Teaching Students with Asperger's Syndrome

Having spent 15 years working with adolescent students who had emotional and /or behavioral disorders, some of the most complex students I worked with were those who had Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder which is part of the autism spectrum. Most children and adolescents who are diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome are usually very verbal and demonstrate average to above-average IQs.

Asperger's Syndrome is diagnosed through examining atypical patterns of behavior, activities and interests. Asperger's Syndrome may affect behavior, senses, and vision and hearing systems. Often children and adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome fixate on a single subject or activity. (For example: A child may only want to learn about trains. Everything will center around trains - books, movies, pictures, drawings, toys, conversations, clothing, etc...) Students with Asperger's Syndrome have extreme difficulty with breaks in routine and transitions. They also have very poor social interactions. Most children and adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome with demonstrate repetitive movements and sensitivity to light, sound smell and/or touch.

Until recently, it is believed Asperger's Syndrome was under-diagnosed. This is because many professionals and adults learned to compensate for Asperger's Syndrome and used their fixations to their advantage.

In a classroom setting, Asperger's Syndrome may manifest in behaviors which include, but are not limited to:

Poor eye contact

Lack of empathy for others

Talking about only one subject/topic and missing the cues that others are bored

Clumsy walk

Lack of facial expressions

Conversations and activities only center around themselves

Inability to usually socially appropriate tone and/or volume of speech

Average to excellent memorization skills - may excel in areas such as math or spelling

Often very verbal

May be teased, bullied or isolated by peers

Lack of common sense and/or "street smarts"

If you have a student in class who has Asperger's Syndrome, here are some ideas for assisting them:

Team with parents and other professionals to develop strategies

Develop a structured classroom with routines - write down the daily routine for the student

Work with other students to develop an environment of tolerance and acceptance for the student withy Asperger's Syndrome

Teach appropriate social interactions. Show the student how their words and actions impact others

Give the student an outlet for their fixation - For example: if a student finishes and assignment you require for class, allow them to turn work on the topic of their choice for extra credit.

If/When the student becomes overwhelmed with frustration and experiences a "melt down", remain calm and use a normal tone of voice to help the student deal with the stress

Frustration is a concern for all adolescents, but is multiplied in students experiencing Asperger's Syndrome. It may be helpful, to get permission to speak with any mental health practitioners who are involved with the child. These professionals can help you gain a better understanding of the disorder, and work with you to develop effective interventions for the student in you classroom. Work with them and families to learn the warning signs that a student is being overcome with frustration and about to experience a "melt down". In turn, you provide to the mental health professional beneficial insight into how the child acts in and academic setting, which can help the professional treat the child in a more holistic manner.