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Ms Kadayer's knowledge and skills in the area of Verbal Behaviour (VB) is extremely relevant in the field of autism and her continued presence within our community would be of great benefit to all families touched by this disability.

Mr Smith, Herts
Louise is very accurate in her analysis and catching every opportunity to motivate new learning - not only on the child's side but also for the "grown-ups" around. Our son's programming could not be in better hands.

Anonymous, Norfolk
Under Louise’s guidance Omi has made significant and remarkable progress, his eye contact has improved dramatically, his periods of social isolation has decreased and he has begun to enjoy the company of others.

Dr Jones, Berkshire
I have known Shelley Brown for 6 months through the work she has undertaken with my autistic son. She has made a significant contribution towards my son’s language acquisition and I have no hesitation in referring her to other families.

Mrs Christine Labios
Louise has provided us with hands on education and has visited our home many times to demonstrate with our son practical ways of interacting with him.

Dr ASM Ziaul Hoque
Louise first came to our home in December 2006 and within just four weeks we had seen remarkable progress in our 3 year old son.

Gareth & Sarah Squire
Verbal Behaviour Consultants

Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of autism directly affecting how a person makes sense of the world around them, processes information and relates to other people. The essential features of Asperger's disorder are social interaction impairment and often restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour and activities. It is said to be similar to autism and falls within the autism ‘spectrum’, however children with Asperger's do not have the same difficulties in acquiring language that children with autism have. Where our learners may have difficulty is in the use of language in a social context.

Asperger’s is what is commonly referred to as a ‘hidden disability’, meaning that there are no obvious outward indicators such as particular facial features or physical disabilities to indicate if someone has the condition.

What are the main characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome?

Children and adults with Asperger’s have difficulties in three main areas:
  • Social communication
  • Social interaction
  • Social imagination
While these symptoms do overlap with some aspects of autism, Asperger’s differs in that sufferers do not normally have problems with speaking. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism but may have more specific difficulties such as dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The main problems lie in social interaction, both verbal and non-verbal. People with Asperger’s can find it difficult to express themselves emotionally and socially and have difficulty interpreting facial expressions, gestures or tone of voice. They may also find it difficult to initiate or end conversations, use complex words without fully understanding their meaning or connotation and be very literal in what they say and how they interpret the words of others. Children with Asperger’s may also speak about their own world and seem, from the listener’s perspective, to have little interest in conversing around other subjects.

These social communication problems also make it very difficult for Asperger’s Syndrome sufferers to interact socially and they may struggle to maintain friendships or relationships with other people in their group. Consequently, this can lead to them becoming withdrawn and uninterested in other people. In children, this often manifests in an inability to play with other children and they may appear more interested in logic problems or solo activities.

The difficulties associated with social imagination make it hard for Asperger’s sufferers to interpret other people’s thoughts, actions or feelings. This may result in an inappropriate response and alienation from the social group, sometimes leading to depression and anxiety. As time goes on, this may lead to an obsession with routine or symptoms of other conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

How is Asperger’s treated?

Communication lies at the heart of all treatment for Asperger’s Syndrome sufferers. Because of their normal or often high levels of intelligence, children with Asperger’s often have no problem understanding words or written communication but have difficulty understanding the context or meaning behind those words. Using Verbal Behaviour(VB), at VBC we work with the learner to begin to understand the interpretation of meanings behind the words – the very foundation of VB, making it ideally suited for helping Asperger’s sufferers and their families improve their verbal communication. We work with the learner to understand facial expressions in one to one communication sessions, explaining carefully how each situation can be interpreted. Although classified as a life-long condition, most people with Asperger’s go on to lead normal lives and are often gifted in logic subjects such as Mathematics and the sciences. All of our learners make significant gains and are equipped with skills to thrive socially.

If you have a family member who has been diagnosed as suffering from Asperger’s, we can help and through expert guidance every sufferer can achieve their maximum potential. For further details, contact us in confidence to discuss your individual requirements and information on support networks and Verbal Behaviour.