Making Sense of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's

Think back to the days of grade school. Can you remember one or two peers (probably male) who were a bit different from the other children? Maybe they exhibited some of the following ‘strange’ behaviors:

• They always stood too close to you
• They constantly wiggled and rocked while sitting at their desks
• They made odd, distracting noises
• They never looked anyone in the eye
• They never raised their hands
• They never seemed to have any friends
• They talked on and on about favorite subjects
• They waved their hands and knew all the answers
• They were noisier than the others
• They were often teased, chased, shoved, tripped, called names and bullied

Do you remember anybody like that? These kids probably had Asperger's (AS) or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), but no one knew much about it then. To help make sense of the disorder, we will need to look at the deficits associated with it.

Here are the three core deficits:

1. Theory of mind deficit: an inability to recognize that other people have thoughts, feelings and intentions that are different to one's own, and an inability to intuitively guess what these might be.

WHAT IS A THEORY OF MIND?

A theory of mind is the cognitive or 'mind reading' process, or ability that we all individually have in order to make sense of the world we live in. Every individual's thoughts, knowledge, beliefs and desires make up his own unique theory of mind. From the age of around 4 years, kids understand that other people have thoughts, knowledge, beliefs and desires that will influence their behavior. However, children with HFA and AS appear to have some difficulties conceptualizing and appreciating the thoughts and feelings of others. It is this 'mind-blindness' that may impair Aspergers children to be able to relate to and understand the behaviors of others. Mind-blindness also means the child has difficulty in distinguishing whether someone's actions are intentional or accidental.

Theory of Mind establishes that children on the spectrum have difficulty considering the perspective of others, such as their emotions, motives and intents. By failing to account for other’s perspectives, children with the disorder tend to misinterpret their messages. They also tend to talk at length about their own topic of interest because of their difficulty monitoring and responding to the social cues/social needs of others. Many of the social skill deficits observed in children on the autism spectrum may have their genesis in the lack of ability to decipher subtle meaning from the environment. In other words, these children have a “global processing” deficit.

2. Weak central coherence: an inability to bring together various details from perception to make a meaningful whole.

WHAT IS THE CENTRAL COHERENCE THEORY?

Central coherence is the ability to focus on both details as well as wholes. Children with AS and HFA, however, appear to have a heightened focus on details rather than wholes, a cognitive style termed 'weak central coherence'. This is the reason why some of these "special needs" kids have hypersensitive sensory perceptions. This inability to understand ‘wholes’ resides in the frontal cortex of the brain, which in turn also explains theory of mind deficits. The inability to hold information in mind in order to use it later in other tasks is what causes the child to lack central coherence.

Central Coherence Theory speaks to the fact that most children on the autism spectrum are weak in their ability to conceptualize whole chunks of information; they demonstrate a preference for attending to details and relying on their rote memories to make sense of the ever-changing world around them. A lack of cognitive central coherence, or gestalt processing, can easily cause the child to miss the importance of the subtle cues that create meaning in a social context including the difficulty of intuitively understanding the main idea of a conversation or a passage in literature.

3. Executive dysfunction: impairment or deficits in the higher-order processes that enable us to plan, sequence, initiate, and sustain our behavior towards some goal, incorporating feedback and making adjustments along the way.

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?

Executive function can be defined as the way in which people monitor and control their thoughts and actions. Executive function is actually a broad category that includes such processes like working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is one aspect of executive function that is particularly relevant to language development. Inhibitory control is the ability to restrain (or inhibit) potentially interfering responses and to self-regulate in certain situations. If we break down the skills or functions into sub-functions, we might say that executive functions tap into the following abilities or skills:

1. Goal

2. Plan

3. Sequence

4. Prioritize

5. Organize

6. Initiate

7. Inhibit

8. Pace

9. Shift

10. self-monitor

11. Emotional control

12. Completing

Executive Dysfunction acknowledges that children on the autistic spectrum are weak in their ability to orchestrate tasks towards a desired outcome. Executive functioning does not have one definition agreed on by researchers, however, it is generally considered to describe the set of skills an executive would need to stay on top of his/her job (e.g., planning, organizing, prioritizing, multi-tasking, etc.). Executive dysfunction may make it difficult to maintain a topic in a conversation as the AS or HFA child has difficulty maintaining a sense of order in his spoken messages often producing tangential responses. She may also have difficulty with the organization of written expression or independently planning to complete class assignments.

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS—

1. A child with the disorder often gets "stuck" and has difficulty moving from one activity to another. He may need to be coached through the transition, and if a typical day is loaded with lots of transitions, the child faces increased anxiety. Some possible strategies a teacher, paraprofessional, or parent can use includes: visual schedules, role-playing, or preparing the child by discussing upcoming activities.

2. These children are often distracted by something in the environment that they cannot control (e.g., the tic of a clock, a breeze from an open window, the smell of food from the cafeteria, the bright sunshine pouring through the windows). This sensory overload may overwhelm them, so focusing can be difficult and frustration can occur. Thus, making the environment less distracting (when possible) can be very helpful to the child.

3. These children are visual learners. Much of the information presented in classrooms is oral, and often children on the spectrum have difficulty with processing language. Often they cannot take in oral language quickly, and presenting information visually may be more helpful.

4. Assess the child's current skills and needs in order to be able to develop the most appropriate intervention plan.

5. Be aware of any possible distractions that will affect the child's performance (e.g., whether acoustic, visual, physical etc.).

6. Follow the activities in a consistent manner in order to limit any possible confusion or distress.

7. Keep instructions simple and clear.

8. Many children on the spectrum are "hands-on" learners.

9. Provide the child tasks that she finds easy and enjoyable, and then to gradually work on increasing the level of those tasks.

10. Remember that each child with the disorder is unique, and strategies that have worked with other children in the past may not work effectively with the AS or HFA child since he perceives the world in a unique way and sometimes reacts to the environment in unpredictable ways.

11. Remember the child on the autism spectrum may experience difficulty with communication, especially nonverbal communication. What appears to the teacher to be behavior illustrating a lack of attention on the part of the child may not be that at all. In fact, the AS or HFA child who is doodling or staring off may actually be trying to focus him or herself through the act of doodling or staring.

12. Remember to keep a structured timetable.

13. Sometimes children on the spectrum focus all their attention on a particular object or subject; therefore, they fail to focus on what information the instructor is presenting. All their energy is directed toward a particular subject or object. To overcome this problem, the parent or teacher can try to establish some connection between the object or subject of interest and the area of study.

14. Take time to evaluate the classroom in terms of sensory stimulation and how the environment affects the child with the disorder. Perhaps some modifications can be made, or the child can be taught some coping skills that are not disruptive to classmates (e.g., squeezing a squishy ball).

15. The AS or HFA child experiences difficulty with eye contact. Limited eye contact is a part of the disability. Don't demand the child to look you in the eye as you are talking to him.  


More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:

==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's

==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance

==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook

==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book

==> Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

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The Learning Style of Students on the Autism Spectrum

"As a teacher with three high functioning autistic students in my class, I would like to know the best way to approach different subjects in a way that will work best for them. Thanks in advance."

Students with Aspergers (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) exhibit difficulty in appropriately processing in-coming information. Their brain's ability to take in, store, and use information is significantly different than neuro-typically developing kids. This results in a somewhat unusual perspective of the world. Thus, teaching strategies for these students will need to be different than strategies used for students without the disorder.

AS and HFA students typically exhibit strengths in their visual processing skills, with significant weaknesses in their ability to process information via auditory means. Thus, use of visual methods of teaching, as well as visual support strategies, should always be incorporated to help the student better understand his/her environment.

The young people are visual learners. Visual learners are those children who find it easiest and most effective to take in information through the visual medium.

Visual learners learn well using formats such as:

• following visual cues and landmarks during a journey or task
• "imagining" what something looks like so they can remember it
• looking at photos or images on a screen
• looking at whole words printed on a page
• using visual recall as a learning strategy
• viewing themselves performing a task or activity via filming and subsequent play back on a video camera
• watching a video or DVD
• watching someone else perform a task or activity

 ==> The Complete Guide to Teaching Students with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

 

As a tip for educators, it is handy to get an understanding of how your children learn best, and tailor your teaching strategies for visual learners to include some of the above approaches. This will ensure visual learners are given information in a way which suits their preferences, but also helps them build other learning style skills. Remember it is not possible to learn everything in life (and particularly in an English language class!) through a visual teaching strategy.

Turn offs for visual learners—

Visual learners often don't do so well with strategies such as:

• copying the phonetic sounds made by a teacher
• following verbal instructions, especially those which are complex or involve multiple steps
• hearing a teacher say a word and then repeating it
• listening to a tape of a voice or recording
• using computer programs which involve an extensive verbal or audio component without corresponding visuals

Many of these strategies are better suited to children who are more skilled at auditory processing of information. Visual learners need a reasonable amount of visual input, so a useful teaching tip is to make sure each lesson includes a visual component to meet the needs of visual learners, even when teaching a strongly auditory task such as language learning.

How to cater to visual learners—

Learning a language is a highly verbal, auditory task. Working in a visual component is challenging, as one of the key competencies for learning to speak a language well is to be able to hear various sounds and replicate them. But language learning also means making a match between graphic images (graphemes) and the sounds they make (phonemes). This is the key piece of knowledge for educators looking for some language learning tips. This fact applies regardless of what language is being taught, or what sort of learner a child might be.

As a language learning tip, remember that educators can help in a language classroom by:

• helping visual learners by providing a visual cue at the same time as another learning style cue (such as auditory or kinesthetic)
• providing extensive practice and recall opportunities to encourage learners to consolidate their learning into their long term memory, regardless of the learning styles they prefer
• providing visual cues or prompts to aid memory of visual learners
• providing visual learners with displays of information that they can take in as their eyes stroll around the room while you are speaking (posters, displays, language learning tip sheets)
• remembering that any good lesson, regardless of learning styles, includes reminders about what has been covered previously, an outline of upcoming content, and ample revision and practice of skills
• talking to children about learning styles, and making them aware of the different ways that people often prefer to take in information

Remember that although it is important to develop teaching strategies for visual learners, it is also important to consider if a child in your English language class has a problem with other sensory processing skills which could be masking a more significant problem. For example, some children with a central auditory processing disorder may show a strong preference for visual teaching methods when the real issue is the need to remediate and manage their disorder, not just the need to provide a visual teaching approach.

==> The Complete Guide to Teaching Students with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

The Gift of Aspergers

Mrs Primproper talks about how people with Aspergers are great at "systemizing":

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The Early Signs of Autism

Would you have a fairly comprehensive list of the early signs and symptoms of autism?

The signs and symptoms of autism vary widely, as do its effects. Some autistic kids have only mild impairments, while others have more obstacles to overcome. However, every child on the autism spectrum has problems, at least to some degree, in the following three areas:

1. Thinking and behaving flexibly

2. Relating to others and the world around them

3. Communicating verbally and non-verbally

Here is a comprehensive list of the early signs of autism:

1. Abnormal posture, clumsiness, or eccentric ways of moving (e.g., walking exclusively on tiptoe)

2. Appears disinterested or unaware of other people or what’s going on around them

3. Avoids eye contact

4. Doesn’t ask for help or make other basic requests

5. Doesn’t follow objects visually

6. Doesn’t follow the gesture when you point things out

7. Doesn’t imitate your movements and facial expressions

8. Doesn’t initiate or respond to cuddling

9. Doesn’t know how to connect with others, play, or make friends

10. Doesn’t make noises to get your attention

11. Doesn’t pick up on other people’s facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures

12. Doesn’t play "pretend" games, engage in group games, imitate others, or use toys in creative ways

13. Doesn’t play with other people or share interest and enjoyment

14. Doesn’t reach out to be picked up

15. Doesn’t seem to hear when others talk to him or her

16. Doesn’t understand simple directions, statements, or questions

17. Doesn't point or wave goodbye or use other gestures to communicate

18. Doesn't respond to his or her name or to the sound of a familiar voice

19. Doesn't share interests or achievements with others (drawings, toys)

20. Doesn't smile when smiled at

21. Follows a rigid routine (e.g., insists on taking a specific route to school)

22. Has difficulty adapting to any changes in schedule or environment (e.g., throws a tantrum if the furniture is rearranged or bedtime is at a different time than usual)

23. Has difficulty communicating needs or desires

24. Has trouble understanding or talking about feelings

25. Makes very few gestures (e.g., pointing)

26. May be especially sensitive to loud noises

27. May come across as cold or “robot-like”

28. Misses undertones of humor, irony, and sarcasm

29. Obsessively lines things up or arranges them in a certain order

30. Prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled

31. Preoccupation with a narrow topic of interest often involving numbers or symbols (e.g., memorizing and reciting facts about maps, train schedules, or sports statistics)

32. Reacts unusually to sights, smells, textures, and sounds

33. Refers to themselves in the third person

34. Repeats the same words or phrases over and over

35. Responds to a question by repeating it, rather than answering it

36. Speaks in an abnormal tone of voice, or with an odd rhythm or pitch (e.g., ends every sentence as if asking a question)

37. Spends long periods of time arranging toys in specific ways, watching moving objects such as a ceiling fan, or focusing on one specific part of an object such as the wheels of a toy car

38. Takes what is said too literally

39. Unusual attachments to toys or strange objects (e.g., keys, light switches, or rubber bands)

40. Uses facial expressions that don't match what he or she is saying

41. Uses language incorrectly (e.g., grammatical errors, wrong words)

42. Repeats the same actions or movements over and over again (e.g., flapping hands, rocking, or twirling, other self-stimulatory behavior called “stimming”)

Common self-stimulatory (stimming) behaviors include:

1. Finger flicking

2. Flicking light switches on and off

3. Hand flapping

4. Head banging

5. Lining up toys

6. Moving fingers in front of the eyes

7. Repeating words or noises

8. Rocking back and forth

9. Scratching

10. Snapping fingers

11. Spinning in a circle

12. Spinning objects

13. Staring at lights

14. Tapping ears

15. Watching moving objects

16. Wheel spinning

If you have observed any of these red flags for autism, schedule an appointment with your doctor right away. Actually, it’s a good idea to have your child screened even if he or she is hitting the developmental milestones on schedule.

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