Asperger’s and classroom management

Published August 11, 2009 by Nancy

Are you a teacher?

Then listen up.

Chances are you’ve had or soon will have an Asperger kid in your class. By the middle school years, these kids know they are different and often have self-esteem issues because of the pressure to conform.

Give up on conformity.

Asperger kids have unique value because they see the world differently than others. Focus on this talent in your classroom.

Here are some tips (and yes, I am a middle school teacher):

1. Go visual. Asperger kids tend to be visual learners. Think charts, graphs, tables, schedules, diagrams.
2. Give them a heads-up before you change anything related to the routine. Tell them what will be different and give a suggestion about what they should do.
3. Keep instructions short. One thing at a time.
4. Asperger kids are good at tasks that require micro-focus, whereas most kids at this age can’t focus more than a gnat. Sure, give open-ended and creative work that the average kids can do, but also give the deep-concentration work that Asperger kids can do. Be fair.
5. Be aware of sensory overload. Too much of anything (excitement, noise, frustration, movement) creates a sensory build-up in the kid’s body. This is a time bomb. Get tips from the parents on how to avoid sensory overload and how to defuse the bomb before it blows.
6. Let the kid leave class whenever he/she wants. Designate a go-to place. Don’t draw attention to these exits. This is the kid taking charge of the problem and doing what needs to be done.
7. Reserve extra consequences for kids who bully, tease, or treat Asperger classmates unfairly. Yes, that’s not fair. But kids have to learn not to pick on those who can’t defend themselves. When the costs are high, kids won’t do it.
8. Talk about good books on Asperger’s, meltdowns, sensory issues, etc. with the parents. Read the same books and try some of the ideas together, at home and at school.
9. Asperger kids argue with the teacher. Get over it. They’re not trying to be disruptive – they are disruptive. They see all people as equals, and they don’t get the power structures and hierarchies in the real world. Here’s a suggestion: If the kid is arguing and becoming disruptive, give the kid a piece of paper and tell him/her to write it all down, and you will discuss it later.
10. Don’t expect the Asperger kid in this year’s class to be anything like the Asperger kid in last year’s class. There is a lot of variability in who gets identified as Asperger. All the designation means is that this kid is not going to be like the norm, so special strategies are necessary.

Links
A very thorough article on the OASIS website

A list of articles related to education

You can also google some of these teaching approaches: TEACCH; SPELL; Higashi Daily Life Programme; Facilitated Communication; the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS); and The Options Approach (Son Rise).

Final tip: During conferences with parents, be sure to ask the parents if either of them are Asperger too. Most won’t volunteer the information. Conferences can wind up getting testy simply because parent and teacher can’t understand each other. It’s better to clear the air first.