Transcript Aspergers and autism - Readington Township Public Schools

Asperger’s
Understanding a Misunderstood Disorder
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Asperger's
Inside out
By: Ryan and Joyce McGibbon
What is Asperger’s
Syndrome?
Autism Spectrum
A diagram representing the autism spectrum
Asperger’s syndrome
High functioning autism
Autism
The effects of
Asperger’s
Social Skills
For children who have Asperger's, it
is hard to make and keep friends. It
is also hard to work and play with
other people.
Social Skills
Sometimes it can be good to stand
out from the crowd.
Social Skills
But sometimes you just want to fit in!
Social Skills
• Social outcast
• Excluded
• Lonely
• Bullied
• Few friends
Facial Expressions
Facial Expressions
Facial Expressions
Facial Expressions
• I miss a lot of social cues that people use to
understand how other people are feeling
• Unaware when people lost interest
• Unaware of peoples frustration
• Unaware if people upset
• It seems like I don’t care, but it’s just that I don’t
recognize the signals!
Tones of voice
Tones of voice
What does this mean for
the classroom teacher?
So, what does this mean for the
classroom teacher?
All of these actions are explained by Asperger’s, but a
few changes in your behavior can minimize the impact of
their behavior on your class
Is the problem just Asperger’s?
Asperger’s frequently goes hand in hand with other disorders
 Sensory issues
 Mood disorders such as phobias, anxiety, and
depression
 ADHD
 Motor issues/difficulties such as Tourette's, tics,
and dysgraphia
 OCD
 Processing issues
Sensory Issues
Be cognizant of sensory issues – very real issue often not
taken seriously
 Fluorescent lights – issues range from mildly distracting to
making words jiggle on the page.
 Minimize issue by sitting by window/natural light or provide
table lamp (with traditional light bulb)
 Labels in clothing, seams in socks, etc, can feel like razor
blades
 Sound sensitivity – loud noises can cause physical pain
 Help overcome by gradually building sound tolerance
 May be hypersensitive to smells. Do you wear cologne?
Have smelly markers? Bring tuna for lunch?
 Often difficulty with screening out background noise –
difficult to follow conversation in a crowd, follow directions
in a classroom
 All can lead to sensory overload which can lead to behavior
problems
Mood disorders
Children with Asperger’s frequently have mood disorders

Take phobias seriously but do not feed into them

Anxiety about everyday situations common and transitioning is often
difficult

Unexpected changes can result in difficult behavior, anywhere from being
a little irritable to a full blown meltdown

Never forget that this is the result of anxiety and fear of the unknown,
not bad behavior

If possible, talk them through the difficult situation. Discuss what is
going to happen or what they need to do next, repeat as it happens or as
they do it, and praise afterwards for handling a challenging situation

Do not try to reason with them during a meltdown, likely to exacerbate
it. Allow them to go to a predetermined safe place/happy place to calm
down. Discuss the event after the fact.

Be on the lookout for signs of depression, common due to social isolation
especially in middle school

Be aware that fear is the main emotion in those with autism. The fear
center of Temple Grandin’s brain is 3x normal size so be understanding
of seemingly irrational fears!!!
Processing Issues
Children with Asperger’s frequently have processing issues
 Auditory processing – normal hearing screening
normal but missing parts of speech (eg hard
consonant sounds, end sounds, etc)
 Make speech sound like a bad cell phone
connection!
 Improve communication if they look at your face
as you speak. If cant look at your eyes (common)
have them watch your mouth
Processing Issues
 Visual processing issues –images may be pixelated,
cubist, words may vibrate on the page, etc
 Things that may help include no fluorescent lights,
colored paper (especially pastels), glasses with
colored lenses (experiment with cheap sunglasses),
baseball cap to block glare of overhead lights, etc.
 Use laptop or tablet not desktop – different type of
screen
 i-pad for typing – no need to move head and focus
between keyboard and screen
 If must use regular computer screen , experiment
with background color, font color, and brightness to
get optimal set up.
So what does all this mean?
 Sensory disorders, mood disorders, focusing
issues, and processing disorders all have to be
overcome in order for learning to take place
 So, just how are you supposed to do that?????
How to help AS students succeed
1. Clearly explain your expectations
 Try to speak slowly so they can keep up with what you
are saying
 You should explain yourself clearly so they understand
exactly what you want them to do. Be very specific
 Try to use concrete language as figurative language and
sarcasm can be very confusing.
 Check in with your AS student as the class begins
independent work to clarify that they understand your
expectations
How to help AS students succeed
2. Multitasking is very challenging for AS students
 Break down tasks into manageable steps
 Provide written step-by-step directions or graphic
organizers
 Don’t ask them to listen and take notes, they often
struggle do both at the same time
 Provide class notes whenever possible.
How to help AS students succeed
3.
Problems working with other people in the classroom
 AS students often feel like outcasts
 Assign partners or prearrange a sympathetic student for
partner work
 AS students don’t respond well to change so while it
may seem like they’re being bossy, they’re just trying to
avoid unexpected changes
 Let them know if other kids are getting frustrated or
angry with them as they often miss the social cues that
tell them that
How to help AS students succeed
4.
Distractions
 Students with AS are often very distractible, both from
external and internal distracters
 Have set routines in the classroom, especially for less
structured times of day such arrival and dismissal
 Be aware of sensory issues and be prepared to make
necessary changes to avoid sensory issues causing a
distraction
 Working in a group can be stressful and distracting.
Consider allowing to work alone or assign role of student
observer for some projects.
 Have a secret signal to use to keep your AS student on
task without making it obvious to other students.
How to help AS students succeed
5.
Beyond your classroom
 Students with AS often have difficulty in transferring
knowledge to new situations
 Specifically teach your AS student that the rules you have
applied to help them, apply in other settings too
 Share your successful strategies, consistency is key
 Be patient! You may find yourself thinking, “I shouldn’t have
to teach Johnny this at his age” Keep in mind that with
Asperger's students, you do have to teach them basic
behavioral rules as they do not pick up on them naturally
like other children
Routines
Personalized Rule Book
Alex Behavior Rules
1. I will be respectful to my teacher

Why: I should always treat others the way I want to be treated myself
Reward: Earn stickers
Consequence:
One = Reminder/Warning plus apology
Two
= No sticker plus written apology
Three = Call mommy
2. I will use a strategy to cope if I am upset
o
Why: I don’t want to say or do something mean to my friends
Reward: Earn stickers
Consequence:
One = Reminder/Warning
Two
= No sticker
Three = See Mrs. Furka
3. I will accept responsibility if I do something wrong

Why: I am in control of me, no one else is
Etc ……...
10 stickers = 5 minutes free time
20 stickers = prize box
What Can I Do to Help Myself

Anger ball
Listen to Music
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Deep breathing
Doodles
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Count backwards from 20
Imagery
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Shapes
Beary
Notecards
Anger Ball
Squeeze your anger ball. If you squeeze your anger into your ball, it can’t
come out of your mouth or fists
Trace shapes
Choose a shape from the booklet and trace the shapes with your
fingers.
Count Backwards from 20
Start at 20 and count backwards down to 1. If you still feel mad, start at 20
again but this time count backwards by 2’s
Etc …..
How to help AS students succeed
6.
Problems with homework
 Students with AS are often exhausted by the end of the
school day
 Allow flexibility with homework assignments.
 Be prepared to modify written homework assignments
for AS students with motor difficulties
 The skills the students master are what is important, the
way in which they prove mastery can be flexible.
How to help AS students succeed
7. Other problems AS students may face
 Staying focused for long periods can be difficult so be
prepared to give ‘brain breaks’
 Making a choice can be very stressful so limit the
number of options given
 Hypersensitivity to sights, sounds, or smells is common
so be prepared for extreme or irrational reactions
 Don’t lose sight of the fact that this is a disability and
while many of the behaviors can be annoying, they are
beyond the students control and are not done with
malice.
How to help AS students succeed
You are so much more than a teacher
In addition to being a teacher, you are also a
 Social Coach
 Behavior Therapist
 Mediator
 Advocate
 Beacon of Hope
Famous people
suspected to have Fictional people who show
some signs of Asperger
Asperger's
Jamie Hyneman (Mythbusters)
Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook
founder)
Bill Gates
Michael Palin (Monty Python)
Satoshi Tajiri (creator of
Pokémon)
Albert Einstein
Isaac Newton
Benjamin Franklin
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Leonardo da Vinci
Beethoven
Elvis
Shakespeare
And Many More…
Syndrome
• Michael Scott (played by Steve Carel
in The Office)
• Temperance “Bones” Brennan (in
Bones)
• Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons in
Big Bang Theory)
• Mr. Bean (played by Rowan
Atkinson)
• Basil Fawlty (played by John Cleese
in Faulty Towers)
Can I tell you about Asperger
Syndrome
 If you would like to teach children in your class about
Asperger’s and how they can help a student with AS to
succeed, check out www.myfriendryan.org
 There you will find an informative video for kids, and
resources for teachers to build a supportive
understanding community in their classroom.
Asperger's
Inside out