HEALTH & MEDICINE :: APRIL/MAY 2007
Asperger’s Disorder: The Other End of the Autism Spectrum
Most people in the United States have been touched by Autism in some way. You may have a child or relative with the disorder. Your children may have a friend at school or in an extracurricular activity that has Autism. The fact is that, today, out of every 150 children born in the US, one will have some form of Autism. In 1990 one child with Autism was born out of every 10,000 births. One of the five disorders on the Autism Spectrum is Asperger’s Disorder.
Asperger’s Disorder is very much like Autism in some ways and yet has its own distinctive characteristics. One of the key differences between Asperger’s Disorder and other forms of Autism is language development. Typically, by the age of two, a child with Asperger’s will be able to speak in phrases. By the time they reach elementary school, the Asperger’s child may be more verbal than some typical peers. Another key difference that distinguishes Asperger’s children from others is poor social skills. These children have trouble reading facial expressions and understanding the nuances of social communication. Asperger’s children are very literal and tend to see the world in black and white terms only. They expect parents or teachers to say precisely what they mean. One parent I know asked her son to take out the trash. The next morning when she opened the garage door to go to work, there were the bags of trash twenty feet from the trash cans. When she asked her son why he left the trash there he responded, ”I’m sure if you wanted the trash in the cans you are intelligent enough to say so.” In addition to social deficits Asperger’s children may also have sensory issues, lack of body awareness and may perseverate on a single topic or item of interest. Different from other forms of Autism is the absence of cognitive delays. Many Asperger’s children are extremely bright and can be off the charts with analytical skills. They have great memories, particularly of subject matter they see in documentaries or read in books.
Many of these gifted children have difficulty accessing what they know when it has to be in a written or non-verbal form. This may be because they may have poor fine motor skills and avoid writing at all costs. It may also be due to a right hemispheric disorder of the brain which makes it difficult to retrieve information and express it in written forms. Some children have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder co-existing with Asperger’s Disorder. This can cloud the picture for teachers and parents as they have difficulty separating impulsive behavior and inattention from social awkwardness.
Because children with Asperger’s Disorder do not have the skills to make and sustain friendships in the early years, it is likely that they may be content to isolate at play. This should not be confused with a lack of desire to have playmates. Many children have been known to become depressed because they don’t have friends, yet when the opportunity for a playmate presents itself, they may sabotage the relationship. During the High School years the desire for friends may be apparent; however, the lack of communicative skills and social conventions may hinder the possibility of a relationship forming. These characteristics often get carried over into adulthood, if not addressed, causing problems with familial and employment situations.
The good news is that early intervention can help many children with Asperger’s achieve some normalcy in their adolescent and adult years. Interventions that can be very helpful include Occupational Therapy, Social Skills Therapy, Group Therapy and Behavioral training. Parents and teachers benefit from standardized behavioral approaches that help establish boundaries and social conventions. When these behavioral approaches are applied, they help the child to gain insight into the cause/effect relationships of social behavior. The best place to start is to develop a Functional Behavior Assessment, with the help of a trained professional, to create a comprehensive look at what needs to be addressed in treatment, followed by a treatment plan to serve as a roadmap toward recovery.
The mission of Integrated Behavior Solutions is to provide effective behavioral health services to the special needs community in an ethical and affordable manner. We celebrate the dignity and possibilities of every life and make opportunities available for unique people to do unique things. Our professional staff provides assessment, treatment, education and training for families and schools. We use a variety of empirically-based treatment methods to address conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, attention deficits, and developmental delays. Our clients range in age from 2 to 30 and live in southeastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware and southern New Jersey. Our training programs for our older clients include life skills, preparation for community-based living, and vocational preparation and placement. Call (610) 636-6248 and speak with Dr. Bailey directly if you have a child with behavioral issues, Autism, or a child having difficulty making transitions into a life of self-determination. www.IntegratedBehaviorSolutions.net
Dr. Ron Bailey, Ed.D., BCBA, has a doctorate in developmental education and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. In addition, he has an MA in clinical counseling and an M.Div. with a major in marriage and family therapy.
Dr. Bailey has extensive experience working in the demanding field of autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, ADHD, conduct disorders and anxiety related disorders. For 30 years he has worked in home, school, community, residential and church settings while designing unique programs for varied client populations. Dr. Bailey designs training programs and conducts workshops for schools, universities, parent support groups, and professional environments.
In addition to his work with children and their families, Dr. Bailey has extensive experience working with adults with developmental challenges. He has provided behavioral consulting services for agencies in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties and numerous school districts.
Here is what our clients say:
“Dr. Ron has been a real bright spot in dealing with my son’s autism
behaviors. All we ever got from other ‘professionals’ was that we
should give more medication. Medications caused more problems because they had
such horrible side effects. Dr. Ron provided interventions that actually worked
and his staff was so caring. We think of our support team as friends as well
as therapists because they do more than ‘just a job’. They have
all shown warmth, caring and compassion while working with our family.”
~Grateful. Beth M.
“My son has Asperger’s Disorder. We spent years trying to find help with behavior problems and finding an appropriate school placement. When Sam left High School at age 21 we had no idea what we were going to do. He was intelligent but hadn’t been prepared for work or higher education. When we were introduced to Dr. Bailey we had been disappointed so many times we didn’t know if we had the energy to work with yet another therapist. We took another desperate risk and agreed to do an assessment of behaviors and vocational skills. Within just a few weeks we had a plan and support staff to help us implement it. Within 3 months the support staff was gone and Sam was working a part time job. We are really glad we took one more chance on Integrated Behavior Solutions and Dr. Bailey.” ~Tracy C., Wilmington
