Aspergers Medication

There is no official medication or treatment which can cure Aspergers but as there are many other disorders often seen to reside along with Aspergers medication is used to treat them or at least to bring these secondary disorders in control. Disorders like ADHD, Torrette’s Syndrome, Anxiety Disorder and Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD and many others are commonly found in a youngster or an adult suffering from Aspergers.

Certain drugs like clonidine, naltrexone, antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs have been used over the year to try and reduce the various effects of Aspergers. These drugs help to treat the repetitive behaviors but a lot is to be tested before one starts with these medicines as many children in the past have complained about having to face abnormalities regarding metabolism and cardiac transference time as well as long term neurological problems.

Risperidone is one drug which is supposed to help out the child in dealing with self-injurious behavior as well as with violent outbursts and stereotyped behavior. But this drug can cause a child to gain weight and also causes fatigue and for some these symptoms lead to restlessness and sustained muscle contractions.

Many drugs are used to deal with hyperactivity, irritability and aggression but none of the medicines are regular. The doctor prescribes the medicines based on individual patients as the other conditions of his or her health is a determining factor of the probable treatment. There are medicines given for mood swings, attention problems, bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD.

These drugs are only used to control the situations so that they do not get worse than what already is. They can be anti-depressant medicines in order to help the child with severe depression issues and it can also be stimulants. There are medicines given to make the child with Aspergers more relaxed so that he or she is not stressed out all the time which is fairly common.

The medicines can be both over the counter and prescribed but it is always advisable that one gets prescribed drugs only as the medicines can indeed worsen situations as these are all chemicals and chemicals can always react in an adverse way. Using the drugs for a long time also causes side effects and almost all of the medicines have been reported to cause this. SSRIs like Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil are prescribed to treat idiosyncratic thinking and aggression and these are basically anti-depressant drugs.

Mainly there are a few therapies which are in popular use with people having Aspergers and these therapies help them to get trained in the social norms and the appropriate behaviors. There are natural ways in which one can deal with the various comorbid conditions as well as the various severe symptoms and it is better to take natural medication than to go for prescription or over the counter drugs when it is about treating Aspergers.

Aspergers Children & Anger Control

My 7-year-old boy becomes very angry a lot of the time. What can I do to help him deal with his frustrations better?

A great deal of stress is likely due to his Aspergers. Some kids react by becoming depressed, some become anxious, and others become angry and experience rage against the frustrating events that occur in their day. Some kids externalize their feelings and blame others, while some internalize their feelings and have a difficult time controlling their anger. There may be no particular event to his anger – just an aggressive mood or reaction to a frustrating experience.

Encourage self-control and teach your youngster to consider alternative behaviors. Self-control can be strengthened by teaching your youngster to stop and count to ten, taking a deep breath and reminding themselves to keep calm. Or for some kids it is helpful that they have an agreed room or particular space that they take themselves too when they feel that they are getting anxious/angry.

Specific relaxation techniques can be practiced and your youngster can be taught the cues when they must calm down and relax. Explain the alternative to your youngster and in specific terms.

Keep in mind that your son will most likely have difficulty expressing what is making him angry. You will need to assess the situation to determine what may be provoking him.

Another alternative is to keep him engaged in activities that burn off energy and reduce his need to express the anger that he is feeling.

Asperger’s Syndrome Therapies

There is no cure to the Syndrome called Aspergers which is a form of mild autism and referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder and as Pervasive Developmental Disorder or PDD. There are several medicines that are often prescribed to keep the various symptoms of the syndrome in control but the long term use of these drugs is not advisable as they have their side effects. There are anti-depressants and stimulants of various sorts which are given to patients of Aspergers to try and keep their symptoms and their comorbid conditions in check but most people still prefer natural ways to treat Aspergers and various therapies which help the victims.

There are several herbal as well as homeopathic drugs that are used to help the various symptoms like irritability, depression, anxiety, attention deficiency, hyperactivity, repetitive behavior and much more. There are herbal therapies that include the ingredients Passiflora, Chamomile, John’s Wort and many others.

The therapies which are used for Aspergers are:

• Speech therapy
• Social skills training
• Sensory integration therapy
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy

The cognitive behavioral therapy is the one which is the most famous procedure and in this the focus is kept on teaching the youngster with Aspergers social norms and right behavior as well as right conduct. Usually in this therapy the youngster is made to understand certain situations that may arise in his or her life and then he or she is taught the right reaction in such a situation. A specific learned strategy is something that helps the youngster to understand and cope up with new and problematic situations. The youngster is also taught as to how he or she can control the emotions which is very hard for one with Aspergers.

In the social skills training sessions the youngster is taught social skills like a foreign language and they are also taught as to how they can understand the various communication techniques like gestures, body language, eye contact and undertone of the speaker.

In speech therapy a youngster or an adult with Aspergers is taught and trained to speak in a rhythmical way which is not extremely monotonous. They are also taught to speak in a normal tone and pitch which is usually distorted in a person with Aspergers.

In physical and occupational therapy the motor skills of the person with Aspergers is improved. He or she is trained to acquire skills that require motor functionality and then develop these skills with time. They are also given enough training to make them independent in their future so that they can work individually with little help from others. In occupational therapy the therapist deals with the youngster’s finer motor skills and in the physical therapy the therapist deals with the gross motor skills and a part of occupational therapy is sensory integration therapy which has shown successful results over the years. Kids who go through these therapy sessions show better mannerism and behavior than those that live with Aspergers without any training or therapy.

Treatment for Asperger's Syndrome

Aspergers is not widely recognized by the public or by health care providers. What does it mean to have Aspergers? Do they have severe AD/HD, mild autism, learning disabilities, or are they just “nerds?”

For years, psychiatrists have debated how to classify and subdivide the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Pervasive Developmental Disorder is a category that contains several specific diagnoses. People with PDD have problems with the social interaction and often show delays in several other areas. These other areas may include language, coordination, imaginative activities, and intellectual functioning. The degree of severity can vary tremendously in the various forms of PDD. Autism is one of the more severe forms of PDD. A person with Autism has marked difficulty relating to other human beings. He or she frequently has delayed or absent speech and may be mentally retarded. Aspergers is on the milder end of PDD. People with Aspergers generally have normal intelligence and normal early language acquisition. However, they show difficulties with social interactions and non-verbal communications. They may also show perseverative or repetitive behaviors.

The Youngster: A preschool aged youngster might show difficulty understanding the basics of social interaction. He or she may have difficulty picking up social cues. He may want friends but be unable to make or keep any friends.

Elementary School Aged Youngster: One often hears the phrase, “poor pragmatic language skills.” This means that the individual cannot use the right tone and volume of speech. He may stand too close or make poor eye contact. He may have trouble understanding age-appropriate humor and slang expressions. Many are clumsy and have visual-perceptual difficulties. Learning difficulties, subtle or severe, are common. The youngster may become fixated on a particular topic and bore others with frequent or repetitive talk even when the other kids have given clear signals that they are no longer interested in the topic. Some have difficulties tolerating changes in their daily routine. Change must be introduced gradually.

The Teenager: This may be the most difficult time for a person with Aspergers. Those with milder forms of the disorder may first come to treatment when they are in middle school. In adolescence, social demands become more complex. Subtle social nuances become important. Some may show an increase in oppositional or aggressive behavior. People with Aspergers have difficulty understanding which of their peers might want to be a friend. A socially marginal boy might try to date the most popular girl in his class. He will probably experience rejection. He is unaware that some other girl might accept his invitation. Because of his social naiveté, he may not realize when someone is trying to take advantage of him. He can be especially vulnerable to manipulation and peer pressure.

Adulthood: There is less information on Aspergers in adulthood. Some people with mild Aspergers are able to learn to compensate. They become indistinguishable form everyone else. They marry, hold a job and have kids. Other people live an isolated existence with continuing severe difficulties in social and occupational functioning. People with Aspergers often do well in jobs that require technical skill but little social finesse. Some do well with predictable repetitive work. Others relish the challenge of intricate technical problem solving. I knew a man, now deceased, who had many of the characteristics of Aspergers. He lived with his mother and had few social contacts. When he visited relatives, he did not seem to understand how to integrate himself into their household routine. When the relatives would explain the situation to him, he was able to accept it. However, he was unable to generalize this to similar situations. Although he was a psychologist, his work involved technical advisory work, not face-to-face clinical sessions.

Associated Difficulties: Aspergers may be associated with learning difficulties and attention deficit disorder. Indeed, many kids and adolescents with Aspergers have previously been diagnosed with AD/HD instead of Aspergers. People with AD/HD may have difficulty with social interaction, but the primary difficulties are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In people with Aspergers, the social awkwardness is a greater concern. As people with Aspergers enter adolescence, they become acutely aware of their differences. This may lead to depression and anxiety. The depression, if not treated, may persist into adulthood.

Treatment for Aspergers—

Medications: There is no one specific medication for Aspergers syndrome. Some are on no medication. In other cases, we treat specific target symptoms. One might use a stimulant for inattention and hyperactivity. An SSRI such as Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft might help with obsessions or perseveration. The SSRIs can also help associated depression and anxiety. In people with stereotyped movements, agitation and idiosyncratic thinking, we may use a low dose antipsychotic such as risperidone.

Social Skills Training: This is one of the most important facets of treatment for all age groups. I often tell moms & dads and educators that the individual needs to learn body language as an adult learns a foreign language. The individual with Aspergers must learn concrete rules for eye contact, social distance and the use of slang. Global empathy is difficult, but they can learn to look for specific signs that indicate another individual’s emotional state. Social skills are often best practiced in a small group setting. Such groups serve more than one function. They give people a chance to learn and practice concrete rules of interpersonal engagement. They may also be a way for the participant to meet others like himself. People with Aspergers do best in groups with similar people. If the group consists of street-wise, antisocial peers, the Aspergers individual may retreat into himself or be dominated by the other members.

Educational Interventions: Because Aspergers covers a wide range of ability levels the school must individualize programming for each student with Aspergers. Educators need to be aware that the student may mumble or refuse to look him in the eye. Educators should notify the student in advance about changers in the school routine. The student may need to have a safe place where he can retreat if he becomes over stimulated. It may be difficult to program for a very bright student with greater deficits. In one case, a student attended gifted classes but also had an aide to help her with interpersonal issues. That student is now in college. Kids with Aspergers are often socially naive. They may not do well in an Emotionally Disturbed class if most of the other students are aggressive, street-wise and manipulative. I have seen some do well when placed with other students with pervasive developmental disorders. Some do well in a regular classroom with extra support. This extra help might include an instructional assistant, resource room or extra training for the primary educator.

Psychotherapy: People with Aspergers may have trouble with a therapist who insists that they make an early intense emotional contact. The therapist may need to proceed slowly and avoid more emotional intensity than the patient can handle. Concrete, behavioral techniques often work best. Play can be helpful in a limited way if the therapist uses it to teach way of interaction of the therapist uses play as a break form an emotionally tense if it is used to lower emotional tension. Adults and kids may also do well in group therapy. Support groups can also be helpful.

Moms & dads play an important role in helping their youngster or adolescent. This youngster or adolescent will require time and extra nurturance. It is important to distinguish between willful disobedience and misunderstanding of social cues. It is also important to sense when the youngster is entering emotional overload so that one can reduce tension. They may need to prepare the youngster for changes in the daily routine. One must choose babysitters carefully. Moms & dads may have to take an active role in arranging appropriate play dates for the younger youngster. Some moms & dads seek out families with similar kids. Kids with Aspergers often get along with similar playmates. Moms & dads should help educators understand the world from the youngster’s unique point of view. Parenting an adolescent with Aspergers can be a great challenge. The socially naive adolescent may not be ready for the same degree of freedom as his peers. Often moms & dads can find a slightly older adolescent who can be a mentor. This person can help the adolescent understand how to dress, and how to use the current slang. If the mentor attends the same school, he can often give clues about the cliques in that particular setting.

Grown-ups may benefit from group therapy or individual behavioral therapy. Some speech therapists have experience working with adults on pragmatic language skills. Behavioral coaching, a relatively new type of intervention, can help the adult with Aspergers organize and prioritize his daily activities. Grown-ups may need medication for associated problems such as depression or anxiety. It is important to understand the needs and desires of that particular adult. Some adults do not need treatment. They may find jobs that fit their areas of strength. They may have smaller social circles, and some idiosyncratic behaviors, but they may still be productive and fulfilled.

Medications for Asperger's Syndrome

No specific treatment for the core symptoms of Aspergers is available, and no cure exists for the disorder. Educational and behavioral supports are the primary treatments used for chidlren with Aspergers. Psychopharmacology and other treatments may also be used to manage some of the problem behaviors associated with Aspergers. Some Aspergers children are on no medication.

In other cases, we treat specific target symptoms. One might use a stimulant for inattention and hyperactivity. An SSRI such as Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft might help with obsessions or perseveration. The SSRIs can also help associated depression and anxiety. In individuals with stereotyped movements, agitation and idiosyncratic thinking, we may use a low dose antipsychotic such as risperidone.


Comments—

We tried Abilify for my Aspergers son when he was about 16. Although it did make him a bit more comfortable and appropriate socially, it made him very groggy. The right balance of meds is very dependent on the individual. I chose to forego the social gains in favor of keeping him aware more of his involved in life. Tough call.

I've heard both from the Autism Center at the University of Washington and from our meds management PhD that Risperdal (Risperidone) is one of the few meds consistently proven effective in treating autism. It works for my son, although he must take it at bedtime to avoid the sleepiness it otherwise causes. He also takes another mood stabilizer, an SSRI antidepressant, and Straterra (a time-release form of methylphenidate) to aid in concentration. This "cocktail" doesn't resolve all his issues, but he's made tremendous progress while taking it. He's 19 now.

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My son is 8 now and has always been very unique. He has been and continues to be a very challenging child. As in the prior post my son rarely cries if at all and his emotions are typically expressed in angry outbursts. He is an avid reader and loves his computer and video games. He is extremely bright scoring in the 99th percentile nationwide. He hates homework, however and while accepted into an accelerated program at school does not exhibit the typical traits of a "gifted" child. He likes to be alone and will often complain about noise but sometimes noise seems not to bother him in the least. He speaks to others as if he were a 13 or 14 year old boy. He is often disrespectful and seems not to realize that he is offending others.


He has been prescribed Buspar and after only one day's worth of doses, was a completely different child. The medication seemed to work wonders but he complained of muscle spasms and the physician took him off and put him on Clonazepam, which seems to have done absolutely nothing at all. In fact, he complains of frequent headaches and begs not to take the medication. He prefers the Buspar despite the muscle spasms.

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While I was in the hospital for a week the doctors started me on Anafranil and Welbutran. I am curious as to how often doctors prescribe medication for Aspergers Syndrome. According to my doctor the Anafranil is used to help me think less obsessively, and the welbutran is to help cope with the depression that comes along with the social isolation. I think I can cope with Aspergers just fine, but recent circumstances caused me to get way overwhelmed with a lot of stuff causing very severe anxiety.