Key Facts About Asperger Syndrome Every Parent Should Know

Balance And Routine

People with Asperger’s benefit from routine and limited spontaneity in their schedules. The structure and order allow them to know what to expect and how to behave. Change can be challenging for them and disrupt their daily lives. To help children with Asperger's thrive, it is important to have balance in the family unit. Although children with Asperger’s are different, they should not be treated all that differently from other children. They should be praised and punished just like their siblings and given the same structure and routine.

Behaviour Therapies

There are various therapies that can help people with Asperger's. In modelling, a teacher shows a child how to express himself or herself appropriately by emulating the behaviour and encouraging the child to follow along. Speech-language therapy can be used to improve communication skills by teaching children how to have a two-way conversation. Speech therapy can also help children learn how to fluctuate their tone while speaking, which is a skill children with Asperger's struggle with.

Cognitive behavioural therapy can teach people with Asperger’s how to process emotions more effectively and handle angry outbursts. It can also reduce obsessive and repetitive behaviours. These therapies are often combined with applied behaviour analysis, which focuses on providing encouragement and positive reinforcement.