Problems with Peer Interactions for Asperger's Syndrome Schoolchildren

Asperger’s Syndrome relates to a high functioning form of autism that is diagnosed as early as the preschool years. Even as the majority of young patients will go on to attend public school and have varying successes, there are some marked problems with peer interactions for Asperger’s Syndrome schoolchildren.

First and foremost of course is the seeming inability to establish and maintain meaningful two way interactions. This pertains to playing together, talking, and also cooperating. Even for the child who would like to interact with peers, the problem lies in the inability to actually understand and follow the regulations of such interactions.

Ideas of letting someone else finish talking, sharing a toy, taking turns, or simply communicating with body language as well as words are alien to the Asperger’s Syndrome child. Before long, such a child is shunned by others, made fun of, and also intentionally not included in game play, class project groupings, and other such pairings where interaction is a must.

If the child does attempt to partake in the social interactions, the attempts are short lived simply because they are doomed to fail. Perhaps the biggest part of the problem in this instance is the inborn resistance to change that makes it impossible for the Asperger’s Syndrome schoolchild to adapt an approach or try for a whole new way of engaging peers. Due to a failure to empathize appropriately, there is little hope that the schoolchild will have the social interactions it would need to become fully integrated in the school setting.

It has been noted that in some cases this leads to aggressive acting out by an Asperger’s child. Sometimes it also leads to an almost innate distrust of other people, and being convinced that other people are talking badly behind the child’s back. As the child gets older and becomes a high school student or maybe even attends university, the Asperger’s Syndrome now creates the label of recluse, eccentric, or antisocial individual.

By this point patients by and large have given up trying to fit in and instead embrace the fact that they are different and will have little if any chance of fitting in with their peers. In some cases you will find such an individual seeking to befriend those who are markedly older or those who are a lot younger. Dr. Asperger mentions this in relation to the interactions between the sexes, although it is also true for everyday relationships.

It is interesting to note that the suspicion some Asperger’s’ patients harbor and the seeming naïveté that accompanies it make them easy prey for those who are seeking to take financial advantage of the friendless youngster. In other cases, it is a setup for those who would look to such a person for their individual gratification of ego, physical needs, or just as a means of tapping into the young student’s apparent genius for personal gain.

Parents, caregivers and counselors will do well to keep their eyes open for sudden friends that appear out of nowhere and seem to be spending a lot of time with such a youngster.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Asperger's Syndrome?

If you notice that something just does not seem right with your child, you are most likely quick to rush it to the pediatrician. When you notice that this something might actually be behavioral in nature, you might wonder if there is a chance that your child may be exhibiting signs of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). There are many stern warnings that strongly urge parents to refrain from at home self diagnosis of any condition, and Asperger’s Syndrome is no different. Rather than guessing at what could be little more than a developmental in between, you will be wise to seek out the help of a trained physician or specialist who deals in the intricacies presented by kids with AS.

Yet, how do you know if it is indeed time to visit your pediatrician and ask for an evaluation with respect to Asperger’s Syndrome? First and foremost, you most likely noticed that the child is not as interactive with you her siblings or as you had imagined she should be. In addition to the foregoing, she may be very quiet, refrain from pointing, and has not a lot of interest in sharing things with you. In some cases your snuggling and hugging may also not be welcomed. If this child grows a bit older to show a marked difficulty in interacting with other children of her own age, you know that there is more to the problem than meets the eye. Although you cannot rule out that there are other diagnoses at hand, Asperger’s Syndrome does sound like it might be a viable solution.

Even as the child grows older, a noticeable preoccupation with one item or subject area may turn your youngster into a veritable authority on bus schedules or lions, but may prevent her from picking up other information that is common to children of her age group. She may converse at length about the feeing habits of the African lion, but not realize by virtue of the body language of her listeners, that the meticulous description of the activity is not welcomed by other little girls. This, of course, is a premier sign that your child may quite possible be a candidate for the diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome and you should get her evaluated at this point.

After a tentative diagnosis is made, other behaviors you may have disregarded in the past will also fall into place. There is the repetitive nature of some gestures or words and phrases, the need to rock back and forth or perform other movements for an extended period of time, and of course the child’s unwillingness and inability to deal with changes in routine. These are the hallmark of children diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and while these symptoms alone do not make for a complete diagnosis, they do point toward an emerging picture that might quite possibly make your child a patient for the treatment and management of AS. The sooner you can get the diagnosis made, the earlier you will have the opportunity to begin a regimen of adaptive assistance that will make your child’s integration into the classroom setting a lot easier.

Asperger's Syndrome in the Daycare Setting

Having an Asperger’s Syndrome child is a difficult proposition; having to work and rely on a daycare to take care of the child is a Herculean task for the peace of mind of any person. Concerned parents should take heart that there are actually a number of daycare facilities that employ individuals well versed with Asperger’s Syndrome. In addition, some in home daycare centers pride themselves on offering special programs for children who have a hard time with the rigors of integrating themselves into other, similar, settings.

When you are checking around for a daycare suitable for your Asperger’s Syndrome child, consider the following:

* Is the student to teacher ratio sufficiently low? You know that your child has a hard time transitioning from one activity to another, and even the most mundane situations may present seemingly insurmountable challenges to your child. The more teachers there are the daycare center, the easier it is for someone to take the child under her wing and make sure that the problems he experiences are minimal. * Are the teachers aware of the manifestations of Asperger’s Syndrome? For example, your child may continuously repeat a word or phrase for a period of time, and in a regular setting this may give rise to some consternation. On the other hand, at a daycare center where the teachers understand that this is part and parcel of the symptoms the condition evokes, this is taken in a stride, and teachers will seek to normalize the behavior to the other kids, rather than making a big deal of it. * Are transitions easily anticipated or do they happen at the drop of a hat? You know that for a child with Asperger’s Syndrome the mere idea of transitioning from one locale to another or one activity to another presents a problem. When these transitions happen suddenly and without much warning, you child will have a harder time. On the other hand, if they can be reasonably anticipated, a skilled daycare worker can actually incorporate them into a daily routine, making the experience a lot easier for the child. * Are instructions direct and simple? Too often children with Asperger’s Syndrome are overwhelmed by the long lists of directions given to them. This can be avoided by simplifying the process of giving directions and also reducing the amount of information offered during one simple interaction. The skilled daycare worker knows to break down the directions that are given to their bare bones, ensuring that the child with Asperger’s Syndrome is not overwhelmed when asked to do something. * Are distractions kept to a minimum? You know that a daycare setting that lends itself to a lot of distractions is not a good idea. For this reason you most likely avoided the daycare center that shares space with the school, or the daycare provider that welcomed a wide range of ages into the home. At the same time, there are still distractions that even occur in a daycare setting that is optimal; how they are handled, however, showcases the true depth of understanding the workers have. If they are able to quickly reduce any distractions or eliminate them altogether, your child is in good hands.

Asperger's Syndrome and High School Kids

Parents who were heartened that their children, who at some point were diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, made it through preschool, kindergarten and even elementary school relatively unscathed, are now worried about the impact high school will have on their kids. After all, the amount of teacher and parent supervision and control over the environment of a high school youngster is greatly diminished. There is little doubt that problems which may deeply affect an Asperger’s Syndrome child will not come to light as readily as they did in the past, when mom or dad where almost standard fixtures on the school playground.

This has given rise to parental over involvement in the high school setting, although in some cases the children have suffered more from the constant over parenting than they might have from any ramification that teasing or other Asperger’s Syndrome related conditions could have brought. In the high school years, being accepted is a major aspect of the social pecking order and it is then that an Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis may be thought to make or break a child’s spirit.

The sad reality dictates that the lack of supervision gives rise to an increased danger of bullying and high school students with Asperger’s Syndrome quite often make the hapless target of a bully on the playground. Add to this the marked absence of structure and the increasing lack of routines, and the student with Asperger’s Syndrome is going to find that high school life brings with it a lot of challenges for which she may or may not have been prepared at the onset. Even in the relationship with teachers there is going to be a significant shifting. No longer is there one teacher in charge of the entire class, but instead a number of subject teachers will parade through the classrooms.

This leads to adverse interactions, and students who, because of their Asperger’s Syndrome, may talk and act like an authority on a given subject may actually make a teacher feel challenged in his authority. This may find an outlet in power struggles, bad grades, and even some less than pleasant parent teacher conferences. For the parent who has a child with Asperger’s Syndrome in the high school system, the added problem that makes parenting now a challenging obstacle course is the painful awareness that a youngster may not be as attractive to members of the opposite sex as perhaps she or he would have hoped.

Fortunately, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Asperger’s Syndrome youngsters in the upper grades of high school will point out that acceptance of their peers takes a radical turn and while in the past there was copious teasing and even bullying, the upper grades are marked by inclusion and even a general sense of taking care of the friend with AS. Parents need to help their youngsters make it through the lower grades in anticipation of that changing in the sentiment, and this is never an easy task, no matter how hopeful the parent and the child may be.

Asperger's Syndrome Patients Guide to Overcoming Anxieties about Social Interactions

The world is filled with stressful situations, and nobody feels this more keenly than the patient with Asperger’s Syndrome. Not disabled in the sense of intellect and overall awareness, patients with this condition lack some very basic skills that prohibit them from interacting effectively with others on a social level. Overcoming the anxieties about social interactions is hard to do for those with Asperger’s Syndrome, but there are some tips that might make their situations a bit simpler.

* Listen carefully when someone introduces themselves. You may learn something about their background, their interests, and also their hobbies. This might help you later to get a conversation started. In the alternative, it might go a long ways to keeping a topic of conversation going and chiming in. * Practice your facial expressions in front of a mirror. Since this is your single weakest portion of adequate communication, you want to practice often and carefully. When you think you have it down, practice with a trusted friend or family member. This will prevent any awkwardness later and also minimize any anxiety you might feel. * Be open to criticism. Although strangers and those to whom you are newly introduced are most likely not gentle and kind about the way they approach you – it matters little if they know that you have Asperger’s Syndrome – they might still offer you some important clues about the way you come across. Take this information back to friends or family members and ask them about it. Your acquaintances may be on to something. * Pay close attention to the way you are dressed. Even though it sounds like a trite statement, but clothes do make the man. Clothes that you might simply appreciate for their material, color, or even feel could be construed by others as part of an image you are cultivating. This might not be the image you intend to give off, and in some cases it might actually hinder conversation! Ask friends and family members periodically about your image. Additionally, if you wear clothes with pictures on them, ask friends or family members what they mean and how they come across. * Learn how to pace yourself in a conversation. It is tempting for anyone to monopolize a conversation by talking about themselves and their own interests. The same holds true for a patient with Asperger’s Syndrome. Yet for the latter it is easy to misunderstand an open question geared at getting a conversation flowing for a bona fide request to give an in depth analysis about a certain topic or issue. Be careful not to hog a conversation and ease into conversations, making sure the other party also has a lot of time to converse about the things that are important to them.

Even as the conversation tips and tricks will not completely make up for the shortcomings inherent to the condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome, they do help to make conversation possible and take a lot of the anxiety out of the process.

A Gift of Sight: Visual Perception Treatment for Autistic Children

Autism effects every child differently, so it is difficult to find the exact treatments your child needs to cope with his or her symptoms. One thing that effects some autistic children (though, not all) is problems with visual perception. By using some standardized methods to help improve visual perception, you can give your child the ability to see the world more clearly, making learning and comprehension easier and possibly curbing some behavior problems as well.

Autistic children mainly have problems with sensory overload and distortion. These are some of the same problems many people not suffering from the disorder develop, and so many treatment options have become available. Individuals with autism often find, however, that the sensory overload of the world due to light, colors, contrast, shapes, and patterns, is too much to handle, causing them to act out or shut down in general. This is sometimes a genetic condition that is simply enhanced by the autism, so if the child's parents have trouble with reading or have been otherwise treated for visual perceptive problems, there is a good chance that the child needs help as well.

The Irene Method is one effective way to treat visual perception disorders. This method uses color to create a more harmonized world. You may have heard of these methods if anyone has ever suggested using a color filter over the page when reading to be able to read better and more quickly. This method is proven to work, and if your autistic child is at the maturity level of reading, you may want to try these color filters to see if there is a difference in speed and comprehension. However, it is more likely that your autistic child will benefit from color filters during the entire day, not just when reading. Special glasses have been made using colored lenses to conquer this problem. Not every child responds the same way to every color, so it is a process of trial and error to find out which color is the one blocking the harmful light. You can also choose to use colored light bulbs in your home to help autistic individuals with their visual perception problems.

This method mainly helps children in 4 areas: depth perception, social interaction, learning, and physical well being. The colors help the child determine how far he or she is from an object, and the world becomes more three-dimensional, helping depth perception. Social interaction also improves because the child feels as though he or she is in a calmer world and can more clearly see and interpret facial expressions. The colors make it possible to learn, especially when reading, and overall, the child will feel better, because it helps reduce headaches and dizziness. By testing this technique and others to help visual perception problems, you can help your child better cope with the world and his or her autism.