ASPERGER'S SYNDROME AWARENESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Chelsea Clark, Erica Garnett, Brett McKnight, & Erin Sullivan

OVERVIEW OF THE ISSUE:Helping students with Asperger’s Syndrome assimilate into college life by creating an environment that allows

for positive educational and social interactions

What is Asperger's - “Asperser’s Syndrome (AS) is a genetic

neurodevelopment disorder at the mildest end of the autism spectrum” (Wolf, Brown, &

Kukiela Bork, 2009, p. 14)

LITERATURE REVIEW AS affects two to six of every 1000 people in the

united states – this number has increased over the past ten years and experts say it will continue to increase (Hughes, 2009; Wolf et. al., 2009)

“The more campus professionals understand how hard change is for students with AS and how different each case may be, the more we can do to help this population of bright and inquisitive students who have so much to offer.” (Wolf et. al., 2009, p. 15)

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF ISSUE:

Chickering’s 7 Key Influences to Identity Development/Admonitions

Development- Helps professionals recognize the role of environmental influences on

student identity development . Institutional size, student faculty relationships, curriculum, teaching,

friendships and student communities, and various student development programs and services as key environmental influences in student development (Evans et al., 2010).

Admonitions- Awareness of the needs of specific student populations on campus and to

respect individual differences, an admonition for positive student development (Evans et al., 2010).

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF ISSUE:

Schlossberg’s Transition Theory Provide a specific framework for understanding adults (in

this case, students) in transition and to help them connect to the support they need to move in, through, and out of this major transition (Evans et al., 2010).

Understanding the need for a support system to create a positive, not negative transition into college atmosphere.

Identify the need for institutional support and its various functions (affect, affirm, aid, and provide honest feedback) and to be a stable support system (Evans, et.al., 2010).

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF ISSUE:

Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning

Goal is to use the “information on learning styles as an empathy and design tool for responding to the increasing diversity represented among the student population…in learning experiences in the classroom and beyond and in the modes used to deliver services to students” (Evans et al., 2010, p. 145).

Kolb and Kolb describe two ends of a continuum resulting from a positive or negative interaction between students’ learning styles and institutional learning environments (Evans et al., 2010).

CONTEXT:

Small Liberal Arts school: 4,500 students• Demographic: white, upper middle-class with increasing

diversity• Campus Culture: rich with alumni and community

influences• Collaborative learning between academic and student

affairs• Four residences halls for freshman to upperclassmen• High attendance on living learning communities • Two dinning halls on campus• Boomer Student Union contains all areas to foster the

development and growth of incoming students and upperclassmen

DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS: Chickering Theory Campus Size:

Smaller liberal arts colleges “meaningful opportunities for involvement are crucial,” (Evans et al., 2010, p.70).

Making relationships with faculty and staff to encourage AS student’s growth and development in social settings.

Schlossberg’s Theory Support:Meaningful support system is an important

factor in preparing for and conquering transitions (Evans et al., 2010).

INTERVENTION: Online Training Module

First – Year ExperiencePersonnel

University Administrators

Faculty

Student Affairs

Practitioners

Student Leaders

INTERVENTION GOALS:Target Audience: Faculty, Staff, Administrators, and student leaders with direct interactions with student’s AS

Goal: To aid AS students with an easier transition into college

1. Promote Awareness of AS on CampusTheory: Schlossberg with functional support

2. Create a Supportive Environment for students with AS

Theory: Schlossberg with support

3. Facilitating social & behavioral development

Theory: Chickering with first-year experiences, developing social skills, managing emotions

“TYPICAL BEHAVIORS”

Social Interaction Change Verbal/Non-verbal Communication Skills

Information Portrayal: Various Scenarios Student Actions Student Performance

Theory Rationale

Chickering -- Recognition and Respect for Individual Differences (2nd Admonition)

STUDENT-PERSONNEL INTERACTION

Interactions Behavioral + Social Development

Literal Learners Socially Underdeveloped Mentor/Coach

Presentation:

Videotaped Scenarios

Theory Rational

Chickering: Student-Faculty Relationships

“CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT”

Social + Behavioral Maturity Practice Social Interactions Facilitate Decision-Making

Presentation:

Diagrams + Pictures

Theory Rationale

Schlossberg: Support

RATIONALE:

Main reason for our intervention:

Recognizing the need for variation in teaching methods, counseling services, advisement settings, and other student and academic services for the AS population (Evans et al., 2010). Understanding that all students learn in different ways and particularly that

students with AS have even larger differences than the standard student population prompted us to plan and implement a training program to help University staff, faculty, administrators, and student leaders better understand how students learn

RATIONALE

Concrete Experience (CE)

Full involvement in the learning experience;

feeling aspect

Reflective Observation (RO)

Reflection on experiences from multiple perspectives;

watching aspectAbstract

Conceptualization (AC)Idea formulation,

integration of theories and experiences; thinking

aspect

Active Experimentation (AE)

Incorporate experiences and theories into decision-making process; doing

aspect

Kolb’s Learning Styles

We want students to feel respected, valued and included, and in the words of Kolb and Kolb, our ultimate goal is “to fully develop the whole person [which] requires an educational culture that promotes diverse learning spaces and locomotion between them” (Evans et al., 2010, p. 150).

RATIONALE:

Training addresses the need to adjust all of these to be inclusive of AS students:

Environmental Factors of Chickering• Size, institutional objectives, student-faculty relationships,

curriculum, teaching, friendships, student communities, programs, and services.

Schlossberg’s Support Factors• Positive transition experience• Emphasize to faculty, staff, administrators, and student

leaders importance of institutional support within major transition.

EVALUATION PLAN:

If intervention is successful: Monitor the number of faculty, administrators, staff,

and student leaders who participate in the initial introduction of the training.50% completion rate first semester of

program85% completion rate by the end of the year

Send out evaluations to faculty, administrators, staff, and student leaders.

EVALUATION PLAN:

If intervention is not successful:

Send out evaluations to faculty, administrators, staff, and student leaders.

Training/Applications method reviewed Switch to an interactive training session instead of

online Include additional areas where needed due to

feedback

REFERENCES:Asperger’s syndrome—symptoms. Web MD. (2010, April). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-symptoms

Dillon, M. R. (June 2007). Creating supports for college students with Asperger syndrome through collaboration. College Student Journal, 41(2), 499-504. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search/basic?sid=21c9c372-e3fc-4087- 8e81-94b7c6c93ce7%40sessionmgr111&vid=7&hid=18

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hughes, J. L., (2009, June). Higher education and Asperger’s syndrome. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/highereducationasperg/44511

Klin, A., and Volkmar, F. R. (1995). Asperger’s syndrome guidelines for treatment and intervention. New Haven, CT: Learning Disabilities Association of America. Retrieved from http://progettoautismo.org/uploads/documenti/AS_Asperger_Treatments.pdf

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, November). Definition. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrome/DS00551

REFERENCES:Smith, C. P. (September 2007). Support services for students with Asperger’s syndrome in higher education. College Student Journal, 41(3), 515-531. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search/basic?sid=21c9c372-e3fc- 4087-8e81-94b7c6c93ce7%40sessionmgr111&vid=7&hid=18

Supporting students with aspergers syndrome in higher education [Portable Document Format]. SUNY Fredonia Counseling Center. Retrieved from http://www.Fredonia.edu/counseling

Wolf, W. E., Brown, J. R., & Kukiela Bork G. R. (2009). Students with Asperger syndrome: a guide for college personnel. Shawnee Mission, Kansas:

Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

QUESTIONS &

COMMENTS