Asperger syndrome: causes, symptoms and treatment

Do you know Sheldon Cooper from the TV series Big Bang Theory? Today many more people know what Asperger syndrome is and what difficulties this problem entails thanks to this character in the series.

On February 18, the international day of Asperger's syndrome is celebrated, a common developmental disorder in the population (present in 3-7 out of every 1000 births) that involves difficulties in the emotional, social and behavioral areas.

What is Asperger syndrome?

Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that falls into the category of autism spectrum disorders. Although it has in common with the rest of the forms of autism the difficulties with communication and interaction Social and repetitive behavior, the Asperger's is considered a mild variant and has several peculiarities.

Far from belief, people with Asperger's have a normal intelligence level. In fact, they can demonstrate surprising abilities when it comes to those subjects that are part of their narrow core of interests: flags, trains, numbers, etc.

However, they also have great difficulties in other areas, problems that are often present in each one of us but to a much more controllable and less threatening degree.

• Related article: "Asperger syndrome: 10 signs of this disorder"

Symptoms of the disorder

People with Asperger syndrome often feel emotionally overwhelmed and unable to identify their own feelings. This occurs due to a lack of awareness of one's own emotions and feelings and a lack of resources and strategies to manage them properly: situations that they do not control, and therefore stress them, will make them feel easily overwhelmed.

But not only do they have difficulty identifying and managing their own emotional state, they also find it hard to “read” others and understand how they feel or what are your intentions. This means that they are sometimes described as insensitive or carefree, or that they do not know how to adequately interpret ironies or double meanings, generating frequent misunderstandings.

Some of the compensatory strategies that people with Asperger syndrome use to compensate for their lack of resources to emotionally self-regulate and recovering a sense of security are stereotyped behaviors and movements (swinging, running, jumping, “flapping”) or the restriction of interests in two or three themes.

Strategies for managing anxiety

Understanding these behaviors as strategies -although maladaptive- to manage the anxiety or the discomfort they experience in certain situations, it is understandable that any change in routine or unforeseen manages to destabilize to a person with Asperger's if the educational resources to manage it are not offered.

For example, people with Asperger's, and with autism in general, are greatly helped by anticipating possible changes in their plans. If you have previously established a plan and it changes suddenly, you may feel intense anxiety.

These consequences are not surprising if we take into account that for many people the fact that others take them out of their routine or the appearance normal setbacks already creates a certain nervousness, although it is usually more manageable than for people with spectrum disorders autistic.

• Related article: "How to help a child with Asperger syndrome?"

The Asperger's in childhood and adulthood

Understanding the main characteristics of the problem is not only important to facilitate its early detection and for the development and implementation of educational and support measures for the child; It also favors greater awareness, promoting a more understanding and respectful attitude towards people with Asperger's on the part of those around them.

It is common to focus on the manifestations of the disorder during childhood and adolescence, since these are the times when the first signs of alarm appear. However, if you do not work individually and collectively, it is easy that, when they reach adulthood, they continue to have difficulties and even that these are exacerbated by also increasing the social and labor demands of the environment.

On a social level, for example, it is common for people with Asperger syndrome to have little success in their relationships due to their resistance to advance to a level of greater intimacy in them. In the workplace, the emphasis that is currently being given to teamwork could be an impediment to them due to their difficulty considering yourself part of a group and to understand the points of view of the other members.

Causes 

Currently the causes of Asperger's Syndrome are largely unknown. However, its origin is believed to be largely genetic, and therefore relatively independent of past experiences and the way in which one interacts with the environment (although these factors could trigger or aggravate symptoms).

In addition, some research suggests that the root of the syndrome may be related to the origin of disorders such as depression or bipolarity.

Associations and affected groups

As with other problems, Asperger's has diverse associations and affected groups throughout the world.

These groups fulfill the fundamental mission of giving visibility to the disorder, but they also constitute enriching spaces where the people with Asperger's and their family members share concerns, problems and solutions to the difficulties they encounter in their day to day day. The participation of the child or adult with Asperger's in these communities is positive for several reasons.

In the first place, because in them you receive information about your problem, which favors the understanding of your experience and reduces distress levels. Secondly, because they are contexts in which, having individuals with similar difficulties, people with Asperger's can feel especially understood and integrated; in other words, they are no longer "the weirdo."

And thirdly, because they constitute a natural environment in which the person can learn important obstacle management skills and strategies everyday: how to start a conversation, how to resolve conflicts, etc. The teaching of skills is especially effective when the association promotes participation of the person in educational or recreational activities related to their interests, such as outings or camps.

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