Implications+of+Asperger's+Syndrome

=** Implications of Asperger's Syndrome in the Classroom **=

Behaviors Impacting Education and Social Skills
Students with Asperger's Syndrome(AS) and other Autism Spectrum Disorder's(ASDs) have a variety of very real cognitive and social issues that teachers must be aware of and plan for in the classroom. In no way could this brief look at AS and ASD traits be exhaustive so I sought to summarize the traits that would emerge most frequently as well as traits proper classroom management may be able to minimize. I will conclude by looking at specific social skill limitations that are prevalent amongst students with AS/ASD and how teachers can embed mini lessons into their activities to provide an additional layer of support.

Sensory Impairment Issues
Atwood points out that students with AS/ASD frequently have sensory impairment issues that are outside of what most regular education inclusion teachers face(Atwood, p139, 2006). Students are very sensitive to loud noises and can find a raised voice to be very disturbing. Teachers who typically raise their voice to maintain order in the classroom may increase the anxiety in such a student. Another auditory issue is the inability to filter background noise. Backgound noise will be more distracting than to most other students. Ear plugs have been a typical recommendation for students struggling with excessive background noise. Consider, a desirable model for most "modern classrooms" is a collaborative classroom with a variety of students working on differentiated activities, often via technology. This requires a great deal of communication amongst students, with each other and with their teacher. This very environment can be very challenging for an AS/ASD student. Additionally, students are very tactile and can be disturbed by the way that different fabrics feel on their bodies. Students often find clothing that is comfortable(for them) and may have multiple pairs that they wear very frequently. Students with more extreme autism are often sensitive to intense levels of light such as bright sunlight or bright unnatural light within stores and schools. Occasionally the recommendation is to wear sunglasses indoors. Sensory issues are extremely manageable but can serve as a distraction for other students in the class. Knowing of them in advance can help a teacher prepare for it from a management and social perspective with the student's classmates. Dealing with sensory sensitivities is just the first instance when an open line of communication between teacher and parents is essential. Parents can make a teacher aware of all of these issues and the systems they have found to work around them prior to the school year beginning.

Karen Williams pointed out in her 1995 research that many cognitive traits of AS/ASD students that are considered liabilities can be managed by the teacher and in some cases incorporated in the students instructional lessons to improve their overall learning(Williams, 1995). While it is not the most recent research, the suggestions were echoed by Atwood(2006), Safran(2002), Koegel and LaZebnik(2009), and Nothbohm(2005).



This information is far from all encompassing but it should serve to provide insight into the most common cognitive issues that regular education inclusion teachers may see when teaching a student with AS/ASD. More proactive classroom management techniques can be found below.

Limited Social Skills
While cognitive issues exist and dramatically impact the education of an AS/ASD student, limited social skills are often a trait that is most apparent to a student's teachers, classmates, and family. Social skill issues include: (Barnhill, 2005)
 * a focus on the literal use of language
 * a limited or virtually non-existent ability to infer the thoughts from their speech
 * inability to determine/recognize emotions in themselves and/or others
 * may be extremely sensitive to the emotions of others
 * unable to initiate or engage in conversations(speaking with the student will feel like two separate conversations happening at once)
 * difficulty determining what is and is not appropriate in social settings
 * very limited ability to manage the unexpected or a change in their routine
 * prone to emotional meltdowns

Social skill struggles expand as students approach the secondary level. The nature of relationships change as students near middle school and high school (Barnhill, 2005). They become more complex as students are exposed to a larger, more confusing world. Students are no longer sheltered within one classroom with one teacher and a core group of peers that they share the day with. They now move throughout a larger building with thousands of students, often have seven or eight teachers a day and share classrooms with over 100 students(in a typical 5 or 6 period day). Limited social skills limits a student's ability to engage and succeed in this academic environment. This often leads to depression, meltdowns, and even greater academic struggles for some students.

Nearly every resource consulted in this project emphasized the need to focus on both cognitive and targeted social skill development in AS/ASD students. Providing specific instruction in social skills is often well outside the norm for regular education inclusion teachers. While teaching social responsibility within a democratic society is a goal, teaching interpersonal skill sets rarely occurs. However, embracing this need and incorporating social skill strategies could ensure significant future gains for many asperger's syndrome students who possess very high cognitive abilities but are far behind in social skills. Furthermore, there are non AS/ASD students within our classrooms who could benefit from social skill lessons and emphasis as well. For years secondary teachers have called upon elementary and middle school teachers to increase the content instruction in their lessons. For the sake of AS/ASD students, secondary teachers must increase the social and emotional focus on their lessons.

Classroom Management Techniques
Many AS/ASD students have consistent cognitive and social skills complication that serve as barriers to their learning and to developing typical age appropriate social relationships. Classroom management techniques cannot negate these, however, if implemented purposely they can provide the highest possibility of success as well as may serve to prevent meltdowns that can occur. At first glance the recommended classroom management areas of focus would appear to be simple, common practices that benefit all students. Many of them are just that. However, whereas they are beneficial to regular education students, they prove essential in creating an educational environment for AS/ASD students. Speaking from experience, a teacher does not have to alter their teaching style or classroom system entirely when they have an AS/ASD student. However, they would be foolish not to take advantage of what we know they can benefit from and implement as many of these recommendations as they comfortably can. The recommendations are organized into "prior to start of school", "first weeks", and "daily routines". Atwood(2006), Barnhill(2005), Koegel and LaZebnik(2009), Safran(2002), and Williams(1995) provide various recommendations for inclusion teachers of AS/ASD students.



Social Skill Mini Lesson Ideas/Conversations
Most "lessons" are simply role play opportunities in which the teacher provides the AS/ASD student an opportunity to see the teacher and another student, or adult, model the appropriate social interaction. The teacher can do this in front of the class as part of introducing an activity or can do it with the student or the student's group once an activity has begun. The student is then provided an opportunity to role play the proper behavior. Examples of such role plays include:

1. Introducing yourself to a classmate prior to a partner activity 2. Asking a partner/group member how they can help 3. Telling someone else that you are confused and could use some help (Saffran, 2002)

4. Stop a movie to discuss as a class how a person may feel based upon their facial expressions 5. Talk about how a character in a book or a historical figure may feel based upon what has happened to them in a reading 6. Discuss the multiple meanings of words 7. Teach and talk about cause and effect. Have students in class provide examples from their lives. (Barnhill, 2005)

8. Replay events when a person(historical or fiction) could have reacted in multiple ways. Discuss those and what would be and would not have been appropriate. 9. Discuss with the class that everyone has times when they are confused or unsure of how to act. Seek examples from the class. 10. Practice a game with the student where they attempt to determine your mood based upon your body language. (Atwood, 2006)

Additionally, Model and practice how to compliment others within your classroom. Model patience and compassion with your student. Your class will pick up on your treatment and attitude towards the student. If you are tolerant, compassionate, patient, and teach them as an equal the class will follow your lead.