What type of doctor treats aspergers

Maybe we can hear from some of these professionals in future issues of the newsletter. For a child, these services will often be provided through the public school system. However, you may need to advocate strongly to get them included in the IEP. If the school does not provide service your child needs, you may need to seek a private provider. AANE staff, or other families, may be able to help you find someone in your area. Interdisciplinary Team Assessments.

Social workers provide supportive counseling to parents of young children whose diagnosis is unclear during the preschool years. This uncertainty creates significant stress for parents. Social workers also aid families in finding appropriate respite care, recreational opportunities, and psychiatric service if medication for the child or other family members is needed. A social worker may help them to channel their individual interests to better understand their social relationships and sexuality.

As families begin to consider plans for their children beyond high school, social workers provide counseling to ease the transition and to also identify educational and vocational programs and housing options available to young adults. Social workers can offer supportive counseling and clinical case management. Family members are usually involved.

Social workers may bill insurance companies or an HMO for their services if they are members of provider panels. Otherwise, it is possible to pay privately, and some practitioners might offer an extended payment plan or sliding fee. To find a social worker who can assist you, call the Social Work Referral Service of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers at Also your physician, local school system or local Asperger association might assist with a referral to a social worker.

Psychiatrists usually complete at least a year of basic medical training internship and three years training in mental health care of adults, after which Child Psychiatrist add two years training with children and adolescents. There are also some Child Psychiatrists who initial training is in Pediatrics. Many but not all psychiatrists who work with children with these disorders have gotten additional training or exposure in specialized settings.

What a child psychiatrist offers depends to a certain degree on their training and areas of expertise. The following list starts with the services more child psychiatrist offer, then includes services some, but not all, will offer. ASD is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the way a person communicates and behaves. Receiving an early diagnosis for ASD is important so that treatment can begin as early as possible.

The type of symptoms and their severity can vary from child to child. Symptoms are grouped into two categories: issues with social interaction and behavioral patterns. Treatment often focuses on teaching children how to better interact with others. This can promote positive behaviors while discouraging negative behaviors. There are a variety of other possible treatments, including medications and dietary changes.

Should the doctor notice any possible developmental problems, a more comprehensive screening is recommended. However, they may also refer you to a specialist, such as a child psychologist, child neurologist, or developmental pediatrician.

Once a child has been diagnosed with ASD, a variety of specialists may be included in their treatment team. Examples of professionals who may be involved in treatment of ASD include:.

Treatment can provide them with important social and behavioral tools that they can use for the rest of their lives. They can include:. A type of therapy called applied behavior analysis ABA may also be used. ABA can help to improve a variety of skills by encouraging positive behaviors while discouraging negative behaviors.

There are a variety of different types of ABA therapy available, depending on age and skills targeted for improvement. However, various medications may be prescribed. Some examples include:. However, they may still benefit from speech and language therapy. This type of therapy may help improve their conversational tone, which may be unusual or monotone. Art and music therapy helps address various cognitive, social, or emotional needs.

The creative process of art or music may help to improve communication or develop social skills. For example, making music with another person fosters behaviors like eye contact, taking turns, and engagement with another person. A review of 10 studies found that music therapy conducted by a trained professional may help to improve communication, social skills, and recognition of feelings or emotions in children with ASD.

Some people use dietary treatments for ASD. For example, some people with ASD may be on a gluten-free or casein-free diet. Other common supplements used by people with ASD include omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B Supplements, particularly when given to children, have their own set of risks.

One review found little evidence to support the use of specialized diets or nutritional supplements in treating ASD. We'll start with an overview of Asperger's syndrome, and then we'll delve into treatment types, including:.

Asperger's is a developmental disorder that impacts the way people communicate, interact, move, and experience the world. It's likely the disorder begins very early in life, while babies are still developing during pregnancy, but symptoms aren't usually noticed until childhood. Researchers aren't sure how common Asperger's syndrome is. Some experts think that 1 in every people has the disorder, but hard data is difficult to find.

Researchers do suspect that more people qualify for a diagnosis now than ever before, as guidelines shift and loosen. They suggest rising diagnoses aren't due to an autism epidemic as much as a wider recognition that the problem exists. Before , Asperger's syndrome was a separate diagnostic category.

Now, it's been rolled into autism spectrum disorder. Doctors and therapists may never say that a patient has Asperger's syndrome, but the term remains commonplace in autism communities. While Asperger's syndrome is no longer a diagnostic term, people with this disorder differ from some of their autistic counterparts in important ways.

They may:. Each person with Asperger's is a unique individual, and the issues described above can manifest differently. Some people have all of them, and others do not. Knowing how the condition typically behaves can be helpful as families look for peers to support them. Of all forms of therapy for autism, ABA is the best researched and the most successful. That remains true whether people have Asperger's syndrome or another form of autism.

This type of therapy has long fascinated researchers, and when they dig in, they discover that it works. People with Asperger's tend to move through therapy at a quicker pace when compared to other people with autism, but they may have many items to work on with a counselor.

People with Asperger's need to learn how to behave socially in a manner that doesn't come naturally to them. It takes time and practice to develop these skills. ABA is an intensive form of therapy.

The number of hours of ABA therapy needed weekly will vary from person to person, depending on the goals. If you have an official autism diagnosis, you are more likely to have more complete insurance coverage for treatment.

Talk to your provider about how they can offset the cost of your care. No drugs can treat the core symptoms of Asperger's, experts say. Taking a daily pill won't help you communicate clearly or interact like a neurotypical. But some medications could be helpful in your everyday life. People with Asperger's syndrome often have other mental health issues that do respond to medications, such as:. Address those illnesses, and you could feel capable of focusing on your autism disorder.

You may also feel less day-to-day distress, which could make social interactions easier. Your doctor might suggest :. Your doctor may also try medications to ease difficult symptoms, such as insomnia. No matter what medications you take, you'll need to stay in close contact with your doctor to ensure the therapy is working and you're not enduring difficult side effects.

Many medications come with side effects, and you'll need to weigh the benefits against the risk of these alterations. If you experience a benefit, you may be willing to accept the issues the medications can cause. People with Asperger's syndrome don't develop language delays that are typical in autism.

You may have started speaking right on time when compared to your peers. You may have an exceptional vocabulary filled with complex words, but speech therapy may still benefit you.

Speech therapists can help with the mechanics of speech, so you might work on enunciation. You may also work on common autism speech patterns, such as:. Speech therapy is held in a one-on-one format. You talk with the therapist about an issue, and you practice together. Your therapist may also use social skills groups , so you can practice your speech with others who have autism. These groups are very helpful, as they allow you to work with different people in real-time conversations.

Occupational therapists focus on activities of daily living , such as cooking, grooming, eating, working, and playing. Each one of these acts contributes to your quality of life, and they can help you live independently too.