Treatments for Aspergers Syndrome
There is not one set treatment for Aspergers syndrome. You will not find a medication that will cure a child with Aspergers. Instead you will find several treatments to help with the problems associated with Aspergers syndrome. Here we will examine some of the treatments used with Aspergers syndrome.
Social Skills Training
Children with Aspergers syndrome have a hard time understanding facial expressions, and tone of voice. They tend to take everything said to them very literally. They do not know when a person is joking with them. Children can be taught to recognize changes in peoples voice, and what different facial expressions mean. They also need to be taught how to use better eye contact. This type of training can help the child to make friends. They are taught how to act around other people. Some children with Aspergers want to be around other kids, they just do not know how to act with them. They can be taught how to act when out shopping, or at a restaurant.
Cognitive behavior Therapy
This type of therapy teaches the child with Aspergers syndrome to find ways to cope. They are taught ways to reduce anxiety. They learn how to spot a situation that can cause them trouble. Then they learn techniques to cope when they are in that situation. Aspergers children often have a lot of anxiety. They have a hard time in social settings. They can have anxiety attacks, or complete meltdowns. The Cognitive therapy teaches them ways to stop the meltdowns from occurring. This therapy will teach a child with Aspergers that when they feel an unwanted behavior coming on something they can do to stop it. They are taught how to remove them selves from a situation that makes them uneasy.
Medication
There is no medication that will treat Aspergers. However there is medication to help with some of the symptoms of Aspergers. Many children with Aspergers have anxiety and depression. There are medications that can help relieve these problems. Relieving the anxiety can help the child feel more comfortable in social settings. Medications like these can have side effects. You will need to monitor your child’s behavior while they are on the medication. Some children with Aspergers have a hard time sleeping. There are medications to help the child sleep.
Parenting Education
There is training for the parents of Aspergers children. This training consists of ways you can deal with behaviors. Learning things that can help to calm your child down when they are having a meltdown, or anxiety attack. Parents are taught ways of using reward systems to control behavior problems. They are taught how to deal with the behaviors in the home. This helps them to deal with behaviors in other places too.
With these treatments the life of an Aspergers child can be easier. If no treatment is given children with Aspergers can have trouble with depression, and anxiety. They have such a hard time dealing with people socially they might turn to alcohol, or drugs to relax them. Getting a treatment plan that works is a number one priority for your Aspergers child.