Aspergers Test For Adults: Diagnosis And Treatment Options

What is Asperger’s syndrome?

Asperger’s syndrome has been classified as a form of autism. Until 2013, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) considered Asperger’s syndrome as a syndrome while all other forms of autism were classified under one group known as an autism spectrum disorder. While some doctors still go with this previous approach, many have since moved on and are now considering it as one of the many forms of autism. People who show symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome often exhibit high intelligence and above-average verbal and language skills. Perhaps this is the reason many people say it is a high-functioning form of autism.

What are the main symptoms of Asperger’s (AS) in Adults?

Most adults with Asperger’s show delays in their language and cognitive skills. What’s interesting about this condition is that a patient may have fairly high intelligence. However, other symptoms tend to subdue this seemingly good intelligence, thus lowering the quality of their lives of the affected subjects. Here are some of the symptoms:

Exhibiting repetitive behavior, which involves someone doing the same things over and over again every morning. However, not everybody that does something again has AS, so more analysis needs to be done.
Challenges interpreting emotional and social issues. A person with AS may have difficulties comprehending grief, frustration and other things that only call on one’s emotional health to interpret.
Challenges reacting to world phenomena from another person’s perspective e.gs empathizing with another person or showing concern about their predicament.

Exhibiting hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity to certain stimuli. Examples may include a deliberate choice to remain alone or smell objects or touch people excessively.

Classification of Asperger’s Syndrome

Unlike in the past when Asperger’s was diagnosed and considered on its own, science has it that its diagnosis takes account of other conditions such as autism. What this means is that the current tests and diagnoses are broad-spectrum in nature allowing for testing of not only Asperger’s specific symptoms but also other related complications. Not every test is carried out on any person since the tests vary depending on the age of the patient.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), doctors are currently allowed to go further than just testing for the Asperger’s syndrome-specific symptoms. This approach helps medics and clinicians to have a comprehensive and proper evaluation of the behavior, personality, mental health, memory, as well as language capabilities among people exhibiting Asperger’s Syndrome. It is worth noting that a number of the tests to determine whether an adult has this condition overlap with those used in testing for classic autism.

How are Aspergers Test for Adults Conducted? Here are some of the test regimes used by clinicians to analyze Asperger’s in adults:

• Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale (RAADS). It is a test featuring 80 questions that clinicians can use to help identify or rule out Asperger’s in adults who on the face of it show symptoms of the syndrome. RAADS seeks to analyze language skills, sensory-motor skills, social interactions, and more. The assessor will score and perform an analysis of the results before rending a conclusion.
• Asperger’s Quotient Test (AQT): This is a 50-question online test aimed at measuring the extent of symptoms of Asperger’s in adults. While it is not a diagnostic tool, it gives a clinician a rough idea of whether adults exhibit symptoms that resemble those of Asperger’s.
• Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI). Using this test, a clinician, psychologist or such other mental health professional carries out an interview that revolves around language, communication, interests, and social behavior among other behavioral tendencies. This method is applicable to both children and adults.

How is Asperger’s treated in adults?

There’s no one agreed-upon cure for Aspergers Test for Adults. However, there are numerous treatments that are believed to help adults with autism-related symptoms to cope with the challenges. They include the following:
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in which a therapist or psychologist can assist the patient to manage the emotional effects of autism such as anxiety and deliberate isolation.
• Speech therapy. Here, a speech pathologist can work with the patient to help him or her learn how to control voice and modulation.
• Other treatment options may include prescription drugs (stimulants, antipsychotics, serotonin reuptake inhibitors etc.) to treat conditions such a hyper or hypo-sensitivity, vocational therapy, especially for those who are having career-related challenges.