Diagnosis+of+Asperger's+Syndrome

**What To Watch For**
There are many signs that children may exhibit that will cue the parents and teachers it is time to take action with a student and get them assessed for a diagnosis. Asperger's received its name in 1981, although the syndrome was discovered in 1944 by a man named Hans Asperger. Because it was thought to be the same as Autism for so many years and because it is such a unique condition that exhibits some unusual behaviours. Although it was not considered its own syndrome until only a couple decades ago, the amount of individuals being diagnosed is increasing. As Elder et. al. (2005) point out it seems to be prevalent as it occurs in as many as 48 of every 10,000 children. This has increased dramatically over the past fifteen years. Although these statistics can be challenged, they do exist showing the rise of Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger's is specifically composed of two primary structures says Bakey & Welkowitz (2005, p.44); the first being the impairment of social interactions. Children have delays in using and understanding non-verbal behaviours and social relationships with peers are difficult. The second being the restricted areas of interest such as being preoccupied with one interest area, object or movement. This is where Asperger's syndrome may be diagnosed. The teachers and parents should watch for the signs listed above and the excessive presence of the characteristics. It is important for the people in the child's life to realize that the child is not being disobedient or purposely not listening, these behaviours are neurologic. It is most of the time beyond their control to stop the behaviours and when it gets to the point where it is prominent and noticeable in children that the teachers should suggest to the parents to take the next step.

**Where To Go Next** When the teacher decides that the student fits the description of Asperger's and decides to contact the parents it is important to have a plan of action in mind for when the parents agree and decide to get their child tested. Parents are often times reluctant and are against testing due to the fact that they do not want to believe there is something 'wrong' with their child. It is best to recommend they take their child to a family doctor to get more information before going any further. The doctor should then recommend the parents to a specialist. It may be a good idea for the teacher to have some good support systems in mind to discuss with the parents such as a mental health agency that can provide diagnostic assessment. Some patients may also need to see other types of support systems such as speech and language pathologists or social worker. In the end only a medical professional can give the actual diagnosis, although it may be suspected much earlier. It is a long waiting process for a diagnosis and for some, a second opinion may be needed since it is tough on a family. There is a specific diagnosis process the child suspected of having Asperger's will go through.

**The Diagnosis Process** There are some distinct processes to diagnose those suspected of having Asperger's. But due to the amount of tools and instruments available some doctors may give the same child a different diagnosis depending on what tools they use. The diagnosis for Asperger's is a two stage process. The first, as stated earlier, is the meeting with the doctor. The second is with a team of specialists. This is the team that will do that actual diagnosis. Here are two prevalent methods of diagnosis to give an idea of how Asperger's Syndrome may be diagnosed.

The diagnosis process **as taken from [|this website] is as follows from DSM-IV.**

A. Student has at least two of the following impairments in social interactions: 1) Child can not use multiple non-verbal behaviours (eye contact) 2) Cannot develop appropriate peer relationships 3) Does not share interest, enjoyment or achievements with other people 4) Lacks social or emotional reciprocity

B. Has at least one of the following restrictive and repetitive stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities: 1) Preoccupation with one or more patterns of interest that is abnormal in intensity or focus 2) Inflexible on routines and rituals 3) Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms 4) Preoccupation with parts of objects

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. No delay in language.

E. No delay in cognitive development or in development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour, and environmental curiosity.

F. Criteria is not met for any other disorder.

When looking at how the testing differed from America to Canada it seemed as though the tests a generally looking for the same characteristics. A [|College in Ontario] gave the following seven characteristics to look for when diagnosing a child with Asperger's.


 * 1) Insistence of sameness
 * 2) Impairment in social interaction
 * 3) Restricted range of interests
 * 4) Poor concentration
 * 5) Poor motor coordination
 * 6) Academic difficulties
 * 7) Emotional vulnerability


 * **Characteristic** || **Exhibited Behavior** ||
 * Insistence of Sameness || If you change the classroom or the format of your class the student will become confused or anxious. ||
 * Impairment in social interaction || Inability to pick up on social cues. May not understand jokes or metaphors. May exhibit literal interpretation of communication from others. Challenged with social communication (small talk) and this is likely to pose challenges with group work. Group work and presentations may cause anxiety. May speak very bluntly which may be interpreted as being unaware of others' feelings. ||
 * Restricted Range of Interests || May ask repetitive questions about interests. Has trouble letting go of ideas and thus may spend too much time on one task. ||
 * Poor Concentration || Easily distracted by external or internal stimuli. Heightened reaction to sensory stimuli. ||
 * Poor Motor Coordination || Appear awkward and clumsy. Have trouble taking notes, typing or navigating a computer mouse. ||
 * Academic Difficulties || Have average to above average intelligence - especially in the verbal sphere. Tendency to think in concrete terms. Abstract thinking is more difficult. Tendency to have excellent memory skills. Likely to have impressive verbal skills which may not match comprehension skills. ||
 * Emotional Vulnerability || Difficulty identifying (labeling and understanding) varied emotional states, both in themselves and in others. Easily overwhelmed when things do not go as planned. Prone to depression ||

**Can Asperger's Be Treated?** Asperger's can not be treated in a way that will make it go away or leave the person forever. There is no cure for Asperger's. It can be treated in a way to help the person diagnosed better able to cope with their disability. The best way to go about this is to have professionals intervene. "An effective treatment program builds on the child’s interests, offers a predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engages the child’s attention in highly structured activities, and provides regular reinforcement of behavior." (Mama's Health) It is important to realize that if a child has an effective treatment program at one point in their life, the treatment program may not work in a couple of years and it is important to update the child's treatment plan as the child changes. It may also be an option to use medication for their Asperger's child if the child has a lot of anxiety to keep the child calm. Not only do the parents and the support team have to know the treatment plan for the child but the school team also has to be actively involved. The classroom teacher especially needs to understand how to handle that particular student and it is important for the teacher to take the time to get the training or information possible. It is also important for the school team to take the time to get to know the student such as administration, educational assistant, LRT and school counsellor. This is the time where the teacher is the one being educated and the parent is being the teacher.

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