Asperger's Syndrome - Research Paper Example

Aspergers Syndrome (Autism) Some children feel a need for psychosocial special needs and training in compared to their peers. Term “children with special needs” includes children with autism, autistic spectrum disease, pandemic developmental deformity (PDD), unclassified pandemic developmental deformity (PDDNOS), multiple-system development deformities, mental deficiency, brain (child) paralysis, down syndrome, speech defect, hypotonic, emotional integration disorders, attention deficiency disorders, chromosome-related or metabolic disorders affecting nervous system, disorders affecting children to communicate and learn (Greenspan, 2004). These children need physiological (feeding, sheltering, dressing, guarding against disease and concupiscence), psychological (love, being loved, being accepted, learning, safety, being successful, getting attention, self-esteem, self-actualization, etc.) and social ( friendship relations, being a member of a group, social security, social status, independence, etc.) supports which are not generally satisfied. Asperger Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. It is a neurological disorder that can impair communication, socialization and behavior.  Symptom severity can range from mild to severe. For example, one child may intensely flap their arms to show excitement, another may display a smile under the same set of circumstances, while another child may sit in the corner and rock, leading the observer to believe that they may be incapable of showing or feeling emotion. It can become an overshadowing factor in every aspect of life, including education, establishing and maintaining relationships, responding to pain and discomfort, and even in the ability to express emotion. Out of every 10,000 children, Asperger Syndrome is found in between 20 to 25 children, while Autism is only found in 4 out of 10,000 children, thus making Asperger Syndrome more common than autism (Fine, 2004).  Asperger Syndrome is diagnosed more frequently in males than females by a 4:1 margin (Fine, 2004). Asperger syndrome treatment attempts to manage distressing symptoms and to teach age-appropriate social, communication and vocational skills that are not naturally acquired during development with intervention tailored to the needs of the individual based on multidisciplinary assessment. Thus, education is the primary form of treatment for this mysterious condition. This means that there are important responsibilities on schools, teachers and childrens parents, as well as the other professionals who work with children with autism. Treatment Therapies for Autistic Children The training of social skills for more effective interpersonal interactions, Cognitive behavioral therapy to improve stress management relating to anxiety or explosive emotions, and to cut back on obsessive interests and repetitive routines, Medication, for coexisting conditions such as major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, Occupational or physical therapy to assist with poor sensory integration and motor coordination, Social communication intervention, which is specialized speech therapy to help with the pragmatics of the give and take of normal conversation, The training and support of parents, particularly in behavioral techniques to use in the home. Classroom Issues Students with Asperger Syndrome have difficulties adjusting to different environments.  Many problems that students with Asperger Syndrome have in the classroom are the outcome of unanticipated alterations.  Changes that affect schedule, seating, activities, and teachers, may result in distress for the child.  Having to travel to different classrooms throughout the day, a factor in middle and high school, may affect the child greatly, mostly causing anxiety.  Children with Asperger Syndrome are often teased, bullied, and excluded.  Classmates see a child with Asperger Syndrome as being different.  Classmates of a child with Asperger Syndrome often perceive the child as rude, immature, and irritating.  A child with Asperger Syndrome often feels left out, maltreated, and misread.  As an outcome of all of these problems, a child with Asperger Syndrome may respond with verbal outbursts, self-inflicted physical injury, and tantrums. Classroom Teaching Techniques The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 has many provisions which help children with Asperger Syndrome get the best education possible.  This act requires that every child with a disability has a right to an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  This IEP is developed in collaboration with faculty, the child’s parents, as well as the child once they reach the age of fourteen.  In order to assure equal success, the plan consists of strategies and special accommodations which may help the child. Another law that has been implemented is the No Child Left Behind Act. This law requires that every child, no matter their disability, must have equal rights of education and have the opportunity to be educated in the general education classroom.  By law, schools must provide training for teachers and other faculty to ensure that they are teaching in the interest of all students. Due to these laws, it is very important for teachers to understand children with Asperger Syndrome in order to assure they receive equal educational opportunities in the least restrictive environment. There are many things that teachers need to consider and understand before having a child with Asperger Syndrome in their classroom.  A teacher must carefully construct a seating arrangement where the student will not be near potential “bullies”.  Seating a child with Asperger Syndrome near a non-judgmental, understanding, and kind classmate is a good idea. This student could also serve as the child’s “peer buddy” who could be a communal translator for the child (Safran, 2002).  Another strategy that could be used to promote constructive social interactions between the child with Asperger Syndrome and other classmates is “circle of friends”.  “Circle of friends” entails a few peers assigned to interact with the child with Asperger Syndrome, which would provide social support for the student, and a type of role model for other classmates to see (Safran, et al., 2003).  When group work is needed, the teacher should not allow students to pick their groups; this causes anxiety for the child with Asperger Syndrome. Instead, the teacher should carefully select group members to be paired with the child and advocate specific tasks for each member in order to ensure that the child feels of equal importance (Safran, et al., 2003).  Changes in schedule, assignments, and other activities must be made well in advanced in order to give a child with Asperger Syndrome advanced notice to help the child adjust ahead of time (Gagnon & Robbins, 2001).  The teacher should try to use as many visuals as possible.  This helps the student with Asperger Syndrome keep tract of the schedule and be organized.  Providing the child with pre-highlighted notes will help the student distinguish key information.  The teacher should help the student be organized and decrease the chances of anxiety by sustaining an assignment book (Safran, et al., 2003).  Priming is a technique that can be used to help familiarize a student with Asperger Syndrome, by means of future academic material (Fine, 2004).  This technique when utilized can assist in the reduction of pressure and apprehension for the child.  Academic modifications in assignments, especially in reading and writing, are beneficial.  Due to the inability of a child with Asperger Syndrome to read “in between the lines”, clear detailed rules and curriculum should be presented visually (Safran, et al., 2003). Teachers should encourage all students to ask questions.  This is especially so for a child with Asperger Syndrome.  Specific and concrete instructions provided individually to the child with Asperger Syndrome are most helpful.  After a question has been asked, allowing the child to take some time to think about the question will provide a greater chance of him or her to respond correctly (Safran, et al., 2003). Understanding a child with Asperger Syndrome can help an educator recognize anxiety.  Helping the child learn coping skills, such as self-talk, is helpful in preventing occurrences of anxiety.  Allowing a student with Asperger Syndrome to have a place to go if he gets upset or frustrated will help him know there is a place to escape for alone time (Safran, et al., 2003; Gagnon & Robbins, 2001). Due to the fact that children with Asperger Syndrome are not successful with social interaction, may strategies can be used.  A “cartooning” approach is used to help a child plan social interactions which they might encounter (Safran, et al., 2003).  The use of drawing simple comic strips helps the child visualize a scenario and understand the social situation as well as appropriate interactions for the circumstances (Fine, 2004).  Another strategy that can be used is called Situation, Options, Consequences, Choices, Strategies, Simulation (Safran, et al., 2003).  In this approach, the teacher helps the child understand the situation, brainstorm options, consider consequences for each option, choose the most desirable option, develop a plan of action, and practice the plan of action (Fine, 2004). Children with Asperger Syndrome tend to isolate themselves as much as possible (Fine, 2004). In order to help prevent isolation, teachers need to be aware of behavior intervention approaches to help a child with Asperger Syndrome.  Motivational and positive reinforcers should be implemented to reinforce positive behavior.  Applied Behavior Analysis (A.B.A), is one approach that can be used; however, it requires a lot of commitment (Ruberman, 2002).  This program is used to teach a child with Asperger Syndrome cognitive tasks by utilizing a thorough reward system (Ruberman, 2002).  Another strategy that is very popular is the ABC’s of behavior management.  This strategy is used when a negative behavior occurs.  The “A” stands for antecedent, meaning what transpired prior to the negative behavior, “B” represents the appropriate behavior expected, while “C” stands for the consequence after the negative behavior (Fine, 2004).  Works cited Fine, L.  (2004). Understanding students with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, (520), 1-11.   Adreon, D., & Stella, J.  (2001). Transition to middle and high school: Increasing the success of students with Asperger Syndrome.  Intervention in School & Clinic, 36 (5), 1-8.   Safran, S. P., Safran, J. S., & Ellis, K.  (2003). Intervention ABC’s for children with Asperger Syndrome.  Topics in Language Disorders, 23 (2), 154-165.   Ruberman, L.  (2002). Psychotherapy of children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 56 (2), 1-9.   Gagnon, E., & Robbins, L.  (2001). 20 ways to ensure success for the child with Asperger Syndrome.  Intervention in School & Clinic, 36 (5), 306-307.   Greenspan, S. (2004). Special need children. İsmail Ersevim. (Trans.). İstanbul: Özgür Press, Version I. Akbas A., & Gulsen V. (2010). A preliminary work: A psychosocial support programme for children with special needs. 7(8). US-China Education Review, USA. 115-120. Sara Bell. Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Asperger Syndrome. Exceptional Children. Retrieved from  http://faculty.frostburg.edu/mbradley/EC/asperger.html. (10 April 2011). N. A. (6 April 2011). Asperger Syndrome. Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome#cite_note-McPartland-1. (11 April 2011). Read More