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Asperger's.pptx
- 2. What is Asperger’s Syndrome? Asperger’s Syndrome is a developmental disorder which affects children’s communication skills, ability to interact socially and can also result in rigid patterns of thinking and behaviour.
- 3. General Characteristics ■ Nobody will ever have all of the symptoms associated with asperger's and no two people will ever have the same combination of symptoms. ■ Those affected by the condition generally have an IQ within the normal range. ■ Symptoms of Asperger’s will usually fall under sensory issues, social deficits, obsessive interests and repetitive behaviours. ■ Sensory Issues: Many people with Aspergers tend to have heightened senses and are sensitive to varieties of light, sounds, smells, textures and tastes. In some cases they can be very overwhelming. ■ Social Deficits: These sensory issues often play a role in a person with Asperger’s ability to read social cues. ■ Obsessive Interests: Those with Asperger’s tend to be very focused with whatever they are engaged in. ■ Repetitive Behaviours: Repeating routines and developing repetitive fidgety movements or tics come about as a way to deal with the outside world.
- 5. Teaching Strategies ‘Students with Asperger’s Syndrome have problems with pragmatics (the use of language in social contexts,), semantics (not being able to recognise multiple meanings), and prosody (pitch, emphasis and rhythm of speech)’ (Atwood, 1998) Language ■ Tendency to interrupt ■ Tendency to talk excessively on favourite/ particular topic and talk over others ■ Difficulty understanding complex language, following directions, and understanding intent of words with multiple meanings Strategies ■ Comic Strip Conversations (Gray, 1994) can be applied to a range of problems with conversation skills (through visual problem solving) https://www.erinoakkids.ca/ErinoakKids/media/EOK_Documents/Autism_Resources/Comic- Strip-Conversations.pdf ■ Small group instruction for reviews and discussion ■ Outline rules and cues regarding contributions in class and listening to others ■ Pausing after questions to assess understanding ■ Limit oral questions to a number the student can manage
- 6. ‘Asperger Syndrome is characterised by qualitative impairment in social interaction. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome may be keen to relate to others, but do not have the skills, and may approach others in peculiar ways’ (Klin and Volkmar, 2000). Social Interaction ■ Difficulty understanding the rules of social interaction ■ Tendency to interpret phrases/ sayings as literal meaning ■ Difficulty reading the emotions of others https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xgdqNtcDI Strategies ■ Provide and outline clear expectations and rules for behaviour in class ■ Teach student(s) how to interact through social stories, modelling and role-playing ■ Educate peers how to respond to students’ disability in social interaction ■ Develop a series of relaxation techniques and have a quiet space to relax
- 7. ‘Students with Asperger’s Syndrome may become hyperactive to some stimuli and may engage in unusual behaviours to obtain a specific sensory stimulation’ (Dun, Myles and Orr, 2002) Sensory Sensitivities in the Learning Environment ■ Sensitivities to stimuli in the classroom environment such as; textures, light intensity, colours, aromas and sound (particularly sudden, unexpected noises/ confusing, multiple sounds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKZIqM8bUj4 Strategies ■ Become aware of the normal auditory and visual input that can be perceived by the student(s) as too much, or, too little ■ Keep the level of stimulation within the students’ ability to cope ■ Minimise background noise ■ Teach and model relaxation strategies and diversions (stretching and breathing) to reduce anxiety
- 8. Awareness What is it like from their perspective? ■ ‘One of the best ways of understanding what autism is like is to imagine yourself as a perpetual onlooker, much of the time life is like a video, a moving film I can observe but cannot reach. The world passes in front of me shielded by glass.’ (Lawson, 1998, pg 1) ■ In general, AS is considered as the ‘high functioning’ end of the spectrum. ■ Sensory’s are heightened, this may invoke an external reaction, but this shows how they may feel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TSlti5bioQ ‘Through Our Eyes: Living With Asperger’s’ (Documentary).
- 10. References ■ Autism Ireland (2017) What is Asperger’s Syndrome? [online] available at: https://autismireland.ie/about-autism/what-is-aspergers-syndrome/ [accessed 16 March 2017]. ■ Heffernan, D. (2011) Asperger’s Syndrome: An Insider’s Perspective School of Applied Social Studies, university College Cork. ■ Huber, A. (2015) Through Our Eyes: Living with Asperger’s, The Life of an Aspie, [video online], available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TSlti5bioQ [accessed 18 March 2017]. ■ Dunn, W., Myles, B. S., & Orr, S. (2002). Sensory processing issues associated with Asperger syndrome: A preliminary investigation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56, 97–102. ■ Klin, A. and Volkmar, F.R., 2000. Treatment and intervention guidelines for individuals with Asperger syndrome. Asperger Syndrome, pg.340-366. ■ Attwood, T., 2000. Strategies for improving the social integration of children with Asperger syndrome. Autism, 4(1), pg.85-100