Why is it important to identify Asperger?s Syndrome in adults?
Fall Creek Asociates
June 10, 2013
Growing up with undiagnosed Asperger?s Syndrome can be traumatic for many individuals. For many, the diagnosis and education that follows an assessment can be an extremely helpful and healing experience.
Proper diagnosis can help adults put their difficulties into perspective and also to understand the underlying reasons for their lifelong struggles. Adults with Asperger?s Syndrome have often developed negative perceptions of themselves and may regard themselves as ?weird?, ?crazy,? or ?broken.?
Correct diagnosis and effective treatment can help improve self-esteem, work performance and skills, educational attainment and social competencies.
What are the behaviors associates with AS?
Asperger?s Syndrome affects individuals uniquely. Those with moderate to mild traits are most likely to fly ?under the radar?. They are most likely to have partners and children, and also are often able to hide their difficulties from people outside of the close family.
Other individuals with AS may have greater social and communication difficulties, which can even make living independently a challenge. Without support from families and guidance from professionals who are familiar with AS, these individuals are susceptible to isolation and chronic employment problems.
An individual with AS may display varying degrees of several or many of the following characteristics:
Adults with AS are also susceptible to having various psychological difficulties. Often these challenges are a result of the individual?s difficulty coping with their AS, as well as the stress, anger, frustration, confusion, anxiety and fear that they feel.
These additional difficulties are often misinterpreted, misdiagnosed, misunderstood and mistreated, especially if the underlying AS is undiagnosed or is not adequately understood.
Some of the most common additional difficulties include:
It is also common for adults with AS to experience chronic struggles in major life activities such as family, friendships, finances, health, and the workplace. Examples of these struggles include:
It is unfortunate, but professionals who are unfamiliar with AS often focus on the surface symptoms and behaviors and thus arrive at an incorrect diagnosis. Among other, these can include:
How should Asperger?s Syndrome be managed?
The solutions for each individual with AS are different and will depend on personality, interests, circumstances and experiences. In order to find useful approaches to difficulties, it is imperative to understand what contributes to them.
Most of the time, the challenges someone with AS faces result from a complex interaction between the individual?s internal characteristics relating to having Asperger's Syndrome, and external factors relating to life events and experiences, adulthood, independence and expectations.
The external factors which contribute to the difficulties include:
Internal factors which make individuals with AS vulnerable to significant psychological distress and the development of additional difficulties include:
To reduce and prevent further difficulties it is important to focus on
underlying causes which will be different for different individuals. The aim is to provide:
Increase or encourage:
In order to reduce:
The above goals are best achieved when the individual with AS makes a sustained and honest effort to achieve them, and those efforts are complemented by the support of others. If others such as family members, helping professionals, employers, colleagues, and friends understand and appreciate AS traits, the odds of success are greater.
Additional information is contained in the attached
article titled Asperger Syndrome Grows Up: Recognizing AS Adults in Today's Challenging World that can be downloaded / viewed / printed.
Fall Creek Asociates
June 10, 2013
Growing up with undiagnosed Asperger?s Syndrome can be traumatic for many individuals. For many, the diagnosis and education that follows an assessment can be an extremely helpful and healing experience.
Proper diagnosis can help adults put their difficulties into perspective and also to understand the underlying reasons for their lifelong struggles. Adults with Asperger?s Syndrome have often developed negative perceptions of themselves and may regard themselves as ?weird?, ?crazy,? or ?broken.?
Correct diagnosis and effective treatment can help improve self-esteem, work performance and skills, educational attainment and social competencies.
What are the behaviors associates with AS?
Asperger?s Syndrome affects individuals uniquely. Those with moderate to mild traits are most likely to fly ?under the radar?. They are most likely to have partners and children, and also are often able to hide their difficulties from people outside of the close family.
Other individuals with AS may have greater social and communication difficulties, which can even make living independently a challenge. Without support from families and guidance from professionals who are familiar with AS, these individuals are susceptible to isolation and chronic employment problems.
An individual with AS may display varying degrees of several or many of the following characteristics:
- Deficiencies in social skills, such as inappropriate social approaches
- Difficulty realizing when others are in trouble and need help
- Difficulty recognizing the emotions, feelings and thoughts of others
- An inability to consider others' viewpoints
- Limited interest in friendships
- Difficulty with all aspects of communication
- Difficulty in comprehension of meaning and social reasoning
- Difficulty with transitions and changes
- Rigid resistance to novelty, and a strong need for routines
- Obsessional traits
- Narrow range of interests or idiosyncratic special interests
- Overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells and sights
- Motor coordination difficulties
- Normal or above normal IQ
- Difficulty managing their own negative feelings, especially anxiety, anger and depression
Adults with AS are also susceptible to having various psychological difficulties. Often these challenges are a result of the individual?s difficulty coping with their AS, as well as the stress, anger, frustration, confusion, anxiety and fear that they feel.
These additional difficulties are often misinterpreted, misdiagnosed, misunderstood and mistreated, especially if the underlying AS is undiagnosed or is not adequately understood.
Some of the most common additional difficulties include:
- Anger outbursts (physical or verbal aggression, verbally threatening behavior)
- Agitation and restlessness
- Increase in obsessional or repetitive activities, thoughts, or speech
- Low mood or depression
- Apathy and inactivity
- Onset of uncharacteristic, bizarre behavior or thoughts
It is also common for adults with AS to experience chronic struggles in major life activities such as family, friendships, finances, health, and the workplace. Examples of these struggles include:
- Difficulty maintaining serious or romantic relationships
- Partners or spouses complaining of lack of intimacy
- Children feeling distant from AS parents
- Friendships end due to lack of attention or invitations
- Not understanding why friends or partners become frustrated
- Lack of proactive attention to finances and health, resulting in dangerous neglect
- Chronically being ?underemployed? or unemployed
- Frequent job changes due to ?boredom?, lack of challenge, or interpersonal problems
It is unfortunate, but professionals who are unfamiliar with AS often focus on the surface symptoms and behaviors and thus arrive at an incorrect diagnosis. Among other, these can include:
- Personality Disorders
- Psychosis
- Bipolar Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Mood disorder
How should Asperger?s Syndrome be managed?
The solutions for each individual with AS are different and will depend on personality, interests, circumstances and experiences. In order to find useful approaches to difficulties, it is imperative to understand what contributes to them.
Most of the time, the challenges someone with AS faces result from a complex interaction between the individual?s internal characteristics relating to having Asperger's Syndrome, and external factors relating to life events and experiences, adulthood, independence and expectations.
The external factors which contribute to the difficulties include:
- not having a diagnosis, or explanation
- not having access to information about AS
- not having access to others with AS
- loss of routine, structure, occupation and or life plan
- increase in independence
- accumulation of experiences of failure
- little or limited support networks
- increased need for internal motivation and drive as the person gets older
- increased self-awareness of limitations and differences
- increased gaps between intellectual, cognitive skills and social, self-help skills.
Internal factors which make individuals with AS vulnerable to significant psychological distress and the development of additional difficulties include:
- decreasing internal motivation
- rigid ways of thinking
- limited distractions from negative/obsessional thoughts
- limited insight into own difficulties or reasons
- poor coping strategies
- low threshold for tolerance of stress, frustration and nger
- poor self-identity, understanding and esteem.
To reduce and prevent further difficulties it is important to focus on
underlying causes which will be different for different individuals. The aim is to provide:
- diagnosis and explanation
- support with understanding of Asperger?s Syndrome
- explanation and education of significant others (professionals, employers, etc.)
- relevant daily occupation and routine
- plans and goals
- concrete strategies for preventing and reducing anxiety
- support and advice for increasing tolerance and developing coping strategies
- opportunities and experiences to increase self-esteem
Increase or encourage:
- daily routine and structure
- goal-planning and achieving
- regular physical exercise
- stimulating occupations and activity
- participation in structured social group activity
In order to reduce:
- stress
- anxiety
- pressure
- boredom
- isolation
The above goals are best achieved when the individual with AS makes a sustained and honest effort to achieve them, and those efforts are complemented by the support of others. If others such as family members, helping professionals, employers, colleagues, and friends understand and appreciate AS traits, the odds of success are greater.
Additional information is contained in the attached
article titled Asperger Syndrome Grows Up: Recognizing AS Adults in Today's Challenging World that can be downloaded / viewed / printed.