Asperger's Syndrome, also known as
Asperger's Disorder, is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder
(PDD) characterized by severe and sustained impairment in
social interaction and development of restricted and repetitive
patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. These characteristics
result in clinically significant impairment in social, occupational,
or other important areas of functioning.
Onset is later in people with Asperger’s
than that seen in autism, or at least recognized later. A
large number of children are diagnosed between the ages of
5 and 9. Motor delays, clumsiness, social interaction problems,
and idiosyncratic behaviors are reported. Adults with Asperger's
have trouble with empathy and modulation of social interaction.
Asperger’s is not easily recognizable;
in fact, many children are misdiagnosed with other neurological
disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome or autism. More frequently,
children are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit (and Hyperactivity)
Disorders (ADD and ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD),
or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Such mistakes in diagnosis
lead to a delay in treatment of the disorder.
Many pharmaceuticals and natural remedies
are used to treat multiple neurological and pervasive developmental
disorders. Remedies used today range from St. John's Wort
to drugs such as Haldol and Ritalin. Treatments vary to a
great degree with the individual patient.
Because it is so new and so difficult
to diagnose, our society is ill-equipped to deal with the
special educational needs of children afflicted with Asperger's.
At NCW we treat the symptoms of Pervasive Development Delay
and Asperger's Syndrome with EEG neurofeedback. Please review the information contained in the modalities section of this web site for more information about this biofeedback modality.
