Asperger’s Syndrome: Defined and Applied in the School Setting

By Karen Hobbs

History Term given by the Viennese psychiatrist,

Hans Asperger, whose journal was the first to recognize the disability.

Studied the “consistent pattern of abilities and behaviors” in males in 1944.

In 1990, because of his work, “specific diagnostic criteria for Asperger's Syndrome was included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition as well as the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition.” (Stokes)

Symptoms Characteristics may include all or

some of the following: Inability or lack of desire to react

with peers Socially and emotionally

inappropriate behavior Repetitive adherence to self or

others Speech and odd voice

characteristics, including misinterpretations of literal-implied meanings

Limited use of gestures or facial expressions

Clumsiness (Nielsen)

How does Asperger’s affect the brain?

Research points to the idea that “during fetal development, embryonic cells in the brain affect the neural circuits controlling thoughts and behaviors” (Nielsen)

Structural and functional differences in Temporal Lobe and the Amygdala parts of the brain (http://aspergers symptoms.net/parents-of-aspergers-children-dont-be-intimidated)

How is Asperger’s different from Autism?

One of the five development disabilities classified within ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Asperger's Syndrome is thought to be much less severe, allowing the child to fit in socially and developmentally with much more ease.

Children with the disability tend to show intense, or obsessive interest in one or two very specific and narrow topics such as rocks or train schedules (Gates)

Differences Highlighted The graph shows the differences in emotional intensity among the

different ASD syndromes. Teachers should be aware of these differences to adequately diagnose and or teach these students. (http://www.ian community.org/cs/ian_research_questions/attention_and_mood_issues)

School Performance Preschoolers may have high

memorization skills with letter and numbers while obtaining better conversational speech and language patterns

“Immature social skills and lack of peer-relationships” may be seen as a behavior issue from teachers and parents

Middle school students have difficulty accepting individual differences and may be seen as eccentric (Nielsen)

Asperger’s in the Classroom

The following chart relates the amount of students with Aspergers who are completely integrated into the classroom versus those who are specifically designated to a Special Education classroom. With these numbers, it is vital that teachers understand that working with a child with Aspergers will most likely occur at some point in his or her career (http://www.ian community.org/cs/ian_research_reports/back_to_school_2008)

Strategies for Teachers Curriculum should be

presented both visually and orally with plenty gesturing and modeling (Nielsen)

Be aware of sounds that may distract the student, while possibly “allowing the student to listen to soft music with headsets or using earplugs during class times including excessive noise”

Minimizing transitions to insure the environment is predictable for the student (May)

The TEACCH Technique Treatment and Education of

Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children program.

4 elements Pleasing physical structure

of classroom Visual display of daily

schedule Explanation of length and

type of expected work Instructions visually and

verbally explained (May)

More Strategies Coupling a “buddy” with the

student while arranging a seating chart.

Scope and sequence training involves teaching a student the tone of a person's voice

Use student as a teacher’s aide when appropriate

Do not use vague terms such as “perhaps, maybe and later” (Nielsen)

Things Teachers Should Remember

• Inclusive classrooms give them the opportunity to have their intellectual capacity challenged and nurtured (Nielsen)

Remember that if the student repeats words or consistently talks to himself, this is not a sign of disrespect; the teacher should make positive reinforcements, not disciplinary actions

“Consider all the elements involved in public education and not just deciding which area to modify” (May)

References http://aspergers symptoms.net/parents-of-aspergers-children-dont-be-

intimidated. 15 FEB 2010. 28 JUL 2010. http://www.ian

community.org/cs/ian_research_questions/attention_and_mood_issues. Image “Classroom Setting” and “Issues of Mood and Attention: Children with ASDs (All Ages).

Gates, Donna. “What is Asperger's Syndrome? How Does it Differ from Autism, and Can it Be Overcome?” BodyEcology.com. 28 JUL 2010. http://www.body ecology.com/07/10/04/what_is_aspergers.php.

May, Kelly. “Teaching Strategies for Asperger's Students. New Horizons For Learning. 28 JUL 2010. http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/autism/may.htm#.

Nielsen, Lee. Brief Reference of Student Disabilities. “Asperger’s Syndrome”p. 42-49. Corwin Press, California; 8th edition, 2009.

Stokes, Susan. “Children with Asperger's Syndrome: Characteristics/Learning Styles and Intervention Strategies.” 28 JUL 2010. http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper11.html.