Supporting children with Asperger Syndrome
Published: November 01, 2007
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The role of the classroom teacher is of utmost importance in ensuring the success of the child with Asperger Syndrome. With appropriate supports and accommodations, students with AS can excel and be rewarding to teach. Like an orchestra conductor, the teacher is the one person that keeps things together and “in tune.” (Cumin, Dunlop, & Stevenson 1998). Here are some of the best educational practices culled from my twenty years in education. • Create a calm, orderly classroom with clear rules, routines, and expectations, reviewed regularly. Consistency and structure help our socially challenged children be successful. • Protect children with AS, to make sure they are not excluded or bullied. No child should have to live in fear that makes it hard to learn and grow. Encourage the school administration to institute district-wide bullying prevention curricula. • Foster positive interactions among peers in the classroom and in less structured environments such as the playground and cafeteria. • Respect each child’s unique learning style. Modify assignments to fit those styles; encourage children to develop an understanding about how they learn best. • Help students with AS keep up with academic work by providing detailed written as well as oral instructions. Check to make sure students are doing assignments correctly. • Build a positive relationship between home and school. Parents know their children better than anyone — but teachers also have important information to share. Monthly face-to-face team meetings and weekly contact by phone, email, or notebook promote essential communication among key adults in the child’s life. • Work closely with others whose services are part of a child’s educational plan. Any adult who will encounter the student needs to learn something about Asperger Syndrome. • Check regularly to make sure sensory issues are not overwhelming the child. Children with AS are often extremely sensitive to sights, sounds, smells, or textures. They may need regularly scheduled sensory breaks, or a quiet spot they can go to, in order to restore their equilibrium and prevent meltdowns. • Teach and coach preferred behaviors — not just compliance, but self-awareness, self-advocacy, and negotiation skills. The behavior of children with AS is not usually motivated by what motivates acting out by neurotypical children. Punishing the child is often inappropriate and counter-productive; therefore, school-wide discipline policies need to be adapted for children with AS. Figure out what causes a behavior and how better to lessen its recurrence. • Invest substantial time and energy into learning about educational interventions that are effective for students with AS. Make these new practices a part of your teaching repertoire. Children with AS may differ greatly from one another; there is always more to learn. The rewards and satisfaction gained by accommodating all learners are also substantial—and parents will remember you with gratitude forever. Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf works with families and schools supporting children with Asperger’s, NLD, ASD, & ADHD. She has worked for the past twenty years as a teacher, environmental educator and consultant. She is on the Leadership Board for AANE NH Chapter. talkinrobin5@yahoo.com