Asperger’s Syndrome
Equity Fair Presentation
C&T 366: Classroom Interactions
Cassie Absher
What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
What is AS?
Symptoms and characteristics of children
with AS
- Treatment Options
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What is Asperger’s syndrome (AS)?
 An Autism spectrum
disorder –
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“Autism is a complex
developmental disability that
causes problems with social
interaction and
communication” (National
Institutes of Health)
 Different from autism in
that Asperger’s children
typically have normal
language and intellectual
development
 Sometimes called “Aspies”
 May have coexisting
conditions that require
their own
accommodations:
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ADHD
Anxiety disorder
Depression (especially in
adolescents)
Nonverbal learning disorder
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder
Social anxiety
(WebMD)
Symptoms and Characteristics:
Children with Asperger’s syndrome may…
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Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read
others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking
Dislike any changes in routines
Appear to lack empathy
Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the
meaning of others’ speech. May not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment
literally. Speech may be flat and hard to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and
accent
Avoid eye contact or stare at others
Have unusual facial expressions or postures
Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. Have one-sided conversations or verbalize
internal thoughts
Have delayed motor development. May be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a
bike, or catch a ball. May have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong
tastes or textures.
(WebMD)
Symptoms and Characteristics:
Children with Asperger’s syndrome may…
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Obsess about having friends to prove they’re “normal”
Desire for friendships and social contact but have difficulty acquiring and maintaining
them
Have difficulty understanding others’ feelings
Have great difficulty with small-talk and chatter
Have an urge to inform that can result in being blunt or insulting
Have a lack of interest in other people and avoid social gatherings
Shut down or withdraw in social situations
(Hutten)
Symptoms and Characteristics:
Children with Asperger’s syndrome may…
Not all symptoms and characteristics are negative!
Pay attention to detail, sometimes with painstaking perfection
 Be able to focus diligently on an interesting task for a long period of time without
supervision or incentive
 Have higher fluid intelligence
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The ability to find meaning in confusion and solve new problems, draw inferences and understand relationships between
various concepts
Be truly honest
Exhibit independent or unique thinking and develop their own unique thoughts as
opposed to a ‘herd’ mentality
Have internal motivation, as opposed to motivation from praise, money or acceptance
Work with a conscience and with personal pride
Use logic over emotion when problem-solving
Utilize visual and three-dimension thinking
Be unaffected by trends, cliques or social standards, giving them pride in their own
unique or eccentric style, interests or personality
(Hutten)
Treatment Options
 Communication and social skills training
 Cognitive behavioral therapy
 Medications
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No medications specifically treat AS
Rather, medications treat specific symptoms such as anxiety,
depression or hyperactivity
 Natural or alternative medicine/therapy
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Avoidance diets: gluten or casein-free diets
Supplements such as melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins
 Many Asperger’s children learn “how they work” as time
goes on and often require less treatment as they get older
(Mayo Clinic)
Teaching Students with
Asperger’s Syndrome
- Special Interests
- Teaching academics AND social skills
- Possible challenges and solutions
- Accommodations
Special Interests
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Many individuals with AS have one or a few
special interests which they are very
knowledgeable about
May obsess over these interests or talk about
them excessively
May be short term or long term
Science and technology:
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Specific comic books, movies, television shows
or novels
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Popular topics
include:
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How can we help these students
manifest these interests into
topics of study or careers?
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Extremely detailed scenes
Houses, cityscapes
Animals
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Dr. Who
Transformers
Science fiction
Superheroes
Drawing and designing things
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Computers
Mathematics and numbers
The periodic table
Astronomy (or just the names of stars)
Meteorology (or the weather in general)
Dinosaurs
Groups of animals, such as insects
Specific animals, such as horses or whales
Trains, subways, busses, airplanes – schedules
for public transportation systems or
mechanics of the vehicles
Japanese anime
Role playing games (RPGs) , video games,
card games
Teaching Academics AND Social Skills
 “AS affects not only the student’s ability to learn
academics, but also affects his ability to learn social-life
skills, and oftentimes affects fine and gross motor skills”
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Social-life skills: paying a cashier, knowing where to turn for help,
and knowing whether someone is truly your friend or someone trying
to take advantage of you, advocating for oneself
 “These children do not learn the necessary semantic and
pragmatic skills from simply being surrounded by a
communication rich environment”
 “...these children are not antisocial. Rather, they are
asocial—at times wanting to be part of the social world,
but not knowing how to enter it.”
(Wilkes)
Possible Challenges: Bullying and teasing
Case Study example:
JEFF: This secondary school boy is described as ‘dangerous’. He’s brought a screwdriver into school
and intends to use it against boys who, he believes, are teasing and bullying him.
Original intervention: Staff threaten exclusion and, after investigation, find no evidence of bullying.
BUT: What would the Asperger lens show us?
Theory: Recognize the lack of subtlety in his social interaction. Understand his vulnerability to
teasing and bullying, and intervene to prevent it.
A specialist teacher observes ‘low-level’ teasing and bullying in corridors and yard, not apparent to
school staff. Jeff has no strategies for ‘shrugging’ this off, or dealing with it with humor. He becomes
angry, anxious, and isolated.
New intervention: A welfare assistant, who has been given specialist training, is provided for Jeff at
break and lunchtimes. He sees her as an ‘ally’. He is taught specific strategies for dealing with
unwanted comments and approaches.
“School life becomes easier for children with Asperger’s
syndrome when the adults around them recognize the extent
to which social demands result in stress.”
(Wilkes)
Accommodations
 Some normal classroom expectations may be too
much for a student with AS:
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Keeping up with a fast pace
Unmodified assignments
Unexpected schedule changes
Being on task all day long
Heavy homework load
 These can cause stress, which can cause unwanted
behaviors such as the student shutting down or
refusing to work
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This student is most likely sending a message, NOT testing the
teacher’s authority
Accommodations
Click here for a sample IEP, with
goals and objectives, for a student
with autism
Why is this important to me?
My younger brother,
James
Didn’t I say people
with Asperger’s
can be quirky?!!?
Why is this important to me?
My younger brother,
James
Actually, that’s a
Halloween costume, but
he is quite an eccentric
guy 
About James
 Age 21
 Diagnosis: grade 4
 Also diagnosed with ADHD
 Took various medications
during adolescence, but
now only takes ADHD
medication when in school
 Went to a special school for
five years, then went back to
public school when he
decided he could handle it
 Currently in community
college and deciding what
he wants to do with life
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Possibly be a professional
librarian
 Some special interests he’s
had over his life include:
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Greek and Roman mythology
Almanacs, World Records
Philosophy
Child psychology
Card games (Yu Gi Oh,
Pokémon, Magic the
Gathering)
Computer programming
Etymology
Interview with James
 What were some things that teachers in (public)
school did that helped you?

Listening to what I asked for, such as being able to leave
uncomfortable situations, and not putting me in situations
where I would be uncomfortable. For example, if the class was
doing oral presentations and I was too nervous, they would let
me give it to only them rather than the whole class.
 …that hindered you?
 Please don’t ever tell me to do something “because I said so” or
“because those are the rules.” The Asperger’s says, “why?” I’m
asking why for a reason, not just to ignore the crap out of the
teacher.
(Absher)
Interview with James
 What are some things you want teachers to know about Aspies?
My questions aren’t unnecessary, they’re things that I think need to be
answered. We’re reluctant to work in groups – we prefer someone else to take
control and to have specific instructions. A lot of us have no mental filter. Tell
me nicely if I’ve done something inappropriate and what that was, and tell me
to look up the origins as to why it’s inappropriate.
 What can teachers do to help Aspies be successful in the classroom?
 Give pre-defined learning objectives and don’t deviate from them. Sudden
schedule changes are s***!
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See? No filter… but James knows the difference between family conversation and those at
school or in public
 What are the ways that you learn best?
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Labs, hands-on activities, getting up and moving around the room. Making
flashcards with pre-defined lists of words or concepts. Having instruction
materials like lecture outlines or Powerpoints available for personal use.
(Absher)
Interview with James
 Why do you like your long hair and beard?
 In high school, people would always come up to me in the
hallway – people I didn’t know – and start talking to me and
telling me all this stupid gossip and stuff I didn’t care about.
After I grew my beard, that stopped. I would rather initiate
social situations. Now I just like it, and I’m lazy and it takes too
much effort to shave. Also I like to run my hands through it
while I have deep philosophical thoughts.
 What about the tie dye?
 It’s colorful and makes me happy. I take pride in my quirks. It
means I’m unique.
(Absher)
Interview with James’s Mother
 From a parent’s perspective, what were some things that
teachers did that helped your child?
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One teacher was really good about calling at least once a week - every day
if necessary – to let me know if there was anything that happened that she
wanted me to know about before he got home.
 …that hindered your child?
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His fourth grade teacher was just terrible. She truly believed that there
was nothing wrong with anyone, they’re just brats. She actually called him
a brat! I homeschooled him for a half of a year while we waited for the IEP
because she was totally not understanding.
 What advice would you give teachers concerning interactions
with parents of Aspies?
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Sit down and talk to the parent to gauge their situation. How are these
parents handling their autistic child? Saying things like “how would you
like me to proceed with this situation?” and following the IEP.
(Pasquini)
Citations
Absher, James. Personal interview. 10 Nov. 2012.
"Asperger's Syndrome - Symptoms." Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center. WebMD,
12 Apr. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/
tc/aspergers-syndrome-symptoms>.
"Asperger's syndrome: Treatments and drugs." Mayo Clinic, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 6 Nov.
2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrome/DS00551/
DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs>.
"Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)." National Institute of Child Health & Human
Development. National Institutes of Health, 15 Nov. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/asd.cfm>.
"Examples of IEP Goals and Objectives Suggestions For Students With Autism." Cooperative
Educational Service Agency No. 7. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://www.specialed.us/
autism/05/g_o.htm>.
Hutten, Mark. "List of Aspergers Characteristics." My Aspergers Child. Jan 2011. Web. 6
Nov. 2012. <http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2011/01/list-of-aspergerscharacteristics.html>.
Pasquini, Zelda. Personal interview. 10 Nov. 2012.