Asperger's syndrome is a neurological or neurological disorder that belongs to the autism spectrum disorder. autism spectrum disorder (autism spectrum disorder) or better known as autism is a disorder of the nervous system that affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with other people.
Asperger's syndrome is slightly different from other autism spectrum disorders, such as autistic disorder. In people with autistic disorders, there is a decline in intelligence (cognitive) and mastery of language. Whereas in Asperger's syndrome sufferers, they are intelligent and proficient in language, but seem awkward when communicating or interacting with people around them.
This syndrome affects children, and persists into adulthood. Although there is no cure yet, Asperger's syndrome that is diagnosed and treated early can help sufferers to increase their potential and ability to communicate and interact with others.
Symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome
Pediatricians agree that Asperger's syndrome has less severe symptoms than other types of autism. Behind the intelligence possessed by sufferers of this syndrome, there are several distinctive signs or symptoms, namely:
- Difficult to interact. People with Asperger's syndrome experience awkwardness in social interactions, both with family and other people. Let alone communicating, even making eye contact is a bit difficult.
- Not expressive. People with Asperger's syndrome rarely display facial expressions or body movements related to their emotional expression. When happy, people with Asperger's syndrome will find it difficult to smile or can't laugh even though they receive a funny joke. Sufferers will also speak in a flat tone, not unlike a talking robot.
- Less sensitive. When interacting with other people, people with Asperger's syndrome only focus on telling themselves and have no interest in what the other person has. People with Asperger's syndrome can spend hours discussing their favorite hobbies, such as talking about their favorite clubs, players, and football matches with the other person.
- Obsessive, repetitive, and dislike change. Routinely doing the same thing over and over (repetitively) and not accepting changes in the surroundings is a hallmark of people with Asperger's syndrome. One of the most visible signs is liking to eat the same type of food for some time or preferring to stay in class during recess.
- Motor disorders. Children who suffer from Asperger's syndrome experience delays in motor development, when compared to children their age. Because of this, they often seem to have difficulty performing ordinary activities, such as catching a ball, riding a bicycle, or climbing a tree.
- Impaired physical or coordination. The physical condition of patients with Asperger's syndrome is classified as weak. One of the signs is that the patient's gait tends to be stiff and easily wobbly.
Causes of Asperger's Syndrome
The causes of Asperger's syndrome are aligned with the causes of autism spectrum disorders. The exact cause is unknown at this time, but experts believe that inherited genetic disorders play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder as well as Asperger's syndrome.
In some cases, Asperger's syndrome is also thought to be triggered by:
- Infection during pregnancy
- Exposure to agents or factors that cause deformities in the fetus.
In 1999, content thimerosal Some vaccines are thought to cause children to suffer from autism, so almost all vaccines are produced without this chemical. However, in 2004, the allegation was debunked because thimerosal It has not been shown to cause autism in children. This is also reinforced by the continued increase in the number of people with autism after thimerosal It is no longer used in the manufacture of vaccines.
Asperger's Syndrome Diagnosis
The symptoms of Asperger's syndrome that are most easily detected by parents or teachers at school are difficulties in communicating and interacting with people around them.
People with Asperger's syndrome are often misdiagnosed, being thought to have suffered attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is a long-term disorder that causes children to have difficulty concentrating and being too active (hyperactivity). To prevent this error, the doctor will evaluate the child in depth in terms of social interaction, attention when communicating, use of language, facial expressions when speaking, as well as muscle coordination and behavior, in order to get the right diagnosis.
Asperger's Syndrome Treatment
Like autism, the occurrence of Asperger's syndrome in children cannot be prevented. However, some efforts can still be made to increase the potential and abilities of sufferers. Handling of Asperger's syndrome will focus on dealing with three main symptoms, namely lack of communication skills, obsessive-repetitive habits, to weak physical condition.
This form of treatment is provided through therapy in the form of:
- Language therapy, talk, and socialization. People with Asperger's syndrome are actually good at mastering language and speaking. However, this ability cannot be performed on other people. This therapy tries to get the sufferer used to talking to other people, making eye contact when interacting, and discussing topics that are also desired by the other person.
- Physical therapy. Physical therapy or physiotherapy aims to train the strength of the limbs. A number of routine exercises that can be applied are running, jumping, going up and down stairs, or cycling.
- Occupational therapy. The therapy is quite complete by combining physical, cognitive, and sensory exercises. This therapy aims to improve and enhance cognitive, physical, sensory, motor skills, and strengthen self-awareness and appreciation.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches children about ways to express their feelings and get along with peers or those around them. Patients will be trained to control the stimuli received by the body's senses, fear, anxiety, desire, rejection, and emotional outbursts.
In addition to the above therapies, medications can be given to control symptoms in Asperger's syndrome. The drugs that are usually given are:
- Aripiprazole - relieve the desire to be angry.
- Olanzapine - suppress the nature of being overactive (hyperactivity).
- Risperidone - reduce feelings of restlessness and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
- class of antidepressants selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) - reduces the desire to do repetitive activities.
Complications of Asperger's Syndrome
Although not all sufferers experience it, complications of Asperger's syndrome can include:
- Worried
- Easy to get angry
- Aggressive
- Too sensitive to the surrounding environment, for example noise
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Tendency to self-harm.