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Prevalence
Asperger‟s Syndrome and Autism affect all ethnic groups, economic classesand age groups. It is not often diagnosed before age 5 or 6 because lan-
guage skills develop normally in those with the disorder. The National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that males are four times more
likely to have an autism spectrum disorder than females (2012).
Etiology
Currently there is no concrete cause for ASD or AS. Research shows that
there are brain abnormalities in those who have Asperger‟s syndrome. It
thought that these abnormalities are caused by “abnormal migration of em-
bryonic cells during fetal development that affects brain structure and
„wiring‟ in early childhood” (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke, 2012). It has been found that Asperger‟s syndrome runs in families
that also tend to have twins. This leads some to believe that there is a ge-
netic factor associated with the disorder. A specific gene for Asperger‟s syn-
drome has never been identified. It is thought that ASD is caused by muta-
tions in several genes cause someone to be more susceptible to developing
ASD (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2012).
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke, Asperger‟s Syndrome “is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
one of a distinct group of complex neurodevelopment disorderscharacterized by social impairment, communication difficulties,
and restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behav-
ior” (2011).
Prevalence and Etiology
What is Asperger‟s Syndrome
Asperger‟s Syndrome
In this handout:
Characteristics 2
Current Issues
and Trends
2-3
Educational Ap-
proaches
3
EducationalPlacement Alter-
natives
4
References 4-5
Case Study 5
Disability
Teaching Tool
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As a cure for Asperger‟s has not been found, many people are currently focused on creating better
awareness about the disorder.
Recently there has been a comic book designed by psychologist Dr. Frank Gaskill to teach aboutAsperger‟s syndrome and the strengths of these children. I has been read by many who have AS
and they find it very true to their lives and told accurately from the perspective of a super hero with
AS. For information on the comic book, the characters and the mission behind the book you can
visit: http://www.maxgameronline.com/
Page 2
Current Issues and Trends
Asperger‟s Syndrome
Seven Characteristics of those with Asperger‟s Syndrome
Insistence on Sameness
Students with AS tend to
react negatively tochange. They may even
have to stick to certain
rituals. Some with AS worry
obsessively and being
stressed, feeling fatigued
or sensory overload may
cause them to react nega-
tively (Williams, 1995).
Impairment in Social Interaction
Those with AS often do not under-
stand the rules of social interaction.Those with AS do not often under-
stand jokes, irony or metaphors,
rather than talking to a person they
may “talk at them”, often those with
AS are taken for being insensitive
because they misinterpret social
cues, lack tact or cannot sustain
conversation. Many with AS do want
to be a part of the social world de-
spite their difficulties communicat-
ing.
Restricted Range of Interests
Children with AS may have
an intense interest on a par-ticular topic. They will often
focus on that topic and ask
many questions about it,
they may talk endlessly
about their field of interest.
Students with AS may refuse
to learn about other fields or
may not let go of ideas
even if instructed to do so
(Williams, 1995).
Poor Concentration
It is not unusual for Children
with AS to become off
task, to be disorganized,
have difficulty focusing on
the topic at hand, have
difficulty with group work
and may withdraw “into
complex inner worlds in a
manner that is more in-tense than is typical of
daydreaming” (Williams,
1995).
Poor Motor Coordination
Students with AS may be
stiff, awkward or clumsy.They are often slow when it
comes to writing and ex-
perience other difficulties
associated with fine motor
skills.
Academic Difficulties
(lacking in high level com-
prehension skills)
Those with AS work well
with the literal and have
impressive rote memory.
Abstraction is difficult for
those with AS and they
often lack high level com-
prehension skills.
Emotional Vulnerability
Children with AS are easily
stressed and are very criti-
cal of themselves. In reac-
tion to this and their dislike
of change, they may act
out or become depressed.
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Speak calmly in a grown up (non-
patronizing) voice.
Make sure you make a no bullying zone
and make students aware of the types of
behavior is typical for your student with
Asperger‟s syndrome, as long as the par-
ents of the student feel this is appropri-
ate.
Designate buddies for the student with
AS that are empathetic and willing to
help.
Assign teams or groups rather than hav-
ing students choose their groups in order
to make sure all students are included.
Use visuals and repeat directions often.Those with AS work well visually.
Breaking down tasks in to smaller, simpler
steps is easier for students with AS to fol-
low.
Include visual clues for the student in or-
der to help them realize that they have
to stop talking out of turn, that they need
to speak more softly, etc.
Allow students to write down thoughts or
questions that they feel they must ask
when it is an inappropriate time.
When dealing with transitioning, give a
few notices that activities will be chang-
ing, make a schedule (this could be with
words or pictures) for the student and
give notice if the schedule is going to
change (My Aspergers Child, 2011).
Allow for students to move around after
long periods of sitting still.
Make sure there is a quiet place the stu-
dent can go where they will not get too
overwhelmed.
Be patient when waiting for students with
AS to answer questions and do not try to
finish their sentences or interrupt them,
this could make the student have to start
over (My Aspergers Child, 2011).
Do not get upset with the student if theydo not make eye contact. They are often
listening, but might not make eye con-
tact.
Avoid sarcasm and some types of humor.
Providing notes for the student has
proven helpful. It is sometimes hard for
students with AS to listen and write at the
same time (My Aspergers Child, 2011).
In an effort to remove hate speech from Google‟s autocomplete feature. Google has been
eliminating “die” from autism search results. This was spurred after online activist groups blogged
about their opposition to the top autocomplete suggestions to “Autistic people should…” The top
three suggestions were “be killed,” “die,” and “be exterminated” (O‟Brien, 2013). At the time of
her article Kathleen O‟Brien wrote that the top three suggestions were now “killed,” “should autis-
tic people have children,” and “should autistic people drive” (2013). This action by Google is
seen by many to be helping to eliminate hate speech when related to autism and related disor-
ders like Asperger‟s.
Current Issues and Trends Continued
Educational Approaches
Page 3
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Page 4 Asperger‟s Syndrome
It is generally thought that students with AS are best placed in a general education classroom.
According to Pamela Tanguay, the ideal placement for students with AS would include:
“A creative, flexible staff that is knowledgeable about NLD (Non-verbal Learning Disorder,
another name for Asperger‟s), or clearly excited about the prospect of becoming knowl-
edgeable.
A physical lay-out that is easy for the child to navigate within - straight corridors, well-
marked doors, etc.
A very small total student population, with 50 or less being ideal, but no more than 200.
Very small class size, with 6 to 8 students plus a classroom aid for the younger child, and 10
to 12 students plus a classroom aid for the older student.
Student continuity - students stay together from one year to the next, so that the NLD child
can develop an understanding of the group dynamic, and form meaningful relationships.
Teacher continuity - the student has the same teacher(s) for multiple years, and there are
a limited number of teachers working with the NLD youngster.
A school philosophy of teamwork, and a policy of zero tolerance for bullying” (2002).
More and more parents are considering homeschooling as a major option for children with AS.
There are many resources available for students with AS and Non-verbal Learning Disabilities. In
Tanguay‟s book Nonverbal Learning Disabilities At School: Educating Students with NLD, Asperger
Syndrome and Related Conditions and at http://nldontheweb.org there are many resources for
homeschooling.
Educational Placement Alternatives
References
My Aspergers Child. (2011). Effective teaching strategies of Aspergers students. Retrieved from
http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2011/03/effectiveteaching-strategies-for.html
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2012). Asperger Syndrome fact sheet. Re-
trieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/detail_asperger.htm
O‟Brien, K. (2013, March 5). Google slowly eliminates 'die' from autism search results; shift praised by
Autism New Jersey. The Star-Ledger . Retrieved from http://www.nj.com/news/
index.ssf/2013/03/google_slowly_eliminates_die_f.html
Tanguay, P. (2002). School Environment and Placement. Retrieved from http://
www.nldontheweb.org/education/schoolplacement.html
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Page 5
The following Case Study provided by the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and
South (SCoTENS) highlights what may happen when a student with AS has to deal with unexpected
change in the classroom, a different teacher, or bullying.
“Jack is 9. He has recently been diagnosed as having Aspergers‟ Syndrome. In class he was
always moving about and constantly trying to attract the attention of the teacher or other
children. He always seemed to be looking for something or adjusting an item of clothing or
something under his desk or in his schoolbag.
Jack‟s class almost always watched a T.V. program on the same day each week. Jack en-
joyed this and managed to concentrate for the 12 minutes of the video. However, one day
his teacher was off sick and there was a substitute teacher. For some reason, she did not
show the programme. This really upset Jack who spent nearly an hour muttering about a T.V.
and a video. He wouldn‟t do any work and was very agitated and unsettled.
Jack liked to be part of a group and he liked to be friendly but he had not learned how tobehave with different people and greeted everybody with a kiss and a hug even if he had
never met them before. He also seemed to like physical contact. This was a problem as the
boys used this as a reason to tease him about his sexuality and it was behaviour which many
girls‟ parents did not approve of” (The Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North
and South, 2008).
Asperger‟s: A Case Study
The Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South. (2008). Case study: As-
pergers‟ Syndrome. Retrieved from http://scotens.org/?p=142
Williams, K. (1995). Understanding the student with Asperger‟s Syndrome: guidelines for teach-
ers. Retrieved from http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/Articles/Understanding-the-
Student-With-Asperger-s-Syndrome.aspx
References Continued