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Saturday, March 7, 2009: 9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Barcelona (Westin Long Beach)
According to recent studies, approximately 18-23 percent of adolescent girls with Anorexia also show signs of Asperger's Disorder (Atwood, 2007). Inflexible adherence to routines and rituals, restricted areas of interest, rigid thinking styles, and delayed social and emotional development are clinical hallmarks of Aspergers Syndrome. These features create the perfect breeding ground for an eating disorder, particular among teen girls with Aspergers who desire acceptance, but struggle with social skills limitations. This presentation will equip clinicians to accurately assess Asperger's Disorder, and will provide recommendations for clinical interventions that are specific to this unique subgroup within the eating disordered population.
I. Asperger's Syndrome A. Prevalence B. Clinical Features 1. Impairments in social interaction 2. Impairments in communication 3. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, activities C. Common Misconceptions about Aspergers D. Aspergers and Relationships 1. Delayed Theory of Mind (TOM) skills 2. Social withdrawal and avoidance E. Aspergers and Emotions 1. Problems with regulation and distress tolerance 2. Alexithymia F. Asperger's and Cognition 1. Perseveration 2. Rigid/concrete style G. Aspergers and Anxiety 1. Social Phobia 2. OCD H. Asperger's and Personality Disorders(overlapping features) 1. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder 2. Schizotypal Personality Disorder
II. Asperger's and Eating Disorders- Overlapping Features A. Relationships B. Emotions C. Cognitions D. Anxiety
III. Proposed causal pathway for Aspergers to eating disorder A. Strong need for acceptance after repeated social rejection B. Awareness that being thin is a concrete way to achieve acceptance C. Pursuit of thinness becomes obsessional area of interest/behavior D. Preference for ritual and routine causes dieting/exercise behaviors to become rigid and entrenched
IV. Sensory Integration issues in Asperger's A. Gustatory and Olfactory Sensitivities B. Food avoidance and restricted eating patterns
V. Assessment A. Structured Interviews B. Neuropsychological Testing
VI. Intervention A. Social skills training B. Exposure Therapy C. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills D. Family Psycho-education E. Medications
According to recent studies, approximately 18-23 percent of adolescent girls with Anorexia also show signs of Asperger's Disorder (Atwood, 2007). This presentation will describe the clinical hallmarks of Asperger's Disorder including inflexible adherence to routines and rituals, restricted areas of interest, communication impairments, and delayed social and emotional development. The overlap between clinical features of Asperger's and eating disorders will be highlighted. Overlap in the areas of cognition, emotions, behaviors, and personality will be discussed. A proposed causal pathway for the emergence of eating disorder symptoms in young women with Asperger's will be described. Potential causal factors include rigid cognitive style, poor emotion regulation, problems with distress tolerance, limited theory of mind skills, and obsessive compulsive personality features. Problems with sensory integration will be identified as one of the many potentially contributing factors in the development of eating disorders in those with Asperger's. Tools for the assessment of Asperger's will be described including use of structured interviews and neuropsychological testing. Clinical interventions for this unique population of eating disordered clients will be described. Interventions including exposure therapy, social skills training, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, family psycho-education, and psychotropic medications will be applied to this population.
Primary Presenter:
Jennifer Lafferty O'Connor, Ph.D.
Jennifer Lafferty O'Connor has served as a clinical psychologist Remuda Ranch Programs for Anorexia and Bulimia since 2004. She earned her Bachelor's degree at Georgetown University and earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Alliant International University. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders and anxiety disorders in children and teens. She has published articles and presented seminars on topics including pervasive developmental disorders, obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders, and eating disorders. She has made several television and radio appearances to provide expertise on child and adolescent anxiety disorders.
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