Aspergers syndrome, one of the autism spectrum disorders have made adults go through difficulties in building fruitful relationships. They generally have difficulties in processing information in the brain and could have difficulties in finding suitable jobs, with training and experience helping them to build up skills to cope with the disorder.
However it is to be realized that these adults do have their own unique set of strengths and skills along with their weaknesses and difficulties. You would find that dealing with Aspergers in adults could not only be frustrating, but also demoralizing with the adult not showing any signs of empathy and understanding and being unable to understand the changing needs of their close family members. It is significant to note that though this syndrome cannot be cured fully, social skills training, counseling or psychological therapy has helped many sufferers of Aspergers syndrome.
How to deal with Aspergers in adults effectively?
(a) It is rather frustrating to find that adults that suffer from Aspergers syndrome find it very difficult to relate to others in a normal way and this could make the others feel that he/she does not care enough. But this attitude may not be understood or interpreted in the right way when being told. Family counseling could help a lot in providing assistance, but convincing a sufferer of Aspergers syndrome that he/she needs helps may be very tough.
(b) Counseling both individual and group/family have helped in case of Aspergers syndrome patients, but social skills training has been able to provide the skills for the sufferer in dealing with intimate people like partners and children and others like workplace colleagues and friends. Convincing an adult Aspergers syndrome sufferer for training in social skills will teach him/her not only to recognize and act according to facial expressions and body language, but would also teach them to clearly associate and interpret the messages communicated. This would make for better verbal interaction with others.
(c) It is an acknowledged fact that dealing with Aspergers syndrome adults can be very tough for their near and dear, as they have to deal with acceptance of constructive criticisms, for it is this that helps them to smoothen the rough parts of the close relationship together. It is true that mutual willingness and understanding proves better in close daily interactions, so this could be helped with social training that helps Aspergers adults to learn slowly but surely effective ways of social interaction. This would help lessen not only misunderstandings and social isolations, but also help sufferers to be more amicable to ask for help and advice.
(d) Dealing with marital partners that are afflicted with Aspergers syndrome can be very frustrating and demanding when the other partner has to take up the full responsibility of making the emotional relationship work. A lack of intimacy could be very difficult for the healthy partner to understand and may also feel like ending the relationship that simply is not fulfilling. When children arrive the affected parent may find it difficult to understand his/her childrens needs and may not be in a position to reciprocate love, affection and concern.
So every 4 out of 5 such marriages end in the divorce court due to lack of understanding. However it would help best to go in for counseling and also join support groups of relatives of sufferers, these actions would help to understand better the intense feelings of hurt, anger, disappointment, and depression and then to overcome them.
All this goes to effectively deal with adult sufferers of Aspergers syndrome and then to make a success with mutual and fruitful relationships.