Articles on Autism and Asperger's Disorder
What
is Autism?
Cameron is an angelic four-year-old with tumbling black curls and gorgeous
blue eyes. Because of his striking looks he attracts more than his fair
share of attention from passers-by, but the majority of them come away
from an encounter with Cameron with a sense of frustration. He refuses
to make eye-contact, shies away from conversation, and seldom responds
even to the requests of his mother… (Read
more)
More
about Autism
Following on from What is Autism?, we'll now look at some of
the many theories surrounding the development of autism, and try to
make sense of the puzzling array of symptoms that characterize this
disorder… (Read
more)
Symptoms
of Autism
Do you suspect your child may have autism? Varying degrees of autism
exist and are often related to the IQ level of the child, with those
of higher IQ being less severely affected by the disorder. However,
a diagnosis of autism requires the child to satisfy the following criteria…
(Read
more)
Early
Test for Autism
Scientists are moving closer to developing a blood test to detect autism
early in life-possibly even at birth. Autism is often not diagnosed
until a child is three to four years of age, when the characteristic
behavior pattern becomes more apparent. Identifying the condition earlier
creates an opportunity for researchers to better understand the condition…
(Read
more)
What
is Asperger's Disorder?
The first time Elise met her mother-in-law she was struck by the fact
that the woman seldom made eye contact with her. Instead she looked
slightly over her shoulder into the distance, even when she was talking
to her. The first time she hugged her mother-in-law, after receiving
a Christmas gift from her, the mother-in-law became perfectly rigid
and did not return the hug. Looking around at the rest of the family,
Elise noticed that they were all holding their breath… (Read
more)
Adults
with Asperger's Disorder
In What is Asperger's Disorder? we looked at an overview of
this condition which forms one of the autistic spectrum disorders, a
developmental disorder that influences how the brain processes information,
particularly in the area of social cues… (Read
more)
Coping
with an adult with Asperger's (1)
As we discussed in What is Asperger's Disorder and Adults
with Asperger's Disorder, this condition is a lifelong developmental
disorder and mainly manifests in the inability to successfully relate
emotionally to others during everyday interactions. There exists a lack
of awareness in interpreting social cues; a skill that most of us take
for granted… (Read
more)
Coping
with an adult with Asperger's (2)
As we saw in Coping with an adult with Asperger's (1), dealing
with a person with this condition can be extremely difficult at times,
particularly when the person has yet to be diagnosed with the disorder.
When diagnosis of the adult Asperger occurs, it is often as a result
of a child or grandchild being assessed with the disorder. It then becomes
apparent to other family members that the undiagnosed adult they have
struggled for so long to understand or relate to also possesses the
disorder… (Read
more)
Coping
with an adult with Asperger's (3)
In this third blog on living with a person with Asperger's, (see Coping
with an adult with Asperger's (1) and (2)), we look at
further behavioral patterns of the sufferer and ways families and friends
can better deal with difficulties encountered in everyday interactions
with individuals with the condition… (Read
more)
Coping
with an adult with Asperger's (4)
In the final blog in this present series on Asperger's Disorder, we
look at further behavioral markers as well as treatment options for
this condition… (Read
more)
Asperger's
or not Asperger's?
We've all heard of common mental conditions such as depression, bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders... Many
more strange and puzzling afflictions affect the general population
and today's blog describes one of them. It involves the diagnosis of
a child with Asperger's Disorder... (Read
more)
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