Managing Asperger's Syndrome

Rajat Soni explains the disorder called Asperger’s syndrome and the life coaching methods which help to improve the patients’ quality of life

- Rajat Soni

I came across this acronym somewhere, which I feel has quite everything that can describe someone with Asperger’s syndrome.

A - advanced vocabulary

S - sensitive to criticism

P - particular obsessions

E - endless talking

R - rigid

G - gifted

E - easily distressed

R - regardless

S - socially weak

Asperger’s syndrome, also called Asperger’sdisorder or Asperger’s condition, is a neurodevelopmental disorder, a cluster of symptoms, that affects one’s social, interpersonal, and intrapersonal daily functioning. Named after the Austrian child specialist Dr Hans Asperger, this disorder is primarily characterised by a significant reduction in empathy and social intelligence of the person. Asperger’s syndrome previously came under the umbrella of ‘autism spectrum disorder’. It came into existence as an individual diagnostic condition after the fifth revision of the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorder (DSM-V).

The parents of such children often worry how their child would manage his life in the absence of crucial social and interpersonal skills. But such children can be made considerably self-reliant by life-coaching.

Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome

Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome are often noticed during the early years, typically when the child starts schooling. Though the symptoms may range from mild to moderate or severe, some common patterns are noticed among these kids:

Difficulty in conversing or interacting with people. An inborn lack of social skills, which makes it difficult for them to make friends. Preference for spending time on their own.

Difficulty making eye contact while speaking or being spoken to. Might also display some unusual gestures while communicating.