Asperger's syndrome is one of the disorders that falls into the spectrum of autism disorders. Children who display signs of Asperger's syndrome tend to be at higher functioning levels than those with full-blown autism, notes the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, or AACAP. A person with Asperger's syndrome may display normal levels of intelligence, language usage with odd patterns of speech, coordination problems, obsessions and problems interacting with others, notes the AACAP.
Behavioral
With Asperger's syndrome, many of the symptoms displayed are behavioral and interventions have to be directed at overcoming some of these behavior problems. Behavioral interventions will focus on reducing negative or unwanted behaviors such as throwing tantrums, becoming angry or aggressive, interrupting others and obsessing over certain things, notes the MayoClinic.com.
Cognitive-behavioral therapies are often used to help a person with Asperger's unlearn her undesirable behaviors and replace them with more positive behaviors. Through this therapeutic technique, the person will learn to recognize the behaviors that need to be discontinued and come up with strategies to change her behaviors in the moment, until the change becomes permanent.
Early Intervention Programs
Early intervention programs focus solely on children until the age of two who qualify for the program, notes HelpGuide.org. Once evaluated, the child's early intervention program will be individualized; the different therapies used will focus on the behaviors and abilities of that child, note HelpGuide.org. A child's doctor should be able to refer a child to a local program.
Family Education
Dealing with Asperger's syndrome can be difficult for families, especially if they do not have any experience with the disorder. Therefore, educating parents, caregivers and siblings on the disorder will help them to better understand the effects of the disorder. It will also provide family members with techniques to use that will help them relate to and interact with the family member who suffers from Asperger's.
Training
Social skills and the ability to communicate are often lost when a person is afflicted with Asperger's syndrome. These people may have trouble observing the way others behave and learning from them. In addition, a person with Asperger's will have trouble reading and reacting correctly to another person's emotions, which could lead to a lack of relationship success. Despite this, a person with Asperger's syndrome can be taught social skills and effective communication techniques. According to MayoClinic.com, a person with Asperger's can learn how to read nonverbal communication techniques and properly socialize if her learning occurs in an explicit and rote manner through social skills training.
