‘WHEN YOU’VE SEEN ONE
STUDENT WITH
ASPERGER’S…….’
Student Affairs
Summer Academy
July 22, 2008
Cathy Patus, Disability Resource Center
WHAT IS ASPERGER’S
SYNDROME?
• A neurological disorder included in the
spectrum of autism disorders
• As many as 1 in 150 individuals have an
Autism Spectrum Disorder
• As many as 1 in 250 have Asperger’s
• The individual is typically verbal with
normal or above normal IQ
• No known cause – will last lifetime
“TRIAD OF DEFICITS”
• Communication
• Socialization
• Focus on specific topic or interest/other
topics may be viewed as irrelevant
COMMUNICATION
• May display impairments in both expressive and
receptive communication
• May possess extensive vocabulary yet lack
affect when speaking or use odd words and
phrases
• Linear thinking – difficulty with abstract thought
• Literal interpretation makes idiomatic phrases
difficult to understand
• Subtle nuances of language – forget about it!
SOCIALIZATION
• Socialization difficulties may be the
distinguishing trademark
• Inability to understand or respond to
others thoughts and feelings
• Change of routine may cause difficulty
FOCUS ON SPECIFIC TOPIC OF
INTEREST
• Lack of ability to plan, organize, change
routines
• Rigid, inflexible, unwilling to change topics
• Preoccupation with specific topic can be a
hindrance but can also be a strength
SENSORY INTEGRATION
DYSFUNCTION
• Sensory distortions – the senses fail to
provide accurate data
• Student may be overly stimulated by
lights, music, noise
• Helps to explain tendency to remain with
routines and familiar surroundings
TRANSITION FROM HIGH
SCHOOL TO COLLEGE
• Student with AS may have IQ of 150 or
above
• Admission to college is rarely the problem!
• Routine and structure of high school is
replaced by the chaos of college life
• Parental support now minimal
CLASSROOM CONSIDERATIONS
•
•
•
•
Correcting professors
Helium hands
Difficulty with group work
Low tolerance for what is perceived as
irrelevant
• Missing deadlines due to poor
organizational skills
LIVING ON CAMPUS
• Forced interactions with others
• No comfort zone – no place to retreat
• Bathroom routines may be impossible due
to community living
• Private room or bathroom??
• Furniture arrangement is important
DISCIPLINE ISSUES
• Classroom disruptions
• Stalking
• Roommate problems
ACADEMIC ADVISING/CAREER
EXPLORATION
• Capiltalize on linear thinking when
choosing a major
• Avoid social or human services’ careers
• Explore career fields that require high
tolerance for tasks that most of us
consider mundane and boring!
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
• Include family members whenever
possible
• The student with AS needs them and so
do we!
• Learn to love that hovering sound
STRATEGIES
• Brainstorming on specific strategies that
could be employed in our specific areas
within Student Affairs or the University in
general
IN CONCLUSION
• When you’ve seen one student with
Asperger’s Syndrome, you’ve seen one
student with Asperger’s Syndrome
• “I know of nobody who is purely autistic or
purely neurotypical. Even God has some
autistic moments, which is why the planets
all spin.” (Jerry Newport)
REFERENCES
• Available on request!
• E-mail me at clpatu01@louisville.edu