Aspergers Symptoms In Children
Symptoms in children can vary on account of the level of severity of the Aspergers and also the context(s) in which the symptom is considered. As every child is an individual they are not only affected differently but also need directed specific help for their particular needs. Thus there is no 'one size fits all' solution - only specific help for a specific child.
On this page we will discuss the main symptoms of Aspergers in children, the effects of those symptoms and how to best implement a long-term solution. The reason we make a point of implementing a long-term solution is that children with Aspergers carry their strategies for dealing with life from childhood into adulthood without realising the need for adaptation or change. No explanation is required for the needless difficulties this will ultimately entail. Suffice to say that the earlier the correct action is taken, the higher the quality of life in both childhood and inevitably through adulthood.
We have worked with Aspergers for over seventeen years, directly treating adults, adolescents and training concerned parents how to best support and teach their young children. Although our Clinic is physically located in Stoke on Trent in the UK, we work with people worldwide. Thus if you can travel in person to our Clinic we'd be pleased to work with you face to face, or if you can't feasibly travel (because you live further afield or in another country) we can still work together over the phone or via webcam.
If you'd like to ask any questions or discuss your circumstances you can speak to a Consultant on 01782 855585, 11am to 9pm, seven days a week. This service is free and without obligation. If you are not in the UK you can find our contact details on our International Consultations page.
What Age Is Best For Diagnosing And Treating Aspergers?
There is no 'best age' for diagnosing or treating Aspergers, the rule of thumb is simply to get the right help as soon as possible regardless of age.
Aspergers has been known to be diagnosed in children as early as age three, whereas a more common age range for diagnosis would be between five and nine years of age. With this being said, there are plenty of adults that for one reason or another are not diagnosed in childhood and only learn later in life that their 'quirkiness' could be down to a condition known as Aspergers.
Many concerned parents can become almost obsessed with pursing 'diagnosis' of their child, which in itself is understandable. However, diagnosis is merely giving a set of symptoms a label - it is not the same thing as getting help or treatment in terms of addressing or improving the situation. It is easy to assume that diagnosis is the first step and that once diagnosis has been established, suitable help will automatically follow. Unfortunately this is often not the case. Many people rely on the NHS (or your country's national health service if you have one) to provide all the answers and solutions to your childs issues but are often left disappointed and frustrated.
The truth is that the NHS will perform assessment after assessment on your child, filling in forms, ticking boxes and passing you from one person to another BUT the real help you've been holding out for rarely materialises. We receive feedback from many of our clients whom almost always try the (free) NHS route before considering a private Clinic. The message we repeatedly receive regarding NHS mental health is that it is 90% assessment and box ticking and there is almost nothing in terms of structured help.
Thus if you want formal diagnosis and free assessments but little else - the NHS is the route to take. If you want genuine help for you and your child which will result in a genuine understanding of Aspergers, reduced anxiety, reduced emotional flare-ups, improved social interaction, improved confidence and self-esteem, increased flexibility, wider interests, successful relationships, improved focus and study ability, improved employment prospects (and the list goes on)... speak to us. Our Clinic is built on consistent results - not bureaucracy and paperwork.
Understanding Aspergers Symptoms In Children...
The four main categories we use for banding Aspergers symptoms are:
- Social Interaction
- Language
- Physical
- Neuro Processing
For a full explanation and discussion of these categories you should read our page on Aspergers Symptoms. For convenience this page will open in a new window so you don't lose your place here.
Although children and adults share the same symptoms, as the contexts in which the symptoms arise are often different - so are the problems. For example, the symptoms falling within the social interaction category will affect a child at primary school differently than they will affect an adult working in a factory. Thus the same symptoms can yield different issues and problems purely based upon the environment or context. This can be a real problem as many Aspergers sufferers struggle with an inability to generalise behaviours across multiple contexts. For example, a child having learned (possibly at great length) to speak respectfully to a teacher may not be able to generalise that the same respect should be shown to a boss at work. This is a systemic problem with much of the 'traditional help' that is provided to Aspergers sufferers.
The way around these generalisation pitfalls is to teach using a very different specialised approach. We developed this approach from the way we work with clients struggling with severe anxiety disorders. Traditional therapy involves going back in time assessing one event after another (context) and then blindly hoping that once the root of the 'problem' is discovered it will somehow right itself. Well the truth is that it doesn't work. If someone has been struggling with anxiety for six months, the last thing you want to do is to have them re-living all those bad emotional experiences again by having them recall them over and over. It's obvious really.
The solution is to find out how they create anxiety 'today'. Rather than digging up the past (that we simply can't change anyway), we get our client to become self-aware and look at what 'processes' they are using in their mind to create the feelings of anxiety. The fact that they have managed to feel anxious every day for the previous six months actually proves that there is a 'process' running in their mind which maintains it from day to day.
This 'thought process' is very similar in Aspergers cases, whereas although people are born with Aspergers rather than developing it later in life, it is indeed maintained through rigid thought process. Aspergers is obviously not the result of brain damage because Aspies tend to be of at least average intelligence and often considerably higher. Thus there is no problem with the actual hardware in terms of the physicality of the brain. The issue is with poor, ineffective software which is run over and over - each time resulting in poor results such as awkward social interactions.
The knock-on effect from a poor social interaction is emotional pain (embarrassment, anger, fear, anxiety, etc). This emotional response to the interaction opens up two options for the Aspergers sufferer:
- Try harder using the same thought processes (which ultimately yields more of the same painful emotional results).
- Use the emotional pain as a reference point to avoid future social interactions and become isolated.
You could well have seen both of the above in your child, namely strong emotional flare-ups and also withdrawal into their own company. Neither are beneficial. However we would suggest having a third option. Option three entails the child learning a new way to interact socially which is not only successful but also produces positive emotional feedback. Thus a new cycle is created where a child begins to enjoy (and feel good about) social interactions rather than finding them complex and surrounded by anxiety.
Treating Aspergers Symptoms In Children...
First of all, as we're sure you are already aware - people with Aspergers are not broken or faulty. They merely process information differently to the majority of people (namely the neuro-typical). Society has developed to cater purely for the majority neuro-typical group but as Aspergers falls within the invisible mental health arena (as opposed to something visible like a wheelchair user) - society has done little to cater for it. Thus the main problem with Aspergers is that the majority of people are ignorant of it and thus are in no position to understand or make allowances.
Although Aspies are not faulty or broken, they often struggle to fit in and find acceptance with the neuro-typical majority. As society is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, it would make sense for Aspies to do what they can to make their lives as easy and comfortable as possible. This entails learning strategies to adapt, modify or overcome the 'awkward stuff' that comes to them intuitively.
Fortunately the average Aspergers sufferer is intellectually bright having been blessed with a powerful mind. This valuable asset can be used to both identify the specific problem areas an individual struggles with and also to learn new strategies which are more appropriate and consistently achieve the desired outcome. All the Aspie needs is to be presented with the 'know how' in a way that they understand and can act on.
The alternative is to sit back and let nature take its course. Unfortunately, the rigidity that comes as part of the Aspergers package means that the vast majority of Aspies will never deviate from the thought patterns and behaviours that cause them all their problems. They will merely try harder to force what comes to them intuitively, rather than taking a step back and realising their process and methodology needs to change. Out of interest, this rigidity of thinking (and behaving) trait is a key element in maintaining the anxiety disorders we deal with every day. Whether a client has OCD, Body Dysmorphia, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, PTSD or an eating disorder - they're always rigid thinkers driven primarily to avoid anxiety. However, with the right help anyone can recover from any anxiety disorder and any Aspergers sufferer can 'learn' how to make their life easy and fun.
As we have already mentioned, every child with Aspergers is an individual and thus needs to be considered as an individual case based upon their specific issues and difficulties. We generally suggest that we are best working with parents of children that have not yet reached puberty. We consider puberty as being a better overall marker of maturity than age, as again it is personal to that child. In these cases we would train parents to 'pass on' our expertise to their child through conversations, activities and play. A side-benefit for the parent(s) of working this way is that they too inevitably become very aware of their own internal processes. Thus it is often the case that the parent(s) modify some of their own thought processes with respect to anxiety, worry, frustration, etc. The knock-on effect is that the parent(s) gain a more calm, reasonable and level-headed approach to interacting with their child... which goes a long way in itself in working with an Aspie.
For children that have reached or gone through puberty, many are mature enough to work with us directly. This can take the form of them working with us independently (with your consent of course), or it can be a collaborative case where the child works with us whilst the parent is present. The best course of action inevitably depends upon the circumstances of any given case. We would always suggest that a parent meets or has a discussion with the Consultant to ensure they are happy to proceed, and that their presence and input would be helpful in at least the initial consultation. Beyond the initial consultation it would be for the parent(s) and child to discuss the best way forward, whether it be independent or collaborative. We are happy to oblige either way.
If you would like to discuss your case with a Consultant you can contact us on 01782 855585, 11am to 9pm, seven days a week. If you would like more information on how our treatment works be sure to read our Aspergers Treatment page.
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