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Workshop presentation on working with college students with Aspergers syndrome
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- 1. Asperger Syndrome Unraveled: Applied Strategies for
Successful Integration into Campus Life Presented by: Louise
Bedrossian, Ed.S, LPC and Rodney Pennamon, M.Ed. Georgia State
University Louise E. Bedrossian and Rodney E. Pennamon, 2007. All
rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission.
- 2. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- Named for a Viennese psychiatrist, Hans Asperger
- Published a paper in 1944 describing a pattern of behaviors and
abilities primarily in boys.
- Leo Kanner, an Austrian psychiatrist in his 1943 paper, also
focusing on children noted the three basic characteristics that
today are recognized as defining autism .
- These include social difficulties, communication problems and
repetitive and restricted activities .
- 3. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- In 1981 Lorna Wing, a British autism expert , published a paper
bringing to the forefront the work of Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner
.
- In the work of Wing and Gould they refer to these
characteristics described by Kanner as the triad of
impairments.
- 1990s diagnostic criteria for AS were included in the DSM-IV
and the ICD10. The following impairments were listed: social
interaction, social communication, social imagination and absence
of general delay in language development
- 4. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- The DSM-IV-TR lists the following characteristics as indicative
of impairment in social interaction for AS, specifying that at
least two must be present:
- Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors
such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and
gestures to regulate social interaction
- Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to
developmental level
- A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or
achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing,
bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
- 5. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
- Other associated features may include motor clumsiness and
awkward movements, as well as inattention
- What do these students really look like when they are standing
in front of us?
- Can we recognize the student who is likely to have such a
disorder?
- 6. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- HAVE YOU MET THIS STUDENT?
- Often does not understand non-verbal/social cues
- Poor reciprocal conversational skill
- Sensory sensitivity/sensory integration problems
- 7. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- Verbose on focused issues
- Central coherence difficulties
- 8. Inside the Asperger Mind
- People with AS perceive the world differently.
- Temple Grandin : an anthropologist on Mars. thinking in
pictures; Words are like a second language to me. sensory based
language put into memory
- Bob Morris :AS see things with six degrees of freedom; getting
into a machine and swimming in it.
- Therese Joliffe : on a planet with alien creatures
- 9. What it Looks Like from the Outside
- Theory of Mind: Inability to understand others plans, thoughts
and points of view
- Communication: Problems with language pragmatics, voice
inflection & modulation (receptive & expressive)
- Literal Thinking: Do not grasp abstract language or idiomatic
expressions.
- Unexpected Change: difficulty making sense of changes &
adjusting. Order and predictability highly preferred.
- 10. What it Looks Like from the Outside
-
- Often respond with more slowly and with greater sensitivity to
sensory stimuli;
-
- Difficult for the individual with AS to absorb and process
these constant changes
- Preoccupation with a Subject:
-
- May focus on it to the exclusion of other activities;
-
- Often unaware of others losing interest in their discussion of
this passion
- 11. Commonly Co-Morbid Disorders and Initial Diagnoses
- Depression -Affects about one in fifteen people with AS
- Anxiety -Affects 84.1 percent of children with PDD and
continues into adulthood
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder- Third commonly occurring mental
health problem among those with Asperger syndrome;
-
- 8% of children with AS, and continues to adulthood
- Eating disorders- Focus on rules and perfectionism with
misunderstanding of usage may contribute to incidence
- 12. Accommodations and Strategies
- Common Functional Limitations
- Difficulties in understanding social interactions
- Problems with both expressive and receptive communication
- Slower processing of auditory information
- Difficulties with comprehending cognitive information,
including very literal interpretations, and difficulties with
understanding main or overriding concepts.
- Tendency to become fixated on details
- Inflexible thinking tendencies and patterns
- Inefficient ability to regulate emotions
- Trouble with organizational tasks
- 13. Accommodations and Strategies
- Testing in a distraction-reduced environment
- Use of a computer with word processing software, especially for
essay tests and those that require extensive writing.
- Use of organizational software such as Inspiration for writing
and organizing ideas
- Use of noise reducing devices such as white noise machines,
head phones and earplugs
- 14. Accommodations and Strategies
- Classroom Accommodations:
- Use of a volunteer note-taker
- Access to PowerPoint presentations or instructors notes
(preferably in advance, if available)
- Behavioral contracts/guidance (not code of conduct issues)
- Priority seating (if needed)
- 15. Accommodations and Strategies
- Single/private dormitory room
- Assistance of dormitory personnel in case of an emergency
situation, should a student become immobilized or unusually
agitated and unable to respond, evacuate, etc.
- 16. Accommodations and Strategies
- A list of activities and specific limited choices
- Clear instructions (i.e. routines, calming down)
- Task instruction cards (i.e. what you will need, donts,
steps)
- Interpersonal communication advice (i.e. what to say, how to
ask for help)
- Explanations and key elements of common social situations
- Organizational methods (i.e. schedules, wall calendars,
notebooks)-
- A Resource notebook (i.e. financial, housing, leisure options,
who to call if)
- Advance training and job preparation (i.e. internships,
part-time? employment)
- 17. Accommodations and Strategies
- Common Strategies (Continued):
- Explanations and key elements of common social situations
- Organizational methods (i.e. schedules, wall calendars,
notebooks)-
- A Resource notebook (i.e. financial, housing, leisure options,
who to call if)
- Advance training and job preparation (i.e. internships,
part-time? employment)
- Develop a Student Success Plan
- (Sample template available in upcoming publication:
- College Students with Asperger Syndrome: Practical Strategies
for Academic and Social Success , LRP Publications)
- 18. Successful Internships
- Previous general work experience helps prepare
- Explore the workplace environment beforehand for stimuli that
are noxious to the student
- Clear job description, list of duties and expectations in
advance is critical
- Determine needed modifications and accommodations
- Institution-sponsored worksites offer opportunity for educating
employer about AS, and other interventions
- Student must be otherwise qualified and meet all technical
standards
- 19. Coping with the Unexpected, Changes and the Adverse
- More disturbing for a longer period to those with AS
- Students need a plan for coping with unexpected changes such
as:
-
- The test does not arrive at the alternate testing location
-
- The expected professor is not teaching the course
-
- The students car breaks down on the way to campus for
class
-
- There is suddenly a new roommate
-
- Road construction closes the usual route to school or work
-
- There is a new disability service provider
- 20. Coping with the Unexpected, Changes and the Adverse
- Students need a plan for coping with noxious stimuli or sensory
overload such as :
-
- Visual : Florescent lighting, crowds, heavy traffic, flashing
lights/signs
-
- Auditory: Fast-paced speech, certain music, construction noise
or emergency vehicle sirens
-
- Smells/Tastes: food odors, chemicals in labs, fragrances,,
toothpaste, cleaning product or pesticide odors, smoke, city air
pollution
-
- Tactile: Food textures, clothing, touching objects, solutions
or other substances, being touched
- 21. Coping with the Unexpected, Changes and the Adverse
- Rocking, Spinning, Pacing
- Sitting in a warm bath, or hot tub, especially one with
circulating water
- Eating/chewing a favorite food, or just eating in general
- Watching something peaceful or monotonous (fireplace, fish
tank, etc.)
- Listening to favorite music
- Students should be helped to develop a Disability Management
Plan
- (Detailed discussion in: College Students with Asperger
Syndrome: Practical Strategies for Academic and Social Success ,
LRP Publications)
- 22. Coping with the Unexpected, Changes and the Adverse
- Finding Sanctuary in Times of Stress
- Ending a conversation that is unpleasant or beginning to
escalate into aggression
- Learning and practicing deep breathing techniques
- Learning and practicing deep muscle relaxation
- Using mental imagery that is calming
- Repeating affirmations or a favorite line or phrase from music
or literature
- Getting to a predetermined private place, such as the students
room or disability services office, where other calming and
satisfying behaviors can be performed
- Creating a calming daily routine on which to focus during
unavoidable stressful situations that are routine
- 23. Communication and Social Interaction
- Problems with communication and social interaction
- Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal
behaviors
- Failure to develop appropriate peer relationships
- A lack of spontaneous seeking to share
- Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
- Difficulty with Theory of Mind
- 75 to over 90 percent of communication is non-verbal
- Some say these skills can be taught
- 24. Communication and Social Interaction
- Building Social Skills and Connections
- Social Rules- concrete examples that demonstrate rules
-
- Build a bank of rules and discuss transferability to other
situations
- Social Stories -describe a social situation in a systematic
fashion
-
- Descriptive - describe a situation or event
-
- Directive - describes how the reader should act in a
situation
- Learning to read and non-verbal language though training
programs such as those in books by Baron-Cohen (Mind Reading) &
Ekman (Emotions Revealed)
- 25. Communication and Social Interaction
- Computer generated or other music
- Trains or other mechanical interests
- Other computer applications
- Alternative for Social Interaction Practice:
- 26. Organizational Skills and Asperger Syndrome
- Because of neurodevelopmental deficits, planning, organization,
initiation and execution of goals are lacking for the student with
Asperger syndrome.
- The student with AS might be clueless on how to begin a task,
such as writing a paper, that requires multiple steps.
- Another common problem is committing to do too much, which can
lead to unnecessary stress.
- 27. Organizational Skills and Asperger Syndrome
- Overall role for the provider and goal for the student should
be development of self-management skills.
- Developing methods for the student to self-reinforce positive
behavior, as well as to understand the purpose or reason for the
behavior or task, increases probability of success for the student
with AS.
- 28. Organizational Skills and Asperger Syndrome
- Identifying the problem is the first step, followed by
implementing useful techniques that the student can utilize long
after they have left the college campus.
- The disability service provider may wish to spend time
exploring the problems the student is having and develop effective
solutions.
- 29. Organizational Skills and Asperger Syndrome
- 30. Service Providers and Students with Asperger Syndrome
- Student needs are complex and multifaceted
- Preparing in advance will save time, effort and problems for
service provider
- Student and support system personnel must take much
responsibility
- Students use of a self-prepared Resource Book can be effective
strategy
- Use of other campus resources is efficient and aids student
success, retention, and graduation rates
- 31. Asperger Syndrome Unraveled: Applied Strategies for
Successful Integration into Campus Life
- Baron-Cohen, S., Mind Reading (2003), Jessica Kingsley Press,
London and New York.
- Baron-Cohen, S., DVD-ROM, Mind Reading: An Interactive Guide to
Emotions, (2003) Jessica Kingsley, Ltd., London
- Ekman, P., Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to
Improve Communication and Emotions Life, (2003) Time Books, New
York
- Grandin, T., Thinking in Pictures, Doubleday, New York, 1995
and, Vintage Books, New York, 2006
- 32. Asperger Syndrome Unraveled: Applied Strategies for
Successful Integration into Campus Life
- Gross, T., Temple Grandin: A Key to Animal Behavior, on Fresh
Air , National Public Radio , on the web at
-
http://wwwnpr.org/templates/story/story/php?storyId=4278538&sc=emaf
, January 11, 2005
- Joliffe, T., Lansdown, R. and Robinson T. (1992) Autism: A
Personal Account. National autistic Society, London
- Sacks, O., Neurologists notebook: An anthropologist on Mars,
New Yorker, and December 27, 1993
- 33. Asperger Syndrome Unraveled: Applied Strategies for
Successful Integration into Campus Life
- The Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome by Tony Attwood
(2006)
- Succeeding in College with Asperger Syndrome by John Harpur,
Maria Lawlor, and Michael Fitzgerald (2004)
- The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships by Temple Grandin
and Sean Barron (2005)
- Pretending to be Normal: Living with Aspergers Syndrome by
Liane Holliday Willey and Tony Attwood (1999)
- 34. Asperger Syndrome Unraveled: Applied Strategies for
Successful Integration into Campus Life
- Autism Society of America- www.autism-society.org
- Autism Speaks- www.autismspeaks.org
- HEATH Resource Center- www.heath.gwu.edu
- National Autism Association-
www.nationalautismassociation.org
- National autism Society, (UK) Glossary of
Terms-www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.isp?d=666
- OASIS (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support)-
www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger
- University Students with Autism and Asperger Syndrome-
www.cns.dircon.co.uk/index.html