Are there
treatments available?
The ideal treatment for AS coordinates therapies that address the three
core symptoms of the disorder: poor communication skills, obsessive or
repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness. There is no single best
treatment package for all children with AS, but most professionals agree
that the earlier the intervention, the better.
An effective treatment program builds on the child’s interests, offers a
predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps,
actively engages the child’s attention in highly structured activities,
and provides regular reinforcement of behavior. This kind of program
generally includes:
• social skills training, a form of group therapy that teaches children
with AS the skills they need to interact more successfully with other
children
• cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of “talk” therapy that can help
the more explosive or anxious children to manage their emotions better
and cut back on obsessive interests and repetitive routines
• medication, for co-existing conditions such as depression and anxiety
• occupational or physical therapy, for children with sensory
integration problems or poor motor coordination
• specialized speech/language therapy, to help children who have trouble
with the pragmatics of speech – the give and take of normal conversation
• parent training and support, to teach parents behavioral techniques to
use at home
Cyprus Dyslexia Association North Cyprus Dyslexia Association ADD-ADHD Support KAYAD
Copyright © 2006 Learning Difficulties Network of Cyprus, All rights reserved.
Last Updated 9/2/2007