Aspergers Syndrome

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Aspergers Syndrome

• By Naomi Griffiths Stacy
  Meagher Marleisa
  Purcell Sarah
  Summerville

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What is Aspergers Syndrome

• Aspergers Syndrome is a Pervasive
  Developmental Disorder which falls within the
  Autism Spectrum.
• Sometimes described as a high-functioning form of
  autism in which individuals have fairly normal
  language development and intelligence but present
  persistent problems in social interaction and
  stereotyped patterns of behaviour and interests.
• Founded almost 50 years ago by Leo Kanner and
  Hans Asperger. Both worked independently and
  found that the features that were studied were
  similar.
• Aspergers Syndrome occurs in approximately 20 in
  10 000 births.
• There is approximately two to four times more
  males than females with Aspergers.

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Profile

• The typical person with Aspergers Syndrome is a
  loner who never quite fits in because of
  eccentric behaviour, peculiar ways of speaking
  and lack of social skills.
• He or she may be interested in social
  relationships, but lacks the ability to
  understand and use the rules governing social
  behaviour. He or she may try to make contact
  inappropriately, e.g. ignoring contextual cues or
  expressing inadequacy aggressively.
• People with Aspergers Syndrome may graduate
  from regular schools and Universities and hold
  down jobs, but they are often disadvantaged by
  their odd beahaviour and resistance to change.
• They have difficulty establishing relationships
  and children are often refuse to play with the
  Aspergers child.
• Often children may, over time, withdraw from the
  uncomfortable interactions which characterized
  their early years, and retreat into the safety of
  their family. Some isolate themselves form their
  family.
• They may feel rejected but do not understand how
  their behavioural responses contributed to their
  isolation.

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Common Features of Aspergers

• Have excellent rote memory and absorb facts
  easily.
• Find it difficult to understand abstract
  concepts.
• Are generally anxious people and are unable to
  cope with criticism or
  sarcasm.
• Are easy victims of teasing and bullying in a
  school environment, which may cause them to be
  withdrawn or isolated, or react in a socially
  inappropriate manner i.e. temper tantrums.
• Find it difficult to ask for help when confused
  or confronted.
• Find it difficult to generalize learned skills,
  and may need to re-learn the procedure for new
  situations.

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Common Features of Aspergers

• Often appear clumsy and may have an unusual
  posture and/or stance.
• Are often seen as being odd and/or eccentric.
• Language often appears good but may have limited
  content and poor social understanding.
• Voice may seem to lack tone and inflection, be
  too loud or too soft, and the use of hand
  gestures to compliment speech and may be absent.

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What are the differences between Asperger's
Disorder and 'High Functioning' (i.e. IQ gt 70)
Autism?

• It is believed that in Asperger's Disorder
• onset is usually later
• outcome is usually more positive
• social and communication deficits are less severe
  
• circumscribed interests are more prominent
• verbal IQ is usually higher than performance IQ
  (in autism, the case is usually the reverse)
• clumsiness is more frequently seen
• family history is more frequently positive
• neurological disorders are less common

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Communication

• Usually speak at the age expected, but sometimes
  speech is delayed until the child is three or
  four years old.
• Content of speech may be abnormal, tending to be
  pedantic and often centering on one or two
  topics.
• Sometimes a word or phrase is repeated over and
  over in a stereotyped fashion.
• Non-verbal communication, both expressive and
  receptive is often impaired.
• Tend to be literal thinkers and can be easily
  confused by common expressions, such as Pull
  your socks up.
• Can become confused by too many directions, e.g.
  Go over to the board and write your name on it.

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Social Interaction

• Tends to be impairment in two-way social
  interaction due to the most part to an inability
  to understand the rules governing social
  behaviour.
• Tends to be a lack of empathy towards others and
  have difficulty describing or showing their
  feelings.
• Show little or no eye contact.
• Appear to be stuck at the egocentric stage of
  social and emotional development and therefore
  they perceive the world almost exclusively from
  their own point of view.

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Social Behaviour

• Social behaviour is often naïve and peculiar.
• Become intensely attached to particular
  possessions.
• Can engage in repetitive activities and usually
  resistant to change, coping best when life is
  predictable.
• Can be rigid, and prefer structure and may
  concentrate exclusively on matters in which they
  are interested.
• May appear non-compliant as they have difficulty
  taking direction and coping with negative
  feedback.

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Effective Teaching Strategies

• Look for a reason for every behaviour, then teach
  a more appropriate way for the student to express
  themselves
• Problem solve
• Focus on causes and functions of the problem
  behaviour and teach more appropriate effective
  alternative behaviours.
• Ignore where possible, interrupt to stop it from
  escalating, redirect the childs attention to
  something more appropriate, reward any attempt at
  the appropriate behaviour.
• Be flexible with the curriculum
• Teach the child to follow written pictures
  schedules and lists.
• Select and structure activities to incorporate
  several concepts or skills.

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Effective Teaching Strategies (cont.)

• Provide a positive, orderly and structured
  environment
• Be aware of possible safety precautions that need
  to be taken.
• Create a working space which is uncluttered and
  systematic.
• Minimize sensory distractions.
• Work in small groups to maintain child's
  attention.
• Provide routine structure for the days
  activities.
• Break down tasks into small achievable steps.

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Curriculum Changes that Enhance Inclusion

• Access appropriate in-service in the Aspergers
  area with an on going support so that all
  dealings with the child have sound knowledge and
  understanding of
• - What Aspergers is
• - How it affects the child
• - How the child thinks and sees the world
• - How to deal with them.
• Include parents in care conferencing (they know
  their child better than anyone).
• Set up a communication process for example, a
  daily booklet between home and school.

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Curriculum Changes that Enhance Inclusion

• Training This can take form of reading up to
  date material or attending special workshops that
  with relevant material.
• Include parents in care conferencing (they know
  their child better than anyone).
• Set up a communication process for example, a
  daily booklet between home and school.

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Positive Planning - Successful Inclusion

• As much as possible place the child with willing,
  informed and trained classroom teachers.
• Avoid part-time teaching situations.
• Careful selection of students.
• Ensure there is an adult on the premises who can
  understand and help the student when they cannot
  cope.
• Make use of extra support in the playground.
• Establish a peer buddy system to assist the
  student.

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Fitting a child with Aspergers into the
mainstream classroom?

• Timetable at desk, and on wall so that the child
  is aware at all times of what is happening.
• Create a Calm Down corner for when he/she gets
  stressed.
• Aim to use a Proactive approach to his/her
  behaviour. Try and prevent the behaviour from
  happening.
• The safety of the child and the other students
  need to be considered.
• Rewards for on task behaviour.
• Positive reinforcement-Great sharing
• Behaviour stories- Can I play with you? What
  the correct behaviour would be.
• Encourage other students to give the child a fair
  go, be patient.
• Modify the program.

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Individual Education Plan

• With the assistance of the person working with
  the student, plan and implement a program which
  consists of short and long term goals, effective
  teaching and management strategies with built in
  rewards and incentives.
• Regular review of I.E.P goals and strategies.
• Include in the I.E.P for transition between
  grades and also between school environments.

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Modification plan

• Turn your attention to O.H.T.

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Resources

• http//www.aspergers.com/ (general information)
• http//www.mayer-johnson.com (social
  story)
• http//www.camtech.net.au/plevin/autismlinks/
• Alivin.J Warwick.A (1991) Music therapy for the
  Autistic Child. Oxford University Press New York
• http//www.lib.flinders.edu.au/resources/sub/educa
  tion/autism.html
• http//members.ozemail.com.au/rbmitch/Asperger2.h
  tm