How to Help a Child with Asperger Syndrome?

This is a question that teachers and parents often ask: How to help a child with Asperger Syndrome, both in their social life and at school?

To answer this question, we are going to provide a brief and clear explanation of what Asperger’s is and how we can help affected boys and girls, both in class and at home and in their personal lives.

What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions called autism spectrum disorders.

The expression “spectrum disorders” refers to the fact that the symptoms of each of them can appear in different combinations and in different degrees of severity: two children with the same diagnosis, despite having certain behavioral patterns in common, can present a wide range of skills and abilities.

More information: “Asperger syndrome: 10 signs of this disorder”

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Difficulties and limitations caused by this neurobiological disorder

Boys usually present this disorder the most and are usually diagnosed between 3 and 9 years of age. The main characteristics can be mentioned in four large areas, each one presents weaknesses, but also strengths. Let’s see:

1. Social relationships

Difficulty understanding the rules of social interaction, does not usually share their feelings and concerns, and has difficulty developing empathy. His strength: They usually show themselves as sincere, objective, noble, faithful and loyal people.

2. Communication and language

Difficulty starting and maintaining a conversation, the sentences are short and literal, sometimes seeming rude, and it is too difficult for them to connect with the interlocutor. His strength: They have a large technical vocabulary, enjoy word games and sometimes have great memory skills.

3. Mental flexibility and imagination

Difficulty being flexible or relaxed, worry about unusual things to the point of obsession, tend to be repetitive on a topic, and tend to be perfectionistic. Strength: They become experts in what they like, they are researchers par excellence and they are very faithful to their areas of interest.

4. Coordination and fine motor

Motor delay and clumsiness occur.

5. Other areas that may present particularities

Unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli (light, sounds, textures).

Tips to help a child with Asperger’s

Next we will know a series of recommendations focused on helping children with Asperger’s Syndrome in areas that most usually present difficulties within the educational center: social relationships and work in the classroom.

1. Children with Asperger’s and social relationships

All those aspects that most people learn intuitively must be explicitly taught. Social relationships are essential so that these children can develop their abilities and their life in the community.

here you go several recommendations, observations and advice to provide support in this area.

• Gradually the degree of relationship and cooperation can be increased To do this, work must be done on aspects such as: physical proximity, tolerance, patience. Respecting “retreat” spaces is important. That is, do not force him to stay in a group.

• They learn their communication skills by imitation (intonation, posture, attitude) without having the necessary intuition to adapt it to a certain environment. For example, they can talk to children as if they were adults, because they were taught to talk to communicate with their parents. In these cases, recordings can be used to gradually show them what their language should be depending on the variables. And, in addition, providing spaces to practice them can be accompanied by a “circle of peers” to support them, ensuring that they themselves can observe the areas for improvement. You can give examples of cases where people speak too loudly, too softly, too quickly, slowly, monotonously…

• Explicit rules are vital to guide group activities the purpose of group work must be made clear.

• Conversations must be clear transparent, without double meanings, irony or any type of confusion in the meaning of the phrase. Ideas must be transmitted without leaving anything “between the lines” so that they can understand us. The purpose you wish to communicate must be made extremely clear.

• Explanations or instructions must be simple, short concrete, and transmitted slowly. We must try to draw attention before starting the conversation, ensure that the child is close and mentions her name, thus reducing the chances of him being distracted and not understanding the explanations. We must try to systematize the instructions so that the steps or points to be transmitted are clearly defined. We can help ourselves with visual cues, drawings or signs.

• Teach them to detect when they are angry or frustrated to define unacceptable behaviors and strategies to channel them. Have an “emergency protocol” with the steps to follow in case of triggering and disruptive situations.

• If we must point them out for inappropriate behavior, let’s do it in a neutral way. and always making it clear to them what the correct way is and the consequences. Let’s check if he understood the explanation. Let’s not insist on making eye contact.

2. Help a child with Asperger’s at school

In the school environment, children with Asperger Syndrome may present several specific difficulties and limitations. That is why teachers must know this disorder to be able to adapt some criteria to help children with Asperger’s, always with the help of educational psychologists and other professionals.

The mission is for these children to integrate in the best possible way into class dynamics. and that they can follow the courses with the minimum possible obstacles, developing some of their intellectual virtues and potentialities. Below we present several tips for this purpose.

• Let us try to incorporate the interests that the person has expressed into their academic curriculum. and let’s use his fixation on that topic in different areas and subjects (for example, in Spanish we can let him write about spaceships, in mathematics let him take the measurements of the spaceship, etc.). When you finish the daily work, you can dedicate yourself to your personal project.

• Let’s place it in a place free of distractions that you can feel that you work individually. Let’s guide him regarding the materials he requires for each lesson, preferably by making a list and placing it in a fixed and accessible place. Preferably, it should be a fixed place.

• Let’s set short-term goals clearly defining the quality of work we hope to obtain from the child. Likewise, let’s inform him about the time he should spend on each activity, helping him with a clock designed just for him. We can use incentives as rewards.

• Let’s remember to always use attractive visual material (pictograms, maps, diagrams, computer use, schedules, lists…). When the child starts the work, let’s set a signal (for example, a green circle on the desk and a red circle when he or she should finish).

• When developing material, let’s introduce keywords symbols or specific signs that will allow the child to remember the information. When evaluating your work, let’s not use open-ended questions. Whenever possible, let’s establish closed questions that allow the child to remember specific information and provide him with the key words or symbols previously mentioned. Using oral evaluations can make the job easier. Likewise, let’s offer them extra time to finish their homework or exams.

• The work material must be expanded and it should be clearly indicated where you should place the answers or the work area.

• Let’s make sure you have the necessary and organized work material. Sometimes it is convenient to define materials with colors that represent a certain material.

• Let’s offer support to the child with Asperger’s with a partner who encourages him to finish the work but trying to help him be able to do it on his own. It is important to emphasize his abilities and achievements.

• Let’s pay attention to emotional indicators trying to prevent possible alterations in your mood. Let’s avoid criticism and punishment as much as possible, and replace them with positive reinforcement, praise and rewards.