Colleges are seeing a larger population of students annually who are on the Autism Spectrum. There is a great need for faculty, college advisors, and student affairs staff to develop better strategies to work with these students. Faculty can play a significant role in helping these students succeed both inside and outside the classroom. A clear understanding of what Asperger’s syndrome is and ways to connect with students with Asperger’s syndrome is extremely important to the ultimate success of these students. These students will be less likely to have a successful transition from high school to college without the proper support system in place to address their specific needs.
Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average
Even as adults, sometimes we tend to question whether or not there is something more to us. In years past, and often still is, the subject of autism was unknown, and often misunderstood. Many times autistic tendencies are just dismissed as either bad behaviors or defiance. Many times the individual also has an underlying condition such as attention deficit disorder. This article sheds some light on that subject.
Asperger’s syndrome, which is also referred to as Asperger's disorder, is a type of Persuasive Developmental Disorder. Persuasive Developmental Disorder or PDD are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of basic skills, the most recognizable of these skills is the ability to communicate and socialize with others as well as use their own imagination. Although Asperger's syndrome is similar in some ways to autism, there are important differences between the two. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically function higher than those children with autism. In addition to them being higher functioning; children with Asperger's syndrome generally have normal intelligence and slightly less than normal language development.
There is no emphasis or attention given to the development of social and emotional skills. The normal high school environment has a lot of additional stimulation and freedom. Asperger syndrome is a disorder that deals with social skill impairments, routine behaviors, poor motor coordination and academic difficulties (Williams, K., 1995). According to Williams, Children with Asperger syndrome thrive in an environment that is stable, calm, and unsurprising (Williams, K.,1995). High School is full of chaos and noise, adolescents interacting and changing classes. Most of the students have self-awareness the skills needed to function and interact with other children. Children with Asperger need to be aware that they are different and that normal day to day functions for most part for them is different than other children (Henrickx & Biddulph,
This work is built around a topic that is sum interest to me due to the incidence of cases within the different social fields. It 's a syndrome whose classification is relatively new and as such requires a comprehensive approach for a better management of the condition. Asperger 's disorder owes its name to Hans Asperger who was the first to discover a group of children with traits very particular, mainly characterized by the absence of empathy, reduced ability to social relations, solitary conversations, a deep attachment to a special interest, and clumsy movements. However the person who presents it has no alterations in the appearance, in its capacity of intelligence and often displays skills in restricted areas. This disorder
In the recent years, there has been an increase with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), 1 in 150 children are said to be autistic and according to many states ASD is seen as an epidemic. The problem with these numbers is how to teach these children affectively in the best academic environment. In 2005-2006 it was reported that 31% of autistic students were placed in general education classrooms and around 40% in separate classes, typically referred as autistic support classrooms (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). Characteristically, the student will be placed in an autistic support (AS) room because the general education room is not the least
Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental syndrome. It is said that every 2 out of 10,000 children are affected by this disorder. Asperger’s is mostly diagnosed in young children. Parents usually recognize symptoms of this disorder in their kids around the time they turn 3 years old. Asperger’s is sometimes considered a form of autism. I find this syndrome to be very intriguing. I’m going to enlighten you with more information about Asperger’s and a few real life cases of it.
Most parents wonder what is the next chapter after their child with autism spectrum disorder graduate from high school, for some individuals, it is to move onto higher education. As stated by Cai and Richdale (2015), the USA has one of the lowest rates of college enrollment for individuals with ASD, with over 50% of these individuals being in neither education nor employment following their secondary school, with similar finding in the UK (p. 31). For the individuals with ASD who move forward in gaining a higher education will have to learn to adapt and determine how to transition into higher education. Mentioned by Cai and Richdale (2015), a USA national survey illustrated poor outcomes from transitioning from secondary school into adult-hood. “The findings showed that after young adults with ASD left the public school system, 80% continues to live at home, only 32% attended postsecondary education, just 6% had competitive jobs, while 21% had no employment or education experience at all. Further 40% reported having no friends. (p. 32)”
Hans Asperger, a pediatrician from Austria, began to study a group of children at his clinic in 1944. He noticed that the young boys he was studying were clumsy, lacked social skills, and did not understand nonverbal communication. Asperger’s syndrome (AS), named after Doctor Hans Asperger, is a developmental disorder. Research by Woodbury-Smith and Volkmar (2009), claim that AS was originally thought of as a less severe form of Autism, in which the individual has higher linguistic ability but still lacks social skills. Many researches now consider AS an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, it is disputed amongst researchers as to whether it is explicit from High Functioning Autism (HFA). Many characteristics of AS and HFA are
Asperger’s syndrome is becoming more and more common as time goes by. Each year, more children are being diagnosed. This paper focuses on Asperger’s Syndrome and developing social skills in various social settings. By looking at the etiology, diagnostic procedures, how the condition effects development, daily challenges, current social/cultural views, and relevant social interventions, a better understanding on how to develop social skills for children with Asperger’s Syndrome can ensue. The world revolves around social situations. This is how people are hired for jobs, ask for things, make new friends, meet their future spouse, etc. At the moment, social skills training and social support is minimal compared to where it potentially
Many children today unknowingly face the disorder known as Aspergers. Their traits can affect their social, mental, and behavioral aspects of life. Because of this, peers might classify them as weird simply because they do not act the same way, causing a decline in self confidence. Diagnosis can tremendously help to jumpstart treatment in this area. Despite lack of knowledge about Aspergers, a disorder closely related to autism, it is very much its own; not only in the way it is diagnosed, but also in its characteristics.
Van Hees, V., Moyson, T., & Roeyers, H. (2015). Higher education experiences of students with autism spectrum disorder. Challenges, benefits and support needs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1673-1688.
Amazingly, one percent of new births will have some type of autism (Autism Society of America, 2010). Asperger’s disorder is one type of Autism, and is at the high end of these disorders. This “disorder, which is also called Asperger's syndrome (AS) or autistic psychopathy, belongs to a group of childhood disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) or autistic spectrum disorders”(Exkorn, 2006). A characteristic of this disorder is harsh and strict disruption of a certain type of brain development. The most affected areas of Asperger's disorder is difficulty in social understanding and in behavior or activities that are limited or recurring (Frey, 2003). Students with Asperser’s have different levels of seriousness,
Although there is no cure for Asperger's syndrome, masking the symptoms and overcoming the challenges is possible by learning proper social skills, staying within a comfort area, and having a good support structure. A person with Asperger's syndrome faces many daily challenges, such as carrying on a conversation or looking someone in the eyes while speaking. Jacob, the main character in House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, learns to live with these challenges and function as normally as he can. "Asperger's syndrome, also called Asperger's disorder, is a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD). PDDs are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to
Mental illnesses have been changing how Americans view one another. A major disability that wrecks havoc on citizens and their viewpoints is the list of disorders under the autism spectrum. Many styles of aid are available to these people, most beginning with younger, school age children. However, the question stands whether they actually need all the assistance being thrown at them. While students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) should be given the help they need to flourish, their needs are different from others with special needs. Furthermore, while their grades are likely maintain a decently high average, they may not manage all too well socially.