Asperger's Syndrome is a milder condition on the autism spectrum where the individuals are known for being highly intelligent yet have difficulty with
social situations. Often as a child they are known as "Little professors" as
they are smart and may show interest in scientific subjects such as dinosaurs or
science fiction themes such as Star Wars. These individuals tend to be able to
integrate into society fairly well as their verbal skills may be quite high and
again the major deficiency relates to social interaction and social awkwardness
i.e. little Johnny can't seem to make friends. They may have difficulty with
displaying appropriate sensitivity to others' feelings. It is difficult at times
for them to understand abstract concepts such as humor. Reading facial
expressions and maintaining eye contact may be an issue. Usually
Cool Base Andrew McCutchen Jersey , they show coordination difficulties and are not considered very athletic as children i.e. the goalie on the soccer
team not the star forward.
This particular case relates to an adult with Asperger's Syndrome. When someone with Asperger's syndrome grows up they tend to
be attracted to computer fields. Such was the case in this situation. The reason
for this being that many times these individuals are very detail oriented and
intelligent while they tend to avoid social interaction. Therefore, many
computer-related jobs fit those aspects comfortably. Many computer-related jobs
can be done at home on a computer without having to go to an official workplace
on a daily basis. This allows them to feel accomplished at work, intellectually,
while avoiding social contact with others.
The problem is that screen time, television, video games and the Internet have been shown to have negative
effects on individuals that are on the autism spectrum(attention deficit
disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder
Willie Stargell Jersey , Sensory Integration Disorders, Processing Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, Tourette's syndrome , Pervasive Developmental
Disorder and Autism.) This particular patient who also has attention deficit
disorder relates to " being on the computer and then coming out of an almost
trance like state realizing 20 hours have gone by and more than 20 tabs are
open." He also has made statements such as " now that I'm aware of the issue
with screen time, I feel as if the computer screen is like kryptonite, sucking
the life out of me." In a perfect world
Tony Watson Jersey , the best thing for this patient would be to discontinue all screen time." The problem is he is now in his thirties and this
is how he makes a living.
In a hemispheric integration model, Asperger's Syndrome tends to be a right hemisphere deficiency. This does not mean that all
Asperger's Syndromes are a right hemisphere deficient and certainly the only way
to determine this is with an appropriate functional neurological examination. In
this particular case however, he did indeed have a right-sided deficiency with
the basis of his issues localized to a left vestibular lesion. He in fact had
played football in college. He was a running back. At first, I thought this
somewhat unusual as Asperger's patients tend not to be athletic. However, upon
further questioning it was determined that the reason he was a running back was
that he could not catch a ball. This then tended to fit in well with the common
associations of balance issues and uncoordination with Asperger's patients.
Apparently, he was tough and determined but not the most coordinated. This was
confirmed throughout the physical examination process . This was addressed with
appropriate modalities relating to functional neurology and hemispheric
integration therapy. These treatments were performed at the office on a regular
basis during his therapy sessions.
The issue was that he had to go back home and go back to work. That meant that in this imperfect world, he would have to
continue working at a job that required him to be on a computer to earn living.
This was the only way he could maintain the standard of living that he was
accustomed to. He may be able to make long-term changes into a field that does
not require so much screen time
Starling Marte Jersey , however in the near future that was not an option. In the hemispheric model postural muscles and proprioception are extremely
important as is the side of the lesion. He did in fact work from home. This gave
us a little bit more flexibility. Together we discussed what his workday was
like and tried to come up with some adaptations he could make to lessen the
impact of the computer screen on his condition. A treatment program at our
office always involves in office treatments and what we like to term "homework"
for the patient. We were able to come up with five adaptations which were
helpful for him.
These were as follows:
1. He was to use the mouse with his left hand.
2. He was to do some core exercises for several minutes every hour as they a away from the screen.
3. He was to to use a standing desk.
4. If he was in a sitting position he was to sit on a Swiss ball.
5. He was to place the screen slightly off center to the left.
These seemingly small and insignificant changes had a considerable effect in his
ability to concentrate and be productive at work as well as his overall
Asperger's condition. As always, this is an illustration of home modifications
that were made on a particular case. This is not to imply that all Asperger's
Syndromes are right functional hemisphere deficiencies of left vestibular origin
and should be treated and prescribed the same home modifications. These types of
changes should only be done with appropriate physician supervision.
Dr. Nelson Mane is a chiropractic
