WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR … “It’s raining cats and dogs”

“He was the apple of her eye”

“Keep your eye on the ball”

“Two heads are better than one”

“Hold your horses”

“I am out on a limb”

ASPERGER SYNDROMEChloe' BlasingameAllison BunsLaura ChelcunMeredith Wroblewski

“IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOGS”

“HE WAS THE APPLE OF HER EYE”

“KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL”

“TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE”

“HOLD YOUR HORSES”

“I AM OUT ON A LIMB”

LESSON OBJECTIVES All students will be able to describe three

specific strategies to effectively teach students with Aspberger Syndrome.

Most students will be able to support their discussion of these strategies with background information of Aspberger Syndrome as it relates to why these strategies may be helpful.

A few students will be able to include in their discussion how a paraprofessional may be used to help implement these strategies.

ASPERGER SYNDROME Definition Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder

that is characterized by limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of other activities. People with AS are said to have an Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills.

Children With AS have: Repetitive routines and rituals Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and

the inability to interact successfully with peers Problems with non-verbal communication, including

the restricted use of gestures, limited or inappropriate facial expressions, or a peculiar, stiff gaze

Clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements Peculiarities in speech and language, such as

speaking in and overly formal manner or in a monotone manner, or taking figures of speech literally

LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION

Peculiarities

Lack of Modulation

Random Conversation

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION

Self-Monitoring

Develop Multi-Directive Skills

Complex Language

OFF TASK BEHAVIOR & DISORGANIZATION

Appear off-task

Easily distracted by internal and external

stimuli

Lack organizational skills

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR OFF TASK BEHAVIOR & DISORGANIZATION

Establish clear expectations

Teach student to use planner, to-do lists and

how to prioritize.

Show examples of what they should do

Provide feedback

SOCIAL SKILLS

Difficulty taking perspectives of others

Lack of awareness of emotions

Difficulty interpreting other’s social behavior

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS

Modeling

Teach awareness of other’s emotions

Social stories

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Difficulty focusing for long period of time

Problems with change in routine

Fixation on one topic

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Provide clear, written instructions

Individualize teaching strategies; use

repetition

Seat student in room away from extraneous

stimuli

Use “chunking”

MANAGING BEHAVIORS

Anxiety!!!!!

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING BEHAVIORS

Consistency

Cope with Stress

Identify Challenging Situations

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MAAP Services for Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and

PDD www.maapservices.org Autism Network Internatinal (ANI) www.ani.ac Autism Society of America wws.autism-society.org Autism Research Institute (ARI) www.autismresearchinstitute.com National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) wws.nimh.nih.gov National Institute of Deafness and Other

Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse wws.nidcd.nih.gov

An Asperger Dictionary of Everyday Expressions

By: Ian Stuart-Hamilton

ReviewTake one minute to: write down three strategies you have

learned to effectively teach students with Aspberger Syndrome.

Include a note for each that explains why these strategies are useful as they relate to Aspberger Syndrome.

Think about how a paraprofessional might be useful to implement one or more of these strategies in the classroom.

Use these notes to review for the final exam!

Final Exam QuestionDescribe three specific strategies to effectively

teach students with Aspberger Syndrome.Support your description with background

information on Aspberger Syndrome (e.g. common symptoms and/or problem areas).

It is a good idea to include how a paraprofessional might be helpful in implementing these strategies in the classroom.