Mental Health

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME

What is it?

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), is part of the Autism Spectrum Disorders.  People with AS have difficulty in social situations and often have stereotypies.  (repetitive behavior such as arm flapping)  AS differs from autism in the way that Aspies (people with Asperger’s) have extremely high intelligence. For example, geniuses like Einstein and Bill Gates are known to have AS.  Asperger’s looks quite different from person to person, we are all unique, and it’s just as adverse as each person’s personality is.  AS is a non-verbal learning disability, meaning we only understand what you are saying, and we take everything said at face value.  We miss a lot of facial expressions and vocal tones, and genstures, and we are not very good at abstract thinking.  We have limited interests, and some of them tend to be odd to the rest of the world.  (I know one guy who has this huge fixation on vacuums, old and new, he knows EVERYTHING about them.)

Asperger’s Disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) by six main criteria:

1. qualitative impairment in social interaction
2. restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and interests
3. significant impairment in important areas of functioning
4. no significant delay in language development
5. no significant delay in cognitive development, self-help skills or adaptive behaviors (other than social interaction)
6. criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.

How does Asperger’s affect me?

In many ways Asperger’s, especially for me is an invisible learning disability.  Many people believe that I have adapted to my surroundings and the extra stimulus around me quite nicely.  I have heard parents with aspie children, say that I give them hope.  I even joke with people saying that with the autism spectrum, I’m almost falling off I’m so high functioning…  but I really don’t believe this is so.

It is true that I have learned more than the average aspie on adapting to my surroundings, however, adapting isn’t the best terminology for what happens.  I have learned that it’s socially inappropriate to react in certain ways to being over stimulated and also I have learned to observe (to an extent) what others are doing and try my best to replicate the social behaviours of that situation.  There is a problem with what I have developed though.  My strategy in life causes me to depend on people to tell me if I am being socially inappropriate or if I’m being the least bit autistic.  If I am not told, I have no idea.

I am very much of an extrovert that is forced to be introverted due to social anxieties and other fears.  When I am out and about, even among friends, they hardly notice what is going on within me, and at that moment, I don’t either.  But when I get home, that’s when the crap hits the fan.  I have many coping strategies for when I am out and about, but when I get home, it seems like it’s of no use.  Especially when I am winding down for bed, my anxieties rise because of the events of the day.  And the events can be something simple to something complex.

Treatment?

There is currently no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorders.   For AS specifically there are a few ways of treating the symptoms.  Currently there are no medications that treat AS.  Treatments vary because the symptoms from one person to the next vary as much as each individual’s personality.

Some Treatments Include:

• Working on social skills to improve relationships
• Cognitive behavioral therapy to improve stress management, anxiety etc.
• medications (for coexisting issues like depression & anxiety)
• occupational and/or physical therapy for sensory issues
• speech therapy to help with ‘normal’ conversation

Why a Service Dog for Asperger’s?

There are several reasons why I have personally decided to go about this rout, and it’s not just for the AS.  I also have depression and other mental health issues, and it’s extremely difficult for me to function on a day to day basis.   When I am out in the world it seems as though I am functioning normally, however, if anyone would walk into my home today (June 22,2009) they would agree that something is not right with me.  I cannot function and look after myself at home because I have learned that it is more important to have the proper social ettiquite rather than having an organized home.  Now, my place isn’t just disorganized, there is much more to it than that, but it’s very diffiuclt for me to get into and explain.

I am constantly trying to process what I am doing when I am out of the house, what people are saying, and I need to interpret how I need to respond.  My anxieties don’t always appear to bother me out of the house, although they do bother me when I’m out and about, however, it’s when I get home that they really bother me.

There will be more about this later on one of the pages.  I will have a list of tasks I’d like the dog to do to better help me.