19. What is it like to have Asperger Syndrome? From the child’s perspective
20.
21.
22.
23.
24. LIFE WITH AS “ My teacher says I’m rude. I think I’m honest. I don’t understand why I can’t tell someone that they have bad breath, ugly hair, or to go away because I’m busy.”
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32. Classroom Instructions “ There has been a change in where we line up today at recess. Please line up at Door A instead of Door C today.” “ Put your thinking cap on” “ Do this worksheet” Student with AS Interpretation Typical Student Interpretation Instruction
33. Classroom Instructions Today at the end of recess I need you to line up with the rest of the class at Door C. This change is only for today. Where is Door C? When do you line up there? When do I line up? Do I line up there now? We’re supposed to line up at Door A. “ There has been a change in where we line up today at recess. Please line up at Door A instead of Door C today.” Do you remember the process to solve problems? What do we do first? I don’t own one I don’t wear hats No hats are allowed at school “ Put your thinking cap on” Here’s a math sheet. I expect you to finish some but you don’t have to do it all right now. What do I do with it? When do I do it? Do I have to complete it now? “ Do this worksheet” Suggested Change Student with AS Interpretation Instruction
Room is set up so that people are sitting in small groups at tables.
The notion here is to get people to understand how difficult it is for students with AS to read emotions. They can have extreme difficulties deciphering between what “frustration”, “anger” and “happiness” look and feel like.
In order to help a student with Asperger’s syndrome in our classrooms it is essential that we understand what it is like for the student. We need to understand that for these students they do not view the world and their surroundings like a typical student. They are not choosing this way of thinking. It is what makes them who they are. We can not change the way they think but can aid them in coping with their disability and helping them to understand some what how others think in order to get along better.
In order to help you understand how a person with Asperger’s sees the world we have listed some statements made by people of all ages who live with this disability. It is important to note that people with Asperger’s are individuals. They share common attributes with others that have the disability but they are as different from each other as your “typical” students would be in your classroom.
As educators it is also important for us to be aware of the traits of various disabilities so we do not make assumptions about a student’s behavior or academic standing that are incorrect and hence detrimental. We need to understand that these students do not mean to challenge us and, with our empathy and understanding, they have a vast amount of potential. This slide demonstrates some actual report card comments made by teachers about a student who at the time was undiagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome. These comments are from her actual report cards from second grade to sixth grade. ** She has an IQ of 130+ but was placed in the “slower paced reading and math groups”. She states “ What they didn't understand was that I was trying to learn, I just learned differently from the other kids. Anything that was visual or logical, something that I could draw or see, I could learn. I couldn't learn any other way”
Keeping the AS student in mind when you give general instructions will save you and your student a lot of frustration. In this chart you can see the AS student typical reaction to some general instructions a teacher may give. If you look at the suggested changes you can see that by making the instruction more literal and very clear and concise, the AS student will have less feel less anxious and be able to follow through on your instructions more effectively.
Each group will report back with 2 new interesting things that they learned from the workshop.
This is what it might be like for a child with AS in the classroom.
![Introduction ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)