1. There Is No One Medication for Asperger's
While many of the symptoms of Asperger's can be treated with a variety of medications, there is not one magic pill for the syndrome. People with Asperger's often lack proper social skills, have obsessive tendencies and can be clumsy or akward. Some medications can be used to improve specific behaviors associated with Asperger's syndrome, such as anxiety, hyperactivity or attention deficit. Besides medicine treatments, there are very effective therapies and diets available to control the symptoms of the syndrome.
2. Medications for Anti-Anxiety or ADD Useful for Asperger's
Anxiety and stress are usually elevated in people with Asperger's syndrome. They often require medications to cope with the anxiety. Individuals with Asperger's also struggle with concentration, hyperactivity, focus or attention. Medicines to target ADD or ADHD have proven useful for some with Asperger's. There can be side effects with new behaviors showing up, however, so any medication use needs to be closely monitored.
3. Diet and Vitamin Treatments Improve Symptoms
Nutritional deficiencies and malabsorption problems are common in those with Asperger's. Many parents of children with Asperger's report success with a restricted diet or adding vitamin supplements. Other parents report success with the gluten and casein-free diet or a low-sugar, low-yeast diet. It is best to get a blood or stool test to check for any food intolerances or vitamin deficiencies. Consult a nutritional therapist if you want to go this route. After testing, some common vitamins that people with Asperger's often use include: B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin C and cod liver oil supplements.
4. Consider Therapies for Aperger's Beyond Medicine
There are several therapies that are proven to be effective in treating and improving behaviors in those with Asperger's syndrome. Behavioral therapies help an individual with autism learn to cope with obsessive tendencies, deal with tantrums, cope with anxiety or control angry outbursts. Social skills classes help them to understand more of the back-and-forth nature of communication. Speech therapy can help them understand different uses of language. Occupational therapy improves the clumsiness or lack of co-ordination problems.
5. Anti-Depressants May Be Needed in Adults or Teens With Asperger's
While many children with Asperger's present hyperactivity, there is a tendency for teens and adults to suffer from depression. There are various reasons why depression may be so common. For example, people with Asperger's generally want to fit in socially. They can become depressed when they fail to fit into society's molds or norms or can't grasp the importance of its rules. Depression may also hit as they deal with anxiety and obsessive behaviors.
