Children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), such as Asperger’s syndrome, often experience difficulties at school. In the classroom, this disorder poses challenges for teachers, parents, and the children with ASD.
One of these disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, is more commonly seen in regular classrooms than other, more severe forms of ASD. The primary distinction in the diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome is that it is characterized by a pattern of symptoms, rather than a single symptom as seen in more severe cases of ASD. This results in more work for both educators and parents who are trying to help the child succeed.
Understanding the Characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome
In contrast to other autism spectrum disorders, children with Asperger’s syndrome generally show a higher level of retention in verbal and intellectual development. They may not be as withdrawn around others as those with more severe forms of autism. While they may manage interactions with others, they often find them cumbersome. For example, a person with Asperger’s might go off on a tangent about a favorite subject without considering the other person in the conversation, ignoring the listener’s reactions or feelings. This often leads to misunderstandings and difficulty recognizing when someone wants to leave or is uncomfortable.
Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome often exhibit restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities. These behaviors can be abnormally intense or focused. They may adhere to rigid routines, engage in repetitive movements, or become absorbed in specific parts of objects rather than the whole.
Children with Asperger’s syndrome may possess an advanced vocabulary at a young age but struggle with symbolic or allegorical language. They often assign literal meanings to everything they encounter, including the use of language.
Motor skills, such as riding a bicycle or opening a jar, can be particularly challenging. Tasks requiring fine motor skills, like handwriting, can also be difficult. These students might have poor coordination, an unusual gait or posture, or struggle with visual-motor coordination. For example, they may exhibit poor handwriting.
While students with Asperger’s Syndrome can excel at rote memorization, they may struggle with critical thinking and abstract concepts. This can confuse educators who might not fully understand the syndrome. Often, work is assigned that the student cannot complete, even though they might display the necessary knowledge in a question-and-answer format. It’s essential to adjust the learning approach because these students may not naturally integrate ideas. Alternative methods are needed to help Asperger’s students engage and cooperate.
The Autism Society of America (ASA) reports that these students are often rigid and stubborn when confronted or forced to do something. In classrooms where students are required to perform daily activities like morning meetings or group work, these students’ needs are often overlooked. They lack the necessary social skills to succeed in these tasks. Without proper social skills training, students with Asperger’s are often set up to fail in the classroom. Richard Lavoie, a well-known expert on learning disabilities, once said, “You can accommodate students who cannot read or do math, but how can you accommodate for social skills?”
A structured daily routine is a helpful tool for these students. Using visual aids like pictures and charts can help them anticipate the day’s events and prepare for any changes. A particularly effective tool for students with Asperger’s is the use of Social Stories. These are teacher-created booklets tailored to individual students, addressing specific situations they may face. For instance, unexpected events like fire or tornado drills can be extremely disruptive to these students. Proper preparation can help reduce anxiety and prevent outbursts.
Social Skills Training for Asperger’s Syndrome
Social skills training is an essential part of any educational plan for students with Asperger’s syndrome. Teachers must actively teach social skills and cues to achieve the desired outcomes. Non-verbal communication, body language, and social messages are key areas that need attention. It’s important to teach proper social contact with peers, as children with Asperger’s syndrome often lack these skills. Examples include teaching manners, such as how to participate in a two-way conversation or how to ask a question politely.
Parents and teachers can use various social skills training techniques, such as those outlined by Social Skill Builder, which offers a wide range of methods:
Emotions Scrapbooks: Children with ASD often struggle to recognize the feelings and thoughts of others. Emotions scrapbooks use pictures and photographs to help children identify emotions based on facial expressions and body language.
Social Skills Workbooks: Workbooks and board games like Do Watch Listen Say (Quill) and Boardmaker (Mayer-Johnson) provide engaging activities that help develop social skills such as reciprocity, imitation, and conversation.
One-to-One Thematic Play: Role-playing social situations can help children with ASD practice typical interactions they might face at school. For instance, a teacher might ask the child to respond to a peer who has invited them to play kickball during recess.
Social Skills Groups: Peer mentors in the classroom can encourage children with ASD to interact with others. With guidance, these mentors can model socially appropriate behavior and provide support in unstructured school settings.
Social Stories: These are brief, single-themed narratives that present social conventions in a story format. For example, a story might explore the concept of taking turns on the swing set and asking a classmate to join in. Ideally, these stories are written from the child’s perspective and highlight the challenges they might face (e.g., “It’s hard to wait my turn when I want to ride on the swing now”).
While children with Asperger’s syndrome face many challenges, they also have the potential for success. With fewer debilitating symptoms than those found in more severe forms of autism, these children can succeed in both high school and college. For more on this, check out this testimony from an Asperger’s student with a bright future.
