Aspergers in Adults

The diagnosis of Aspergers in adults is increasing, possibly due to the increased attention the disorder has been receiving in recent years. Adults with Aspergers are socially impaired and may lack fine and gross motor coordination, but they are of at least average intelligence and have no communication deficits or difficulties. For this reason, they often remain undiagnosed until adulthood, and typically only seek treatment due to issues with maintaining employment or relationships.

Aspies for Freedom

Identification of adult Aspergers is often more difficult than recognizing signs of the disorder in a child. This is because adults with the disorder have spent many years developing coping skills and finding ways to minimize the impact of their social deficits on their personal and professional lives. Moreover, not everyone with Aspergers syndrome experiences the same symptoms, and the variation in symptoms may increase with time and age.

Some common symptoms of Aspergers syndrome in adults include:

• Concrete thinking, difficulty with abstract concepts
• Seems to have lack of empathy for others
• Problems controlling emotions, such as anger and depression
• Difficulty understanding the point of view of others
• Strict adherence to schedules and routines
• Narrow range of interests
• Misinterpretation of social cues and body language
• Difficulties with reciprocal conversation

If you believe you have two or more symptoms of Aspergers, you should consider seeing a professional for an evaluation and diagnosis. Because there is no "cure" and no specific treatment for the disorder, many people choose not to seek help for their condition.

Many adults with Aspergers do not believe they need treatment and consider their symptoms just another shade of normal. However, treatments are available that may improve quality of life and teach the skills necessary for developing and maintaining relationships if you deem it necessary for your situation.

If you decide to seek help for your symptoms, look for a therapist or neurologist who specializes in autism spectrum disorders and Aspergers. Make certain anyone you work with has extensive experience treating the disorder in adults. Many large universities have Aspergers specialists available.

While there is no cure for Aspergers in adults, there are numerous therapeutic treatments aimed at improving functioning, communication, and social skills. Through specialized speech therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and occupational therapy, adults with Aspergers can develop coping skills that allow them to blend into society, hold gainful employment, and lead independent lives. Many people with the condition live happy lives, have families and deep, meaningful relationships.

Life experience teaches appropriate social behavior, thereby enabling adults with Aspergers to behave in social settings and lead fairly normal and productive lives. With time, adults with this disorder can learn to distinguish between and understand the subtleties of body language, eye contact, and facial expression. By mimicking the behavior of others, even when those behaviors are not fully understood, affected adults may become indistinguishable from other members of society, at least on the surface.

Many adults with the disorder lead successful lives, and some do not view their symptoms as abnormal, just different. If the affected adult is able to live independently and function without assistance, many experts believe treatment is not necessary.

Support groups can be a tremendous help for both the Aspergers adult and his or her family members. A support group can provide much needed understanding, and can point the patient toward resources and specialists to which he might not otherwise have access. For many people with Aspergers, knowing there are others out there dealing with the same issues is the best treatment available.

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• Possible Causes of Autism
• Tips for Raising Kids with Autism
• What Is Your Autism Empathy Rating?

• Lesson Plans for Autistic Children
• Adult Autism Symptoms
• Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism
• Speech Therapy Ideas for Autistic Children
• Famous Autistic People

• Aspergers Symptoms
• Aspergers in Girls
• Aspies for Freedom
• Category:Asperger Syndrome
• Adult Asperger Syndrome