http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/Articles/What-is-Asperger-Syndrome-.aspx What is Asperger Syndrome? by Dr.

Tony Attwood Dr Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician, originally described Aspergers Syndrome in 1944. The syndrome has more recently been classified as an autistic spectrum disorder. Children and adults with Aspergers Syndrome have an intellectual capacity within the normal range, but have a distinct profile of abilities that has been apparent since early childhood. The profile of abilities includes the following characteristics:

A qualitative impairment in social interaction: o Failure to develop friendships that are appropriate to the childs developmental level. o Impaired use of non-verbal behaviour such as eye gaze, facial expression and body language to regulate a social interaction. o Lack of social and emotional reciprocity and empathy. o Impaired ability to identify social cues and conventions. A qualitative impairment in subtle communication skills: o Fluent speech but difficulties with conversation skills and a tendency to be pedantic, have an unusual prosody and to make a literal interpretation. Restrictive Interests: o The development of special interests that is unusual in their intensity and focus. o Preference for routine and consistency.

The disorder can also include motor clumsiness and problems with handwriting and being hypersensitive to specific auditory and tactile experiences. There can also be problems with organisational and time management skills and explaining thoughts and ideas using speech. The exact prevalence rates have yet to be determined, but research suggests that it may be as common as one in 250. The aetiology is probably due to factors that affect brain development and not due to emotional deprivation or other psychogenic factors. The characteristics of Aspergers Syndrome described above are based on the diagnostic criteria and current research and have also been modified as a result of my extensive clinical experience. I would like to provide a personalised description of Aspergers Syndrome that also incorporates the persons qualities as well as their difficulties. From my clinical experience I consider that children and adults with Aspergers Syndrome have a different, not defective, way of thinking. The person usually has a strong desire to seek knowledge, truth and perfection with a different set of priorities than would be expected with other people.

There is also a different perception of situations and sensory experiences. The overriding priority may be to solve a problem rather than satisfy the social or emotional needs of others. The person values being creative rather than co-operative. The person with Aspergers syndrome may perceive errors that are not apparent to others, giving considerable attention to detail, rather than noticing the big picture. The person is usually renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and having a strong sense of social justice. The person may actively seek and enjoy solitude, be a loyal friend and have a distinct sense of humour. However, the person with Aspergers Syndrome can have difficulty with the management and expression of emotions. Children and adults with Aspergers syndrome may have levels of anxiety, sadness or anger that indicate a secondary mood disorder. There may also be problems expressing the degree of love and affection expected by others. Fortunately, we now have successful psychological treatment programs to help manage and express emotions.

Advice for Peer Tutors

by Susan Moreno, M.A.A.B.S.

Treat classmates with disabilities like people first. People with disabilities are just that: people who happen to have physical, sensory, intellectual disabilities. Please avoid references to the handicapped or the disabled. Rather say, the person with a disability. These individuals have the same feelings and personalities as you. They just can not always show it as clearly. Call your classmate with a disability by whatever name he/she prefers. Also, be consistent in how you refer to your peer with a disability. Avoid calling him/her by their given name one time and by a nickname like pal or buddy the next time. Be specific when discussing plans or directions. For example, do not say, Ill meet you near the room after class. Instead say, Ill meet you at locker number 220 at 12:05pm. DO NOT BE LATE! Many people with disabilities have a hard time understanding the concepts of time and waiting. Therefore, when you are late, they are not able to deduct on their own that an emergency or some other event may have delayed you. The result is that they may feel confused, upset, and insulted. If necessary, plan to be early and wait for him/her. Do not make promises that you cannot keep. Do not borrow things from a person with a disability. Having others borrow items can be frustrating for any personmainly because people seldom return what they have borrowed on time, and/or in the same condition that it was before they borrowed it. The person with a disability already handles too many frustrations in daily life. This is one frustration, which can be easily avoided.

DO NOT TEASE OR BE SARCASTIC WITH THE PERSON WITH A DISABLILTY. In order to understand the humour in teasing or sarcasm, people must be able to detect double-meanings and other advanced social and communication knowledge. The person with a disability may not have the knowledge. Teasing has probably already been a very unpleasant part of that persons life. Remember that taking a little extra time or trouble to include the person with a disability in your plans could be very important to him or her. They need and want friends and social opportunities and do not always know how to show that need to others. If you see others teasing, laughing at, or making fun of a person with a disability, try explaining a little about the person to them. They may only be laughing because they do not understand the person or the disability. Remember that you can play an important role and make a wonderful difference in the life of a person with a disability.

Asperger's Syndrome Guide for Teachers by The parents of OASIS Asperger Syndrome Forum

Hello, we are ______'s parents. Our child has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a neurobiological disorder on the autistic spectrum. Children with AS may have difficulty using and understanding nonverbal behaviours and developing appropriate peer relationships ,in part, because their interactions often lack spontaneous exchange. While they often have keen interests and skills in certain subjects, they also may have a great deal of difficulty with organization. AS children may appear to lack in empathy, have difficulty with sensory issues and very often strongly rely on routine. You will learn that our child has many strengths. However, listed below are some issues that may become apparent to you as you work with . Many of the behaviours you will see are NOT under his or her control and they are not a result of malice or wilful misbehaviour. At times our child simply does not innately know how to appropriately respond. No doubt, you will learn other strategies which will be helpful and we would appreciate your sharing with us. Please call us at any time if you have questions about our child or Asperger Syndrome. We can be reached at: General Behaviours

This syndrome is characterized by a sort of "swiss cheese" type of development: that is, some things are learned age-appropriately, while other things may lag behind or be absent. Furthermore, children may have skills years ahead of normal development (for example, a child may understand complex mathematics principles, yet not be able to remember to bring their homework home).

It is important to remember that just because the child learns something in one situation this doesn't automatically mean that they remember or is able to generalize the learning to new situations. Our child reacts well to positive and patient styles of teaching. Generally speaking an adult speaking in a calm voice will reap many benefits At times, our child may experience "meltdowns" when nothing may help behaviour. At times like this, please allow a "safe and quiet spot" where our child will be allowed to "cool off" Try to take note of what occurred before the meltdown (was it an unexpected change in routine, for example) and it's best to talk "after" the situation has calmed down. When it reaches a point that things in the classroom are going well, it means that we've gotten it RIGHT. It doesn't mean that our child is "cured", "never had a problem" or that "it's time to remove support". Increase demands gradually. Our child may have vocal outbursts or shriek. Be prepared for them, especially when having a difficult time. Also, please let the other children know that this is a way of dealing with stress or fear. When you see anger or other outbursts, our child is not being deliberately difficult. Instead, this is in a "fight/fright/flight" reaction. Think of this as an "electrical circuit overload" (Prevention can sometimes head off situations if you see the warning signs coming). Our child may need help with problem-solving situations. Please be willing to take the time to help with this. When dividing up assignments, please ASSIGN teams rather than have the other children "choose members", because this increases the chances that our child will be left out or teased. Note strengths often and visually. This will give our child the courage to keep on plugging. Foster a classroom atmosphere that supports the acceptance of differences and diversity.

Perseverations

Our child may repeat the same thing over and over again, and you may find these increases as stress increases. It is more helpful if you avoid being pulled into this by answering the same thing over and over or raising your voice or pointing out that the question is being repeated. Instead, try to redirect our child's attention or find an alternative way so he/she can save face. Allowing our child to write down the question or thought and providing a response in writing may break the stresses/cycle.

Transitions

Our child may have a great deal of difficulty with transitions. Having a picture or word schedule may be helpful. Please try to give as much advance notice as possible if there is going to be a change or disruption in the schedule. Giving one or two warnings before a change of activity or schedule may be helpful

Sensory Motor Skills/Auditory Processing

Our child has difficulty understanding a string of directions or too many words at one time Breaking directions down into simple steps is quite helpful Using picture cures or directions may also help Speaking slower and in smaller phrases can help. Directions are more easily understood if they are repeated clearly, simply and in a variety of ways. Our child may act in a very clumsy way; she may also react very strongly to certain tastes, textures, smells and sounds.

Stimuli

He may get over stimulated by loud noises, lights, strong tastes or textures, because of the heightened sensitivity to these things. With lots of other kids, chaos and noise, please try to help him find a quiet spot to which he can go for some "solace". Unstructured times (such as lunch, break and PE) may prove to be the most difficult for him. Please try to help provide some guidance and extra adults help during these more difficult times. Allow him to "move about" as sitting still for long periods of time can be very difficult (even a 5 minute walk around, with a friend or aide can help a lot).

Visual Cues

Some AS children learn best with visual aids, such as picture schedules, written directions or drawings (other children may do better with verbal instruction) Hand signals may be helpful, especially to reinforce certain messages, such as "wait your turn", "stop talking" (out of turn), or "speak more slowly or softly".

Interruptions

At times, it may take more than few seconds for my child to respond to questions. He needs to stop what he's thinking, put that somewhere, formulate an answer and then respond. Please wait patiently for the answer and encourage others to do the same. Otherwise, he will have to start over again.

When someone tries to help by finishing his sentences or interrupting, he often has to go back and start over to get the train of thought back.

Eye Contact

At times, it looks as if my child is not listening to you when he really is. Don't assume that because he is not looking at you that he is not hearing you. Unlike most of us, sometimes forcing eye contact BREAKS her concentration She may actually hear and understand you better if not forced to look directly at your eyes.

Social Skills and Friendships

Herein lays one of the biggest challenges for AS children. They may want to make friends very badly, yet not have a clue as to how to go about it. Identifying 1 or 2 empathetic students who can serve as "buddies" will help the child feel as though the world is a friendlier place Talking with the other members of the class may help, if done in a positive way and with the permission of the family. For example, talking about the fact that many or most of us have challenges and that the AS childs challenge is that he cannot read social situations well, just as others may need glasses or hearing aids. Students with Asperger's Syndrome may be at greater risk for becoming "victims" of bullying behaviour by other students. This is caused by a couple of factors:

1. There is a great likelihood that the response or "rise" that the "bully" gets from the Asperger child reinforces this kind of behaviour 2. Asperger kids want to be included and/or liked so badly that they are reluctant to "tell" on the bully, fearing rejection from the perpetrator or other students. Routine

This is very important to most AS children, but can be very difficult to attain on a regular basis in our world. Please let our child know of any anticipated changes as soon as you know them, especially with picture or word schedules. Let him know, if possible, when there will be a substitute teacher or a field trip occurring during regular school hours.

Language

Although his vocabulary and use of language may seem high, AS children may not know the meaning of what they are saying even though the words sound correct.

Sarcasm and some forums of humour are often not understood by my child. Even explanations of what is meant may not clarify, because the perspectives of AS child can be unique and, at times, immovable.

Organizational Skills

Our child lacks the ability of remember a lot of information or how to retrieve that information for its use. It may be helpful to develop schedules (picture or written) for him. Please post schedules and homework assignments on the board and make a copy for him. Please make sure that these assignments get put into his backpack because he can't always be counted on to get everything home without some help. If necessary allow her to copy the notes of other children or provide her with a copy many AS children are also dystrophic and they are unable to listen to you talk, read the board and take notes at the same time.

A Final Word At times, some of my child's behaviours may be aggravating and annoying to you and to members of his class. Please know that this is normal and expected. Try not to let the difficult days colour the fact that YOU are a wonderful teacher with a challenging situation and that nothing works all of the time (and some things don't even work most of the time). You will also be treated to a new and very unique view of the world that will entertain and fascinate you at times. Please feel free to share with us whatever you would like. We have heard it before. It will not shock us or make us think poorly of you.