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Asperger's
Syndrome
Adapted from LRP Publications-January
2002
Students with Asperger's
Syndrome need guidance on interacting with others. This Disorder
is marked by autistic-like behavior and lack of social skills
A student in your institution is categorized as brainy but strange
and creepy by others in class who resent his stares and his sometimes
personal and crude comments. Then one day during class, the student
becomes visibly upset at something the professor said. He begins
to pace back and forth while loudly arguing. His actions bother
other students and the professor who notifies campus safety officers.
When they arrive, they consider the student's action as threatening
and take him to a local hospital for observation.
"If the student
has Asperger's syndrome, what he really needed was a quiet place
where he could calm down," said Ruth Bork, director of the
Disability Resource Center at Northeastern University. "Provide
students with a safe place to go when they get agitated. When they
become upset, they may act in a way that makes others feel uncomfortable
and even scared," said Bork, who went through such a situation
at Northeastern.
There are an increasing
number of students with Asperger's syndrome enrolling in colleges
and universities. Only in recent years have the medical community
and parents recognized that it is a disability.
Asperger's syndrome is
a neurobiological disorder marked by autistic-like behaviors and
a noticeable lack of social and communication skills.
On campus, a student
with Asperger's syndrome needs assistance in social situations even
more so than academic ones.
The student may be a
computer or math whiz, but he is an outsider. Many people with Asperger's
syndrome are looked upon as nerdy and strange loners. It's an offshoot
of their disability that makes them appear smart but eccentric.
One thing you can do is encourage the student to disclose his disability
to those around him, so they understand when he engages in strange
behavior. In addition to a safe place, the student needs to be told
why his actions are wrong and what course he may take in similar
future situations.
Each student is different, and Asperger's runs the whole gamut from
very severe to very mild. It can be easily misunderstood by those
who are not familiar with it. The first student Bork worked with
had been brought up on judicial charges because of his actions.
The student was not allowed anywhere on campus except his classrooms
because people were afraid of him. That fear disappeared as those
around him were made familiar with Asperger's and how it affected
the student. "It was all a big case of misunderstanding,"
Bork said.
On the academic side,
some students with Asperger's syndrome may not be able to do the
deep analysis required by certain courses, such as explaining the
motivation of a character in literature class. You may have to explain
to a professor that, because of his disability, analysis of a situation
rather than the analisis of the character may be what the student
can do to demonstrate knowledge.
Ruth Bork, director of
the Disability Resource Center at Northeastern University suggests
things we can do to help a student become accepted by peers and
professors and help him in a campus atmosphere.
* Learn about Asperger's
syndrome. Read up on it or talk with a member of your disability
counseling staff. By understanding it, you can help a student.
* Encourage the student
to self-disclose to his professors and classmates. You may want
to meet with them also and give them a clear picture of Asperger's.
When they understand, they won't be as upset when an incident occurs
in class.
* If possible, and with
the student's permission, meet with members of his class one-on-one
or in small groups. Explain Asperger's syndrome to them and how
it affects his interaction with them in and out of the class. This
will give other students an understanding and can build tolerance.
* Ask the student's permission
to tell campus public safety about his disability. This allows campus
officers and others to work with the student instead of treating
him as a danger to himself and others. Explain public safety things
they can do to calm the student, such as talking nicely to him when
he becomes riled.
* Remove the student
from a situation in which he is clearly agitated and stressed. Let
him sit in a designated safe place to calm down when necessary.
* Give immediate feedback.
When a student behaves in an unsociable or threatening manner, immediately
explain, kindly but candidly, what he did wrong and go over the
right way to handle the situation.
* Encourage parents and
student to work through your disability office. Many parents are
advocates for their children, which is fine when the students are
young but not a good approach when a student enters college. Parents
should use your disability office to interact and not be directly
involved in daily issues.
* It is not necessarily
helpful to bring students with Asperger's syndrome together for
a support group. Because the disability manifests itself at various
levels, those with mild cases may not comprehend and interpret more
severe cases.
Students with Asperger's
have a place in our community and on our campuses. With combined
efforts and understanding we can provide a good educational experience
for everyone involved.
Asperger's
Facts
* The disability can
manifest itself in many ways. A student can fail to develop peer
relationships, lack social graces and interchange, and show an abnormal
and intense fixation on a subject.
* Most have normal IQs,
and many have exceptional skill and understanding in a specific
area, such as math or computers.
* Many are good at reciting
rote dates, times, facts and figures, but are not able to comprehend
the big picture.
* Conversations can revolve
around self, and voice can be flat and emotionless.
* They may have difficulty
taking direction and coping with negative feedback.
* Asperger's has no specific
treatment, but in some cases, intervention is used. That may include
social skills training, behavior modification and therapy.
If you have any questions about learning disabilities, adult attention
deficit disorder, or other disabilities and how they affect learning,
contact
ACCESS (805) 378-1461
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