Transcript Asperger`sx

Asperger’s Disorder/Syndrome
Melissa Peplinski
ED 5570
Summer 2010
Dr. Marcel Lebrun
Asperger’s syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder that
people have for life. AS is an autism spectrum disorder.
Recent research has found that AS may be genetic.
The essential features of Asperger's Disorder are severe and sustained
impairment in social interaction and the development of restricted, repetitive
patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. This disturbance must cause
clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important
areas of functioning. In contrast to Autistic Disorder, there are no clinically
significant delays or deviance in language acquisition.
In 1944 an Austrian pediatrician named Dr. Hans
Asperger observed children in his practice that had
trouble integrating socially.
Although their intelligence appeared normal, the children lacked
nonverbal communication skills, failed to demonstrate empathy with
their peers, and were physically clumsy. Their way of speaking was
either disjointed or overly formal, and their all-absorbing interest in
a single topic dominated their conversations. Dr. Asperger called
the condition “autistic psychopathy” and described it as a
personality disorder primarily marked by social isolation. Asperger’s
observations, published in German, were not widely known until
1981, when an English doctor named Lorna Wing published a series
of case studies of children showing similar symptoms, which she
called “Asperger’s” syndrome.
What are the characteristics that people might
show with Asperger's syndrome?
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Difficulty knowing what to say or how to behave in social situations. Many have a tendency to say the “wrong thing.” They may appear
awkward or rude, and unintentionally upset others.
•
Trouble with “theory of mind,” that is, trouble perceiving the intentions or emotions of other people, due to a tendency to ignore or
misinterpret such cues as facial expression, body language, and vocal intonation.
•
Slower than average auditory, visual, or intellectual processing, which can contribute to difficulties keeping up in a range of social
settings—a class, a soccer game, a party.
•
Challenges with “executive functioning;” organizing, initiating, analyzing, prioritizing, and completing tasks.
•
A tendency to focus on the details of a given situation and miss the big picture.
•
Intense, narrow, time-consuming personal interest(s) — sometimes eccentric in nature — that may result in social isolation, or interfere
with the completion of everyday tasks. (On the other hand, some interests can lead to social connection and even careers. For example,
there are children and adults with an encyclopedic knowledge of vacuum cleaners.)
•
Inflexibility and resistance to change. Change may trigger anxiety, while familiar objects, settings, and routines offer reassurance. One
result is difficulty transitioning from one activity to another: from one class to another, from work time to lunch, from talking to listening.
Moving to a new school, new town, or new social role can be an enormous challenge.
•
Feeling somehow different and disconnected from the rest of the world and not “fitting in”—sometimes called “wrong planet” syndrome.
•
Extreme sensitivity—or relative insensitivity—to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or textures. Many people outgrow these sensory issues at
least to some extent as they mature.
•
Vulnerability to stress, sometimes escalating to psychological or emotional problems including low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and
obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
According the the Asperger’s Association of New England as many
as 1 in 250 people have Asperger’s.
Boys are three to four
more times as likely
than girls to have AS
How is AS diagnosed in
children and adults?
Some adults may hear about the symptoms of AS and self
diagnose, mental health professionals can make an official
diagnosis
Parents may hear something about their children’s behavior
from a teacher or school counselor and request a
neurological evaluation
With well chosen tests done by experienced professionals,
parents and schools can better understand the child’s
strengths and challenges. The suggestions and
recommendations from these reports will guide the
application of all interventions, strategies, accommodations
and modifications of task requests.
Most doctors rely on the
presence of a core group of
behaviors to alert them to the
possibility of a diagnosis of
AS. These are: abnormal eye
contact, aloofness, the failure to
turn when called by name, the
failure to use gestures to point or
show, a lack of interactive play, a
lack of interest in peers
There is strong evidence that Vincent Van Gogh, Emily
Dickinson, and Albert Einstein all had Asperger’s
Syndrome, could your student be the next famous
poet, painter or mathematician?
Teaching Best
Practices
Teach social skills - be patient.
Behavior management may be necessary, remember this child is
motivated to please you, teach him/her routines and make sure they
understand your expectations.
Use a buddy system, select a student or 2 to buddy with this student, they
want and need friends but don't know how to be a friend.
Establish daily routines and stick to them. Always provide lots of warning
when your routine is going to change, class trips, supply teachers etc.
Minimize transitions.
Keep stimulus and distraction to a minimum.
Chunk information presented. The child won't retain a lot of information
at once.
You may have to limit their 'special interest' time as they can become quite
self absorbed with it.
Instructional strategies should focus on teaching concretely and complex
tasks should be broken down.
Asperger’s in the classroom
I know I have students with Asperger’s, now what do I do? (continued)
• Try to stick to a
structured routine
• Use visual organizers
for daily routine
• Provide clear
expectations and
rules for behavior
• Because many
students with
Asperger's have
handwriting deficits,
allow extra time for
handwritten work
and explore the use
of word processors
Routine
Language
• Use verbal cues that
are short, direct, and
concrete
• Tell them in clear,
short statements
what they should do
• When presenting
multi-step directions,
pause between
instructions on multistep tasks and check
for comprehension
•If the student appears
to be getting agitated or
headed for a "meltdown," it may be due to
stress from the
particular situation or
frustration. Avoid
situations that might
produce "sensory
overload" for the
student
•Be particularly sensitive
to peer rejection and
bullying
• A team of professional
supporters may help;
therapist, OT or sensory
specialist, as well as an
aide in an inclusive
classroom
Environment
Are there treatments?
Because AS can present patterns of behaviors and
problems that differ widely from child to child, there
isn't a "typical" or prescribed treatment regimen.
However, your child may benefit from the following
forms of treatment:
• parent education and training
• specialized educational interventions for the child
• social skills therapy
• language therapy
• sensory integration training for younger kids, usually performed by an occupational
therapist, in which they are desensitized to stimuli to which they're overly sensitive
• psychotherapy or behavioral/cognitive therapy for older children
•medications
For more information on Asperger’s
Syndrome and classroom strategies:
The Asperger’s Association of New England www.aane.org
Autism Society www.autism-society.org
Teaching Strategies at New Horizons www.newhorizons.org
Accommodating Students with Asperger’s
http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/Files/tips_aspergers.pdf
There are also many interesting fiction and nonfiction books about people with
Asperger’s:
Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome by, Luke Jackson
Look me in the eye; my life with asperger’s by, John Elder Robison
Bibliography
Asperger’s Association of New England, “What is Asperger
Syndrome?” 2008.
Autism Society, “What’s Unique about Asperger’s Disorder?”
January 23, 2008.
May, Kelly. New Horizons for Learning, Teaching Strategies for
Asperger’s Students. September, 2005.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Asperger
Syndrome Fact Sheet. May 14, 2010.
Nemours Foundation, Kids Health. Asperger Syndrome. 2010.