C - E - R #5 Exceptional Children

CREATE: Aspergers is often a confusing and misunderstood diagnosis in children with specials needs. Up until 2013, the DSM Medical Journal included the diagnosis in it's review of diagnosis'.  In 2013, the Medical board concluded that the diagnosis would be included under the label of autism with high functioning. The move is considered very controversial and with it comes the fear that people with the diagnosis may not receive the attention they deserve.

Why do we need to understand AS?

¨Asperger Syndrome is not a physical disability, meaning the condition can be invisible to the rest of the world (i.e., wheelchair bound).

¨As in the case of autism spectrum disorder, people look just like anyone else without a disability, meaning it can be extremely difficult to raise awareness and foster an understanding of the condition. 

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder that affects language and communication skills

A person with AS generally demonstrates diminished nonverbal communication and social interaction BUT has normal (or superior) vocabulary and cognitive development (generally without delays)

Children with AS have trouble reading facial expressions and people’s gestures

They often find it difficult to identify and express their feelings

They may also have a hard time connecting with their peers and classmates

 

¨AS shares many traits with autism especially in the 5 main components of  social interaction, sensory, communication, behavior and academic skills.

¨The degree of impairment differs widely from individual to individual

¨Younger children who are diagnosed with classical autism move through the spectrum and are re-diagnosed with AS later in childhood.

 

¨Asperger Syndrome is distinguished by a pattern of symptoms rather than a single symptom. It is characterized by qualitative impairment in social interaction, by stereotyped and restricted patterns of behavior, activities, communication and interests, and by no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or general delay in language. (In other words, AS is determined through a collective means by observing various patterns in an individual)

 

¨In the classroom, there are 5 areas that need to be addressed when understanding Asperger’s Syndrome.

¡Social Interaction

¡Sensory Skills

¡Communication Skills

¡Behavior Skills

¡Academic Skill

EVALUATE: There are many examples of IEPs available on the internet. Importantly, the internet has many resources to help guide educators and parents the know how to understanding an IEP.

Some example sites under search key terms   'IEP' and 'New York'

New York State Education Department
City of New York Education Site
IEP Direct-Internet Software for Districts

Two of the first sources to come up in my specific search yielded State and  City sites for the department of Education. The sites offers assistance and tutorials for parents to help guide and understand what is involved in an IEP. The later of the three sites is a common provider used by many districts throughout New York. IEP Direct is an internet software designed to help build and write up IEPs.

RELATE: With all the internet has to offer, we now have the ability to take a IQ Test from the comfort of our home.
Internet IQ Test

As the text explains, we should be careful and keep in mind source of the tests and how they interpret the results. One test that I'd recommend is Gardner's Multi Intelligence  Test. If you are interested in knowing what kind of learner you might be, this is a test designed specific to Gardner's theory and research.
Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Test