Meeting the Needs of Students with Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Asperger Syndrome itself, is ‘a developmental disorder that affects how the brain processes information’ (SGV 2012). Individuals with Asperger Syndrome, as ASPECT (2012) explains, ‘have difficulties with social interaction and social communication as well as restricted and repetitive interests, activities and behaviours’.
Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome
People with Asperger syndrome, as the SGV (2012) details, may:
- have trouble making friends
- prefer to play alone
- have difficulty understanding jokes and sarcasm
- have rules and rituals that they follow, and insist others follow
- have difficulty reading body language
- have a narrow field/s of interests, eg. they may focus on learning everything about planes or trains
- be sensitive to criticism
- display anger and aggression when things do not go their way
Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may also have sensory issues. For example, as Cumine, Dunlop and Stevenson (2010, p6) explain, they ‘may be hypersensitive and cover their ears or hum loudly to block out noises such as squeals on a blackboard or hyposensitive and try to create noise by running taps’.
The above characteristics do not apply to all individuals with Asperger Syndrome, as the characteristics and severity of the characteristics themselves vary between all individuals with Asperger Syndrome. Remember that, as Foreman (2008, p30) explains, ‘children with a diagnosed disability may differ from each other as much as or more than they
differ from a child without a disability’.
Inclusivity and Differentiation: Catering to the Needs of Students with Asperger Syndrome
Today’s schools are inclusive ones. An inclusive school is one that ‘meets the diverse needs of all pupils from the
community in which it is situated, regardless of the nature or source of that diversity’ (Kinsella & Senior 2008, p654). This means that teachers have a responsibility to ensure that they caters to the specific academic, social and
emotional needs of all students, including those with additional needs, such as students with Asperger Syndrome.
Importantly, as Grenier (2010, p387) puts so accurately, ‘inclusive education demands awareness of possibility rather than an adherence to limitation’. Thus it is important to focus on what students can and can potentially achieve, rather than what they cannot.
Through differentiation, teachers are able to cater to the academic, social and emotional needs of students with special needs. Differentiation itself is a process whereby the teacher considers a students readiness, interests and learning profile and plans and adapts the lesson content, process and/or product accordingly (Tomlinson 1999).
Thus in catering to the specific learning needs of students with Asperger Syndrome teachers may needs to consider the following points in differentiating the lesson content, process or product:
1. Content: - Is it related to their specific interest/s?
- Is it free from literal meanings?
2. Process: - Is it best for them to work as part of a group or as an individual?
- Is it free from their sensory triggers?
3. Product: - Does it enable them to experience success?
- Is feedback free from criticism?
In differentiating the lesson content, process or product, it is important to set high expectations of students with
Asperger Syndrome. For in fact, as Moeller and Ishii-Jordan (1996, cited in Foreman 2008, p210) identify, ‘high expectations are a significant element in optimising learning for students with additional needs in inclusive classrooms’. Ultimately, remember that differentiation in today’s classrooms ‘is not an extra; its just high quality teaching’ (Wells& Shaughnessy 2009, p648).
The Importance of Routines and Timetables for Students with Asperger Syndrome
Routines are critical in providing a level of consistency and stability for all students, but are especially so for students with Asperger Syndrome. As Winter (2003) explains, students with Asperger Syndrome need consistency and structure in the classroom, for they can react negatively to change. You may find the use of a visual ganiser/timetable that details what you will be doing that day, and at what times helpful, for students with Asperger Syndrome generally like to know what they will be doing next (Winter 2003). There are many websites, one of which is listed below, that contains visual clue cards that you can print and laminate for use in such an organiser/timetable. Below are a couple of examples of such planners, which as you will see, are simple and easy to create.
Catering for Students with Asperger Syndrome is a Collaborative Effort
Catering to the needs of students with Asperger Syndrome is a collaborative effort. It requires open communication and a level of team work between the teacher, student, parents, and Learning Support Officers. Remember that parents know their children best, so they are a wealth of information to help you understand and cater for a student’s
individual Asperger characteristics. It is also important to have a level of consistency between home and
school, so discuss with parents what they are doing at home and what you are doing at school, so you can ensure you are both on the ‘same page’.
Value the input of Learning Support Officers within your school and within your classroom. They are specially trained teachers, and may provide you with many practical approaches and ideas. Cowley (2003, p148) suggests it is helpful to find out in what capacity and context a Learning Support Officer would prefer to work; ‘whether they would like to be involved in lesson planning, in differentiating certain tasks, or in simply delivering the work you prepare’,so this is something you may want to discuss with a student’s Learning Support Officer.
Important Things for Teachers to Consider About Students with Asperger Syndrome
The Autism Association of NSW has developed a list of thirteen key points that will help you to cater for and better understand students with Asperger Syndrome (ASPECT 2012). It is a two page document, which you may find helpful to print out so you can keep it handy. The document is available at:
http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/a2i1i1i2l337l149/information-sheets.htm
Further Information and Resources on Asperger Syndrome
- Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT)
Ph: 1800 277 328
Website: www.autismspectrum.org.au
- Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS)
Website: http://www.aspergersyndrome.org
- Do To Learn (A useful website containing printable resources for special needs materials, such as
communication cards)
Website: www.dotolearn.com
- Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers, by Cumine, Dunlop and Stevenson (2010) Publisher:
Routledge Publishing
References:
Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) 2012, accessed 17/10/2012,http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/a2i1i1l445l487/welcome.htm
Cowley, S 2003, How To Survive Your First Year in Teaching, Continuum, London.
Cumine, V, Dunlop, J & Stevenson, G 2010, Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Routledge, Oxon.
Foreman, P 2008, Inclusion in Action, 2nd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Google Images, accessed 16/10/2012, http://www.google.com.au
Grenier, M 2010, ‘Moving to Inclusion: A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Practice’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol.14, no.4, pp387-400.
Kinsella, W & Senior, J 2008, 'Developing Inclusive Schools: A Systemic Approach', International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol.12, no.5, pp651-665.
State Government of Victoria (SGV) 2012, accessed 7/10/2012, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
Tomlinson, CA 1999, The Differentiated Classroom; Responding to the Need of All Learners, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA, USA.
Wells, RA & Shaughnessy, MF 2009, ‘An Interview with Carol Ann Tomlinson’, North American Journal of Psychology,
vol.11, no.3, pp643-648.
Winter, M 2003, Asperger Syndrome – What Teachers Need to Know, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.
Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome
People with Asperger syndrome, as the SGV (2012) details, may:
- have trouble making friends
- prefer to play alone
- have difficulty understanding jokes and sarcasm
- have rules and rituals that they follow, and insist others follow
- have difficulty reading body language
- have a narrow field/s of interests, eg. they may focus on learning everything about planes or trains
- be sensitive to criticism
- display anger and aggression when things do not go their way
Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may also have sensory issues. For example, as Cumine, Dunlop and Stevenson (2010, p6) explain, they ‘may be hypersensitive and cover their ears or hum loudly to block out noises such as squeals on a blackboard or hyposensitive and try to create noise by running taps’.
The above characteristics do not apply to all individuals with Asperger Syndrome, as the characteristics and severity of the characteristics themselves vary between all individuals with Asperger Syndrome. Remember that, as Foreman (2008, p30) explains, ‘children with a diagnosed disability may differ from each other as much as or more than they
differ from a child without a disability’.
Inclusivity and Differentiation: Catering to the Needs of Students with Asperger Syndrome
Today’s schools are inclusive ones. An inclusive school is one that ‘meets the diverse needs of all pupils from the
community in which it is situated, regardless of the nature or source of that diversity’ (Kinsella & Senior 2008, p654). This means that teachers have a responsibility to ensure that they caters to the specific academic, social and
emotional needs of all students, including those with additional needs, such as students with Asperger Syndrome.
Importantly, as Grenier (2010, p387) puts so accurately, ‘inclusive education demands awareness of possibility rather than an adherence to limitation’. Thus it is important to focus on what students can and can potentially achieve, rather than what they cannot.
Through differentiation, teachers are able to cater to the academic, social and emotional needs of students with special needs. Differentiation itself is a process whereby the teacher considers a students readiness, interests and learning profile and plans and adapts the lesson content, process and/or product accordingly (Tomlinson 1999).
Thus in catering to the specific learning needs of students with Asperger Syndrome teachers may needs to consider the following points in differentiating the lesson content, process or product:
1. Content: - Is it related to their specific interest/s?
- Is it free from literal meanings?
2. Process: - Is it best for them to work as part of a group or as an individual?
- Is it free from their sensory triggers?
3. Product: - Does it enable them to experience success?
- Is feedback free from criticism?
In differentiating the lesson content, process or product, it is important to set high expectations of students with
Asperger Syndrome. For in fact, as Moeller and Ishii-Jordan (1996, cited in Foreman 2008, p210) identify, ‘high expectations are a significant element in optimising learning for students with additional needs in inclusive classrooms’. Ultimately, remember that differentiation in today’s classrooms ‘is not an extra; its just high quality teaching’ (Wells& Shaughnessy 2009, p648).
The Importance of Routines and Timetables for Students with Asperger Syndrome
Routines are critical in providing a level of consistency and stability for all students, but are especially so for students with Asperger Syndrome. As Winter (2003) explains, students with Asperger Syndrome need consistency and structure in the classroom, for they can react negatively to change. You may find the use of a visual ganiser/timetable that details what you will be doing that day, and at what times helpful, for students with Asperger Syndrome generally like to know what they will be doing next (Winter 2003). There are many websites, one of which is listed below, that contains visual clue cards that you can print and laminate for use in such an organiser/timetable. Below are a couple of examples of such planners, which as you will see, are simple and easy to create.
Catering for Students with Asperger Syndrome is a Collaborative Effort
Catering to the needs of students with Asperger Syndrome is a collaborative effort. It requires open communication and a level of team work between the teacher, student, parents, and Learning Support Officers. Remember that parents know their children best, so they are a wealth of information to help you understand and cater for a student’s
individual Asperger characteristics. It is also important to have a level of consistency between home and
school, so discuss with parents what they are doing at home and what you are doing at school, so you can ensure you are both on the ‘same page’.
Value the input of Learning Support Officers within your school and within your classroom. They are specially trained teachers, and may provide you with many practical approaches and ideas. Cowley (2003, p148) suggests it is helpful to find out in what capacity and context a Learning Support Officer would prefer to work; ‘whether they would like to be involved in lesson planning, in differentiating certain tasks, or in simply delivering the work you prepare’,so this is something you may want to discuss with a student’s Learning Support Officer.
Important Things for Teachers to Consider About Students with Asperger Syndrome
The Autism Association of NSW has developed a list of thirteen key points that will help you to cater for and better understand students with Asperger Syndrome (ASPECT 2012). It is a two page document, which you may find helpful to print out so you can keep it handy. The document is available at:
http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/a2i1i1i2l337l149/information-sheets.htm
Further Information and Resources on Asperger Syndrome
- Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT)
Ph: 1800 277 328
Website: www.autismspectrum.org.au
- Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS)
Website: http://www.aspergersyndrome.org
- Do To Learn (A useful website containing printable resources for special needs materials, such as
communication cards)
Website: www.dotolearn.com
- Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers, by Cumine, Dunlop and Stevenson (2010) Publisher:
Routledge Publishing
References:
Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) 2012, accessed 17/10/2012,http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/a2i1i1l445l487/welcome.htm
Cowley, S 2003, How To Survive Your First Year in Teaching, Continuum, London.
Cumine, V, Dunlop, J & Stevenson, G 2010, Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Routledge, Oxon.
Foreman, P 2008, Inclusion in Action, 2nd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Google Images, accessed 16/10/2012, http://www.google.com.au
Grenier, M 2010, ‘Moving to Inclusion: A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Practice’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol.14, no.4, pp387-400.
Kinsella, W & Senior, J 2008, 'Developing Inclusive Schools: A Systemic Approach', International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol.12, no.5, pp651-665.
State Government of Victoria (SGV) 2012, accessed 7/10/2012, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
Tomlinson, CA 1999, The Differentiated Classroom; Responding to the Need of All Learners, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA, USA.
Wells, RA & Shaughnessy, MF 2009, ‘An Interview with Carol Ann Tomlinson’, North American Journal of Psychology,
vol.11, no.3, pp643-648.
Winter, M 2003, Asperger Syndrome – What Teachers Need to Know, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.