I was interviewed by an expert on Asperger’s Syndrome from the UK. He asked me if I had a piece of advice for parents of students with Asperger’s.
Here’s a part of my answer.
Don’t just assume these students with Asperger’s understand everything.
Because they tend to have good verbal language skills (and many of them really talk a lot!) we can be fooled about some of the communication challenges they may have.
For example, they may misunderstand conversation. The social actions of others might cause confusion. Or, trying to participate in unfamiliar activities can create anxiety and inappropriate behavior.
One of the best thing parents can do is establish a habit of giving information to their children on the Autism Spectrum. Be sure to clarify communication. Be pro-active about preparing them for social situations. Plan with them for activities that are new.
Don’t forget to give information in a visual way . Write it down. These students tend to understand what they SEE better than what they HEAR. Use their strength to help them learn.
UPDATE: This is a note I received from Monica, Mom of Michael. It supports the above information beautifully.
Dear Linda . . .
. . . I feel so alone sometimes when I try to get people to understand that visuals are not a luxury but a vital need for my son on the Autism Spectrum to understand the chaotic environment of a classroom. . . .
I just received your book, Solving Behavior Problems in Autism, and can’t wait to dive in. I never thought Michael had behavior issues.
The issues he has, I believe, are really caused because he doesn’t understand what he needs to do. No one understands that he needs to SEE it!
When communication breaks down for Michael he needs to work things out with visual choices so he can do something other than cry or scream and say no.
Thanks for listening. . . .I think you do understand. . . .because when I read your words from your books I feel them so powerfully because I have seen your methods work like a miracle with my son. . . .
Simple concept but very important. Please share.
Hi folks I am working with a high functioning, still socially awkward at times, talented musician and theatre entusiast 16 year old who is considering colleges – maybe conservatories unless they are too insanely competitive or good colleges around the NYC area -within 150 miles
any suggestions beside Wheaton and Purchase
Thanks again Linda. The Hidden Curriculum is a great book for this offering lists for very verbal kids in a variety of situations. The intro talks about changing social language styles 9 times upon entering a bookstore.
Make them functionally competent ..most of the time it s lacking ..and their verbal language and manipulative skills come into action .There is a sensory loss …Give more opportunities in a protected environment/safety to see functional competency to the set tasks …Example Driving a car …Managing the Throttle ..The brakes .The visual attention ..Other related perception s …with devices Mechanical Electric Automobiles..etc
They may be verbal and understand the lines ..But because of their functional encompetency they will be unable to perform the task s Required ….?!!!
Best wishes in training the ASD
Love this response . So not only do I work as an slp in public school but I am also a karate instructor at a local martial arts school. Because martial arts is so good for so many reason we have a variety of learning challenges to deal with. One being high functioning autism. So at our last staff meeting I ran a brief inservice regarding social language and perspective . Your response is brilliant and I will use some of the language with my karate instructors if you don’t mind. I am in the process of making a visual aid and social story to be handed out to new students so they can better read the social expectations of a karate class. Thank you again for sharing.
Thank you, That was helpful . I have a 2nd grader that is anxious and so he fills this time with asking question after question. He can’t make a friend because the typical children don’t like all the questions
got that right! 🙂 That’s why they do so well when we teach them visualization strategies!
Thank you so much for sharing this information!! I attended a presentation about Asperger Students and Theory of Mind. This information came in very handy!
I believe I may send this to the college my son attends. He is a third year student at a conservatory of music. He is failing a class due to oral instructions on assignments. He needs it written down somewhere. I think I will pass this along!
I have a student who kept saying no when offered extra fruit at lunch. I realized that he was meaning no I don’t have any because he looked at his plate. Now I know how to rephrase the question.
I like what you shared in this message. For my son it also helps if I ask him what he would like to ask or to say to someone as part of our preparation.
You hit the nail on the head! As a parent and Speech Pathologist I believe in what you have said. These are the strategies that have worked for my 13 year old son in the spectrum!!
Thanks for clarifying it all for me!
Great answer Linda! All things I do with my son, who has Asperger’s. But, people also need to remember not to UNDERestimate them, just because of their diagnosis, a person might think they don’t understand certain things.