I am pursuing a spec ed degree. I need to interview family members of students with aspergers. What are some good strategies and ways you recommend in assisting these kids to serve them better?
There are some really good books at bookstores about Asperger. Most of the books contain information on how to best help children, both academically and socially. I suggest this, because these books are usually writtten by people with a deep understanding and concern for people with Asperger, and it is more reliable than random info on Yahoo Answers.,
Additionally, these books have in-depth information and more detailed information. With all LD, but especially with Asperger, it is essential to really understand the situation from the "inside" of a student’s perspective, so that you can understand how that student is perceiving, therefore, why they are responding as they do. People with Asperger have a fundamentally different (though logical to them) way of interpreting the world, and it is as valid to them as your interpretation is to you. The thing to remember is that everyone (neurotypicals included) interprets the world differently.
The books also have resources listed in the back, and they almost always include contact information of national organizations which often have printed and online materials on how to help.
As a special education candidate, I urge you to delve deeper into your topics, so that you really start to understand the whys as well as the whats. It’s not just about doing homework assignments, we are charged with helping students to the best of our abilities, and that includes having a comprehensive and deep understanding of how the world is being experienced by kids who don’t fit the cookie-cutter mold of "normal." Also, these kids have tremendous strengths and abilities of which it is important to remember.
I will now get off my "soapbox" and make a few suggestions:
People with Asperger have tremendous difficulty in getting meaning from body language, facial expression, or other means of non-verbal communication. Therefore, they rely heavily on language to mediate and understand social interaction. They are usually scrupulously literal, and will understand what is being said to them through that lens. Therefore, it is essential to be as honest, concrete, and clear as possible in your verbal communication. They do very well with being taught explicitly and in a matter-of-fact way. Do not expect them to infer or "read between the lines."
Although people with Asperger are often extremely bright and verbal, they have trouble with "central cohesion." They tend to see things in terms of specific, discrete categories rather than in an integrated whole. A metaphor that is often used is that they can describe every tree in the forest in great detail, but miss that it is a forest. The "gestalt" of things eludes them.
If given a number of specific formats/frameworks from which to build, they are often able to use that central organization from which to hang the details. So, for example, they might have trouble writing a fictional story, but if given the first sentence of each paragraph, around which they complete the story, it would often be an easier task. Structure really helps.
There is a whole lot more to know, but I think the most important thing is to understand where they are coming from and how they process the world. If a neurotypical interpretation is applied to their perceptions and behavior, they will be grossly misunderstood and misinterpreted, often resulting in negative "mirroring" from others, who see negative intent when there is none. These negative responses are perplexing, painful, and very damaging to the students.
People with Asperger really need others to understand how they are perceiving, because the very essence of their disability is that their brain is wired so that they can’t see from a neurotypical perspective. It is incumbent upon us as special educators to help them interpret the neurotypical world, and to educate others to interpret their behavior and perspectives in the appropriate context.
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Smaller class rooms so the kids get one on one attention. Visual notes, reminders. Respect and common courtesy are a vital key. Praise, Praise,praise!
References :
I have 2 teens with Aspergers.
I had a student with Aspergers Syndrome. He was very intelligent but emotional. He had trouble controlling his emotions when he was in a crowd. Also, he was very gifted.
The middle school years are the toughest for students with this condition. Students need guidance, lots of structure, and a patient teacher.
References :
There are some really good books at bookstores about Asperger. Most of the books contain information on how to best help children, both academically and socially. I suggest this, because these books are usually writtten by people with a deep understanding and concern for people with Asperger, and it is more reliable than random info on Yahoo Answers.,
Additionally, these books have in-depth information and more detailed information. With all LD, but especially with Asperger, it is essential to really understand the situation from the "inside" of a student’s perspective, so that you can understand how that student is perceiving, therefore, why they are responding as they do. People with Asperger have a fundamentally different (though logical to them) way of interpreting the world, and it is as valid to them as your interpretation is to you. The thing to remember is that everyone (neurotypicals included) interprets the world differently.
The books also have resources listed in the back, and they almost always include contact information of national organizations which often have printed and online materials on how to help.
As a special education candidate, I urge you to delve deeper into your topics, so that you really start to understand the whys as well as the whats. It’s not just about doing homework assignments, we are charged with helping students to the best of our abilities, and that includes having a comprehensive and deep understanding of how the world is being experienced by kids who don’t fit the cookie-cutter mold of "normal." Also, these kids have tremendous strengths and abilities of which it is important to remember.
I will now get off my "soapbox" and make a few suggestions:
People with Asperger have tremendous difficulty in getting meaning from body language, facial expression, or other means of non-verbal communication. Therefore, they rely heavily on language to mediate and understand social interaction. They are usually scrupulously literal, and will understand what is being said to them through that lens. Therefore, it is essential to be as honest, concrete, and clear as possible in your verbal communication. They do very well with being taught explicitly and in a matter-of-fact way. Do not expect them to infer or "read between the lines."
Although people with Asperger are often extremely bright and verbal, they have trouble with "central cohesion." They tend to see things in terms of specific, discrete categories rather than in an integrated whole. A metaphor that is often used is that they can describe every tree in the forest in great detail, but miss that it is a forest. The "gestalt" of things eludes them.
If given a number of specific formats/frameworks from which to build, they are often able to use that central organization from which to hang the details. So, for example, they might have trouble writing a fictional story, but if given the first sentence of each paragraph, around which they complete the story, it would often be an easier task. Structure really helps.
There is a whole lot more to know, but I think the most important thing is to understand where they are coming from and how they process the world. If a neurotypical interpretation is applied to their perceptions and behavior, they will be grossly misunderstood and misinterpreted, often resulting in negative "mirroring" from others, who see negative intent when there is none. These negative responses are perplexing, painful, and very damaging to the students.
People with Asperger really need others to understand how they are perceiving, because the very essence of their disability is that their brain is wired so that they can’t see from a neurotypical perspective. It is incumbent upon us as special educators to help them interpret the neurotypical world, and to educate others to interpret their behavior and perspectives in the appropriate context.
References :
Professional learning specialist and mother of a child with Asperger
A lot of peole with Aspergers Syndrome need one-on-one support. People also have to be careful because people with Asperger’s take things very literally, so don’t speak figuratively.
References :
I have to disagree with alot of you as I have a 5 year old with aspergers. Alot of kids with aspergers are very capable and need to be in an non restrictive enviornment, meaning in a regular class with typically developing classmates because aspergers kids have diffuculties with social situations and need to learn to adapt and learn how to interact socially. Most school districts consider one on one assistants as most restrictive and would argue that they should be put in a self contained class room. You do not want that because that means being put in a class where the cirriculm is slower paced and the class are smaller with other kids with all sorts of disabilities and the child with aspergers will not get his social enviornment and also will get bored with the learning. Thus making them prone to have frequent meltdowns and disrtuptive behavior. I also found that with my son being around kids with different disabilites he started to mimick their behavior problems. Most asperger kids are very smart and need to be challenged and learn new things. You just need to make sure that instead of a one on one hoovering that you word in their IEP (individualized education program) that he needs additional adult supervision which is different than a one on one. As the child will not become dependant on that person because they will not hoover over them just be there to help when they need it and give that child space to be independant. Making lots of social stories for situations also helps.
References :
My own expierences with it this year with the school distict.