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Workshop presentation on working with college students with Aspergers syndromeTRANSCRIPT
- 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
- BUT
- 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
- Avoids eye contact
- Flat affect
- Poor reciprocal conversational skill
- Prosody is unusual
- Sensory sensitivity/sensory integration problems
- Unusual awkward gait
- 7. What is Asperger Syndrome?
- People who are loners
- Concrete thinking
- 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
- Sensory Sensitivity:
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- Often respond with more slowly and with greater sensitivity to sensory stimuli;
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- Difficult for the individual with AS to absorb and process these constant changes
- Preoccupation with a Subject:
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- May focus on it to the exclusion of other activities;
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- 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;
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- 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
- Sensory sensitivity
- 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
- Poor motor coordination
- 13. Accommodations and Strategies
- Testing Accommodations:
- Extended testing time
- 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 audio recorders
- Use of a volunteer note-taker
- Access to PowerPoint presentations or instructors notes (preferably in advance, if available)
- Priority registration
- Behavioral contracts/guidance (not code of conduct issues)
- Priority seating (if needed)
- 15. Accommodations and Strategies
- Other Accommodations:
- 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
- Common Strategies :
- A list of activities and specific limited choices
- Clear instructions (i.e. routines, calming down)
- Behavioral rules
- Written guidelines
- Task checklists
- Task instruction cards (i.e. what you will need, donts, steps)
- Reminders
- 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:
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- The test does not arrive at the alternate testing location
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- The expected professor is not teaching the course
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- The students car breaks down on the way to campus for class
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- There is suddenly a new roommate
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- Road construction closes the usual route to school or work
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- 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 :
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- Visual : Florescent lighting, crowds, heavy traffic, flashing lights/signs
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- Auditory: Fast-paced speech, certain music, construction noise or emergency vehicle sirens
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- Smells/Tastes: food odors, chemicals in labs, fragrances,, toothpaste, cleaning product or pesticide odors, smoke, city air pollution
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- Tactile: Food textures, clothing, touching objects, solutions or other substances, being touched
- 21. Coping with the Unexpected, Changes and the Adverse
- Calming Routines
- Rocking, Spinning, Pacing
- Rubbing skin or clothing
- 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
- YET
- 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
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- Build a bank of rules and discuss transferability to other situations
- Social Stories -describe a social situation in a systematic fashion
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- Descriptive - describe a situation or event
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- 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
- Finding a Social Group
- Radio
- Film and video
- Robots
- Computer gaming
- Fantasy
- Pets and animals
- Computer generated or other music
- Trains or other mechanical interests
- Other computer applications
- Alternative for Social Interaction Practice:
- SecondLife.com
- 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
- Schedules
- Calendars
- Action steps
- To Do/Task Lists
- Visual Reminders
- Setting manageable goals
- Time table
- Resources
- 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
- References
- 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
- References (Cont.)
- 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
- General Resources
- 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
- Websites
- 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