional help because the child might be diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder. Psychodynamic Factors The psychodynamic factors that interplay with the development of Asperger’s disorder are familial or genetic factors. Other related factors include introduction of vaccines consisting of thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines), chemicals in environment, and maternal factors such as prescription medications and conditions during pregnancy (Ashley, 2007, p. 23). Some researchers linked the stress during early developmental years to the development of Asperger’s disorder. Scientist suspected that Asperger’s disorder is genetic and has familial predisposition (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 82). However, they cannot find a gene to support the study. Research shows that Asperger’s disorder run in the families and twins, particularly, strongly support the development of autism and Asperger’s disorder in children. In fact, research revealed that there is a 90% chance that an identical twin will have significant features of autism and Asperger’s disorder. Scientist also examined the link between the Y-chromosome and the Asperger’s disorder because 80% of those diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder are male (Ashley, 2007, p. 23). Other related factors stated are still being studied and have not yet proven. Future researches will be very helpful in determining factors that is directly linked to Asperger’s disorder. Furthermore, the discovery of the causative factors will aid in the development of treatments for Asperger’s disorder. Biological and Interactional Understandings Aside from the psychodynamic factors, Hans Asperger assumed a different type of biological cause, which is encephalitis and neurological and physical abnormalities. According to the study, the preponderance of males to Asperger’s disorder pointed to a sex-linked form of transmission. The result of pedigree-tracing and neurological investigations suggests that Asperger individuals tend to show less severe and fewer signs compared to autism. In addition, it emerged that Asperger’s disorder frequently occur in the same family and showed that affected individuals strongly suggests a frontal lobe dysfunction (Frith, n.d., p. 15). The interactional understanding of Asperger’s disorder focused primarily on socialization. Ashley (2007) delineated the interactional characteristics of a child with Asperger’s disorder. The child with Asperger’s disorder does not: engage in a normal eye contact, read social cues and understand body language, show much interest and empathy in other people, converse on topic and respond to what others are saying (p. 6). It is hard to understand the biological root cause of the Asperger’s disorder. Likewise, the socialization barriers make it harder for these individuals to sustain relationships and to share emotions, experiences, and interests to others. Treatment Researches showed that there is no cure to Asperger’s disorder. However, scientist emphasized the importance of assessment to aid in early identification and educating the parents and teachers about the disorder to gain greater understanding and acceptance of unusual behaviors (Fonagy, Target, Cottrell, Phillips, & Kurtz, 2002, p. 281). Treatment for Asperger’s disorder starts as early as the disorder is diagnosed. It includes behavior modification, occupational therapy, special education, social skills therapy, and speech therapy (Ashley, 2007, p. 25). No medicine is available to alleviate symptoms related to Asperger’s disorder but can still be used for coexisting disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Resources Asperger’s Syndrome Coalition of the United States is a national nonprofit support and advocacy organization for Asperger disorder and related disorders. The group is committed in providing the most updated and comprehensive information on Asperger disorder and related conditions. The group publishes the information on-line at http://www.aspergers.com and offers lists of U.S. specialists, bibliography, and links to Asperger disorder (Turkington & Harris, 2006, p. 251). In addition to on-line support group, individuals with Asperger disorder are also given the chance of joining the working community through the help of nonprofit organizations and government organizations. A typical example is the support group Aspiritech, a nonprofit organization which hires individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism to perform software testing for client companies. Asperger’s disorder is a continuous and lifelong disorder. No one gets cured nor outgrew the disorder. The social arena tends to be greatest challenge for an adolescent with Asperger’s disorder. Support groups like families, friends, and different organizations will help Asperger patients to adapt and live happily in the community. Conclusion Hans Sperger pioneered in describing Asperger’s disorder. Soon after his studies, researches emerge to differentiate Sperger disorder from autism and other developmental disorder. Asperger disorder causes problems in a child’s communication, socialization, behavior, thinking, and activities development. The DSM-IV-TR sets the criteria for classifying and differentiating Asperger disorder from other developmental disorder. Asperger disorder is evident in all settings and may arise as early as two years old. There is no definite data that would indicate the prevalence of Asperger’s disorder but studies suggest that Asperger’s disorder is more common than autism with approximately 2-6 incidences per 1,000 population. Diagnosis of Asperger disorder is made using the tool DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger’s disorder. It was believed that Asperger’s disorder was linked with psychodynamic factors such as familial or genetic factors, thimerosal vaccines, chemicals in environment, maternal factors, and stress during early developmental years. Male and identical twins predisposed the highest rate of acquiring Asperger’s disorder. Neurological and interactional factors also affect the individuals with Asperger’s disorder. There is no known cure, effective treatment, or medicine for Asperger’s disorder. However, health professionals suggest treatments to manage the disorder such as behavior modification, occupational therapy, special education, social skills therapy, and speech therapy. The support from family and society is the most important help that we could offer for individuals with Asperger’s disorder. The Asperger’s Syndrome Coalition of the United States provides on-line support and the Aspiritech provides employment assistance to Asperger’s community. Asperger’s disorder is a lifelong process. Individuals with Asperger’s disorder require the partnership of family and society and future researches shall be directed toward predisposing factors and effective treatment. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) (p. 39-134) Virginia: American Psychiatric Association. Ashley, S. (2007). The ABCs of Asperger’s Disorder. The Asperger’s Answer Book: Professional Answers to 275 of the Top Questions Parents Ask (p. 1-26) Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. Aspiritech. (2011). Aspiritech. In Software Testing Harnessing the Power of Asperger's Syndrome and HFA. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from http://www.aspiritech.org/. Fonagy, P., Target, M., Cottrell, D., Phillips, J. & Kurtz, Z. (2002). Pervasive Developmental Disorders. What Works for Whom? A Critical Review of Treatments for Children and Adolescents (p. 263-284) New York: The Guilford Press. Uta, Frith. (n.d.). UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. In Asperger and His Syndrome. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/dev_group/ufrith/documents/Ch%201,%20Asperger%20and%20his%20syndrome%20copy.pdf. Turkington, C. & Harris, J. (2006). National Organizations. The Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.) (p. 250-266) New York: Infobase Publishing. Webb, J.T., Amend, E.R. & Webb, N. (2004). Ideational and Anxiety Disorders. Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, and other Disorders (p. 83-114) Arizona: Great Potential Press, Inc. Read More