This weekend, prominent experts will disseminate information at the III Asperger's Syndrome Conference (S.A), sponsored by Rotary Club Lanzarote, regarding the causes of this syndrome as well as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), framed within Severe Neurobiological Development Disorders (TGD).
The conference, which will take place on Friday, starting at 4:00 PM in the plenary hall of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, will feature speakers such as Marta Maristany, clinical psychologist from Hospital San Joan de Déu (Barcelona); María Teresa Santamaría, clinical psychologist from the Psychiatry Service of the University Hospital Nuestra Señora De la Candelaria, in Tenerife; Pedro Jiménez, pedagogue and therapist expert in ASD, collaborator of the University of Salamanca; Cristina León Quintana, pediatrician from Hospital Doctor Molina Orosa (Lanzarote); Francisco de Sande Díaz, child and adolescent psychiatrist from USM Lanzarote; María del Mar López, social worker and advisor of Aspercan; and Paula Nogales, president of Aspercan.
"Asperger's Syndrome from an Interdisciplinary Perspective" is the generic title of these conferences, lasting 10 hours, and approved by the General Directorate of Educational Planning and Innovation (Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands). The Faculty of Teacher Training of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) grants 1 credit of free configuration.
This is a very little-known syndrome, despite its very high prevalence in the population, without distinction of countries, cultures, races, or socioeconomic level. At least one in every 300 people suffers from it.
The celebration of this course on the island of Lanzarote is especially relevant, as the suffering of families throughout the country is considerable as they wander in search of answers, reliable diagnoses, and efficient psycho-pedagogical support; this wandering, which increases the diagnostic delay and the application of appropriate therapeutic measures, entails enormous emotional and economic strain, which is aggravated in the so-called smaller islands. Hence the importance of these conferences in Lanzarote, organized thanks to the tenacity of the associated families to defend the rights of their sons and daughters and thanks to the good predisposition of the institutions, and in particular of the professionals involved (health, education...), to alleviate the existing deficiencies.
Asperger's Syndrome
Being recently recognized by the international scientific community (since 1994), it is unknown among the general population and professionals. The person with S.A has a normal external appearance, is usually intelligent (normal or high intellectual coefficient), and acquires language normally, but has problems relating to others. Parents usually perceive this difference around 2 years of age and up to 7, seeking help that is often not appropriate. Each child expresses them differently, and not all occur with equal intensity in children with S.A. It is advisable to be seen by a professional (psychologist, neuropediatrician, child psychiatrist...) who can establish the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
