Asperger’s syndrome can have a disruptive effect on children and teens, but we can help. Millcreek Behavioral Health is a leading residential facility in Arkansas for kids and adolescents struggling with Asperger’s syndrome and other issues with mental health, developmental disorders, and addiction.
Asperger's Syndrome Treatment
Learn more about Asperger’s syndrome treatment at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
If your child has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, you may be struggling to help them cope with some of the symptoms. Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate effectively and socialize with other people. Generally, children and teens with Asperger’s syndrome are socially awkward and have a consuming interest in one or two very specific topics. Asperger’s syndrome is considered to be on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a group of disorders that involve varying degrees of social skill and communication impairment. With the right combination of therapeutic interventions and self-care activities, children and teens with Asperger syndrome are able to learn ways to better interact in social situations.
Our treatment facility for Asperger’s Syndrome has provided care for countless adolescents or teens for nearly three decades. Our Asperger’s syndrome treatment center in Arkansas has two residential treatment options designed to help adolescents or teens struggling with Asperger’s through a multidisciplinary Asperger’s treatment team that specializes in the care of adolescents or teens. Through our care, our residents with Asperger’s syndrome will learn ways to cope in all parts of their life – throughout their entire lives.
How to Help a Loved One
Helping a loved one get treatment for Asperger’s syndrome
As a parent, facing the possibility that your adolescent or teen may have Asperger’s syndrome, can be upsetting and terrifying as you are left worrying about your child’s future. You may be at a loss for what you can do to help your child. If you are concerned that your child may be suffering with Asperger’s syndrome here are some signs to look out for:
- Long-winded, one-sided conversations
- Unusual nonverbal expressions
- Intense obsession with one or two very specific topics
- Difficulty displaying empathy or regard for another person’s feelings
- Intense difficulties changing the very strict routines they have created
If you notice these symptoms in your child, it’s important that they receive a professional evaluation by a mental healthcare professional. When approaching the idea of treatment for your child, here are some ways you can approach the subject:
- Learn about Asperger’s syndrome by researching the disorder so that you can best understand your child’s behavior
- Remember: this isn’t the end of the world. While a diagnosis such as Asperger’s syndrome can be frightening for you, this disorder can be managed and your adolescent or teen can learn the skills needed to lead a happy, productive life
- Understand the treatment – take time to research local Asperger syndrome treatment options offered at a local treatment facility and ways your child can best acquire the skills they needs to be successful in life
- Find a team of trusted professionals
- Find support through a local Asperger syndrome treatment center
Why Consider Treatment
Why consider treatment for Asperger’s syndrome at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
If your child has Asperger’s syndrome, they are probably facing a number of social challenges. Children with Asperger’s syndrome have a strong need for routine and if something changes their routine they can react badly because it causes insecurity. Additionally, children with this disorder have a hard time understanding social cues and boundaries. They may misinterpret others’ signals, violate understood rules. For example, they may stand too close to someone. This often creates problems when interacting with individuals who do not understand your child. While your child may be facing many of these challenges, there is help available at Asperger syndrome treatment centers.
Studies show that one of the best ways to treat Asperger’s syndrome and any co-occurring mental health disorders, such as depression, include a treatment facility’s residential treatment center that incorporates a number of therapeutic interventions. In a Asperger’s syndrome treatment facility’s residential treatment center, your adolescent or teen will be able to escape the pressures of their daily life and focus entirely upon recovery and education in a therapeutic setting with those who have similar challenges. Through the highly-structured approach to care offered by our residential Asperger’s syndrome treatment center in Arkansas, your child will learn adaptive ways to function in daily life, acquire and practice social skills, and discover strengths deep within them.
Our Philosophy
Millcreek Behavioral Health philosophy and treatment benefits
For over 25 years, Millcreek’s facility in Arkansas has been helping adolescents or teens learn to lead healthier, more productive lives. Millcreek’s treatment center is a leading care provider or specialty mental health care services for adolescents or teens struggling with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems. With a progressive approach and a unique emphasis upon education and treatment, we aim to meet the challenges of a changing world. Our multidisciplinary treatment facility team of experts in the field of child and adolescent health offer scientifically-validated treatment approaches that instills both family and community values in each person and family we meet. The rewards of our work are clearly reflected in the lives of the children we serve, the values we promote, and the hearts of the people we touch.
Types of Treatment
Types of Asperger’s syndrome treatment offered at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
When your adolescent or teen first comes to our Asperger’s syndrome treatment facility in Arkansas, they will undergo a thorough diagnostic and psychiatric evaluation to help us determine and identify present diagnoses and treatment needs for their Asperger’s. Our center’s multidisciplinary Asperger’s treatment team will take the results of the evaluations and sit down with you and your adolescent or teen to work out a master treatment plan, which will be reviewed by a psychiatrist from our Asperger syndrome treatment facility before implementation. This master treatment plan will identify goals and objectives for treatment within each problem area including specific interventions aimed at returning your child to their maximum level of functioning. Our Asperger’s treatment program is made up of four different phases, each must be completed before moving onto the next phase. Some of the treatment methods we use at our facility in Arkansas may include:
Medication: While there is no medication that specifically treats Asperger’s syndrome, there are a number of medications used to help improve some of the specific symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, which can occur in children with Asperger’s. All medication will be monitored closely by the treatment team and adjusted as necessary.
Group therapy is held each day and will include a wide variety of topics. Group therapy topics may include self-soothing behaviors, coping skills, independent living, social skills training, and activities of daily living.
Education: Each child or teen in our facility-led Asperger syndrome program is enrolled in school through Millcreek Schools, Inc. Education services are similar as those offered in the public school system. Residents are required to attend school daily and all credits earned will transfer back to their public school.
Recreational therapy: As our Asperger’s syndrome treatment center believes in treating the whole child, not simply the symptoms of a mental health disorder, we offer a number of recreational activities at our treatment facility designed to help develop and reinforce coping skills for socialization. Some of these activates may include sports, creative arts, adventure programming, and leisure.
Depending upon the master treatment plan in addition to unique treatment, residents may also participate in the following interventions offered at our Asperger syndrome treatment facility in Arkansas:
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
Continuing Care
Continuing care and levels of treatment for Asperger’s syndrome
As the time approaches for your child to leave our treatment facility’s residential Asperger’s Syndrome program, you and your child will work with a treatment facility’s case manager to determine next steps of care for your adolescent or teen. Many children leave us as they age out of our treatment facility’s Asperger Syndrome program so we can help you enter a waiver program – an environment with in-home services to provide daily skills care. We will also work with you and your child to determine appropriate outpatient treatment providers and available community resources in Arkansas so that your adolescent or teen continues to grow, learn, and heal.