What Treatments are there for Adults with Asperger's Syndrome or Disorder?

I am often asked: "What Treatments Are Available for Adults with Asperger Syndrome?" Many adults who have been having low level but continuous problems socially, at college, work or in their own family go on line and seek out a diagnosis. Often they complete a check list somewhere and it tells them they MAY have Asperger's Syndrome or Asperger's Disorder. Of course, one of the problems is the short check list was designed to do nothing more than search out signs and symptoms of Aspeger's, and honestly, there are a lot of people who you see most of those signs or symptoms in. A real diagnosis would have taken a broader view, and looked at alternative causes for these symptoms. This process is called "differential diagnosis" and a licensed psychologist or medical doctor familiar with Asperger's would have ruled in or out several very similar disorders. But, at any rate, you have completed the checklist, it says Asperger's and your symptoms are of concern. Many people wonder why someone would even go through an examination to get a diagnosis, because they aren't sure what "therapies" are even available. For children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and other forms of autism usually there is a fairly common set of treatment interventions available through the school district. This might include physical, occupational and speech therapy along with some kind of social skills (social reciprocity) training and behaviour support. But for adults it's a very different matter. Most people start treatment because of some event that is currently going on in their lives. They may have had difficulty at school with more complex subjects, and their difficulty is related to Asperger's tendency to limit cognitive flexibility. This can be addressed through psychoeducation, practice and feedback. Others may be having problems at work. They could be similar to those just mentioned, or include time management issues, focus and attention problems very similar to ADHD, or social interaction issues. All of these are addressed through fairly common techniques, and the issue of social interactions, or social cognition, is usually addressed through psychoeducation (readings and discussions about how the brain works in social interactions) and modelling, then practice in using social cognition skills. For the individual with Asperger's this is a very different issue than "social skills training," which many people are pointed to by therapists who are not familiar with the complexity of Asperger's Syndrome or Disorder. As I always do, let me mention the work of Michelle Garcia Winner here. Here web page, www.socialthinking.com explains this issue really well. When adults come to my offices in Burnaby or Vancouver for treatment of aspects of their Asperger Syndrome I often recommend trying to look over Michelle's materials to get a firm grip on what exactly is going on when they have difficulty in social settings. Family issues is another point that often brings individuals with Asperger's Syndrome to the office. Sometimes we work together one-to-one on understanding and improving communications, sometimes we work on things as simple as arranging appropriate schedules and interaction times. Couples often need relationship counselling as well. And of course, educating your spouse can make a big difference. This is another place where a trained professional comes in handy. Finally, many individuals come in for the same symptoms and problems anyone might come to a therapist or psychologist for. They may have anxiety issues, phobias or depression. For these issues we often use an adapted form of CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to address the thoughts and feelings of loneliness, depression and isolation. Of course others come in because of legal issues after work place incidents, or to help get social services and so on. Some individuals need help with daily living skills like keeping a bank account, eating properly, exercising and finding a job. Others with Asperger's have anxiety because of their limited ability reading social cues at work where they may be a department head, director of research or university faculty. Asperger's is a spectrum disorder and individuals come in with a spectrum of issues they can use support and help with. These are just a few of the reasons individuals come to my office seeking help with Asperger Syndrome symptoms. For more information on the services I provide please feel free to contact me, or check out the information on my web page at www.relatedminds.com