Effective Academic Accommodations for Students with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism

The vast majority of students with Asperger’s (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA) receive their educational experiences predominantly in general education classrooms. Thus, general education teachers are primarily responsible for the education of these “special needs” students, although frequently with the support of special education teachers.

In many ways, students diagnosed with AS and HFA are well qualified to benefit from general classroom experiences. They typically have average to above average intellectual abilities, are motivated to be with their fellow classmates, and have good rote memory skills and other assets that bode well for their educational success. However, all too frequently, these young people have significant problems in academic performance, and some have learning disabilities. The reasons for these problems often are related to the social and communication deficits connected to AS and HFA.

==> Teaching Students with Aspergers and HFA

In addition to social and communication deficits, students on the autism spectrum exhibit:

• concrete and literal thinking styles
• difficulty applying skills and knowledge to solve problems 
• difficulty attending to salient curricular cues
• difficulty in comprehending abstract materials (e.g., metaphors, idioms)
• difficulty in discerning relevant from irrelevant stimuli
• difficulty understanding inferentially-based materials
• inflexibility
• obsessive and narrowly defined interests
• poor organizational skills
• poor problem-solving skills
• problems with generalizing knowledge and skills

These challenges make it difficult for them to benefit from general education curricula and instructional systems without support and accommodations. But, with suitable support, most of these “special needs” students can be successful in school, and many are able to attend college and enjoy a variety of successful careers.

Studies of academic achievement in AS and HFA students reveal the following:

• in spite of being highly verbal, there are significant difficulties in understanding the orally-presented messages of others and arriving at logical solutions to routine and real-life problems
• mathematics scores are low, especially in solving equations and answering mathematical calculation problems
• mean academic achievement scores are within the average range
• strengths tend to be in comprehension of factual material, and in the areas of oral expression and reading recognition 
• there are significant difficulties in the areas of problem-solving and language-based critical thinking
• there is a relative weakness in comprehending verbally presented information
• written language scores are significantly lower than oral expression scores

Many teachers fail to recognize the special academic needs of young people on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, because they often give the impression that they understand more than they do. Thus, their ability to word-call without having the higher-order thinking and comprehension skills to understand what they read, parrot-like responses, pedantic style, and seemingly advanced vocabulary may actually mask the deficits of these students.

Academic modifications essential for AS and HFA students are those that increase structure and predictability and also address their multifaceted needs. Specifically, these accommodations take into account some of the manifestations that are like learning disabilities and gifted-like traits that are evident in this population. Appropriate modifications, include:

1.  priming
2.  classroom assignment modifications
3.  notetaking
4.  graphic organizers
5.  enrichment
6.  homework

We will look at each of these in turn:

1.    Priming—

Priming was developed to:

• bring predictability to new tasks and thereby reduce stress and anxiety
• familiarize AS and HFA students with academic material prior to its use in school
• increase their academic success

The actual materials that are used in a lesson are shown to the student the day, the evening, or even the morning before the activity is to take place. Priming also may occur just prior to an activity. A parent, resource teacher, or trusted peer can serve as a primer.

It is generally recommended that the actual teaching materials be used in priming. However, in some cases, priming can consist of introducing an upcoming task using a list or a description of the activities, not the actual materials. Priming is most effective when it is built into the student's routine. It should be done in an environment that is relaxing and should be facilitated by a primer who is both patient and encouraging. Finally, priming sessions should be short, providing a brief overview of the day's tasks in 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Classroom Assignment Modifications—

The amount of reading the student with AS or HFA is expected to complete should be evaluated. Students on the autism spectrum who sometimes read slowly and can’t discern relevant from irrelevant information spend an inordinate amount of time concentrating on facts that will not be tested and are considered unimportant. Highlighted texts and study guides help these young people maximize their reading time. Teachers also should consider identifying the information the student is responsible to learn for an upcoming assignment or test.

Handwriting is a concern for many students with AS and HFA. Thus, teachers should offer these students several ways to demonstrate mastery, for example:

• using the computer instead of a pen or pencil
• giving verbal responses instead of written essays
• creating a project rather than writing a report
• completing a multiple-choice rather than a short-answer test

==> Teaching Students with Aspergers and HFA

3. Note-taking—

Many students with AS and HFA have difficulty taking notes in class. Often, motor problems prevent them from getting important content onto paper. Also, some of these students have difficulty listening and writing at the same time. Depending on the amount of assistance they need, the teacher can provide for the student:

• the opportunity to use outlining software
• a skeletal outline that he or she can use to fill in details
• a peer-constructed outline
• a complete outline including the main idea and supporting details

4. Graphic Organizers—

Graphic organizers highlight important concepts and display the relationship between them. They provide abstract or implicit information in a concrete manner. Graphic organizers can be used before, during, or after AS/HFA students read a selection, either as an advanced organizer or as a measure of concept attainment.

Three commonly used graphic organizers are semantic maps, analogy graphic organizers, and timelines. The focal point of the semantic map is the key word or concept enclosed in a geometric figure (e.g., circle or square) or in a pictorial representation of the word or concept. Lines or arrows connect this central shape to other shapes. Words or information related to the central concept are written on the connecting lines or in the other shapes. As the map expands, the words become more specific and detailed. For AS and HFA students who are younger or who require additional cues, semantic maps can use pictures for the key words or concepts.

An analogy graphic organizer contains two concepts and their attributes. The teacher and student define how the two concepts are alike and how they differ, then draw a conclusion. Often the teacher has to assist the student in identifying attributes by presenting choices (either written or pictorial) from which he or she can select. This task can be completed individually, in small groups, or with an entire class.

Timelines provide benchmarks for completing tasks and thereby aid AS and HFA students in budgeting their time. Timelines consist of a list of steps needed to complete the task with affiliated due dates. This visual representation enables the student and teacher to monitor progress toward project completion. Ideally, teachers enlist the aid of moms and dads in developing and monitoring timelines to ensure student follow-through at home.

5. Enrichment—

Research has shown that a greater percentage of students with AS and HFA have IQs in the superior range than is found in the general population. Thus, these young people benefit from enrichment activities because they already have mastered age-appropriate academic content. Enrichment activities can consist of having them learn the same content in much more depth and detail than their “typical” peers, or introducing new topics that usually are presented to older students.

6. Homework—

Teachers and moms and dads should work together to determine whether homework should be assigned, and if so, how much. Because students with AS and HFA need structure, it is often best for the teacher to assign tasks that they can complete in the structured school environment.

If homework is assigned, an assignment notebook and a parent-teacher communication system will help moms and dads monitor their youngster's homework. In some cases, parents may have to model the task for their child, so teachers should ensure that the moms and dads understand their youngster's homework. To facilitate home-school communication, some schools have established a "homework line" that students and parents can call to hear an overview of assigned work. This system is ideal for students on the spectrum.

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

Launching Adult Children with Asperger's: Parenting Ebook with Audio Instruction & Parent Coaching

A guide for parents who want to promote self-reliance in their older teens and adult children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism. 

==> Launching Adult Children With Aspergers: How To Promote Self-Reliance

Behavioral, Emotional and Cognitive Traits of Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Based on the challenges that Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) present, it’s no surprise that kids and teens diagnosed with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) often have behavioral and emotional problems. These challenges are most often connected to social deficits associated with the disorder (e.g., when the youngster fails to take his turn in a playground game because he doesn't understand the social rules of an activity).

These challenges frequently involve feelings of stress, loss of control, or the inability to predict outcomes. Therefore, children with AS and HFA typically have behavior problems connected to their inability to function in a world they see as unpredictable and threatening. As a result, they may behave in ways that appear mean-spirited or malicious. But, this is an unfair assessment. While these “special needs” children do have behavioral difficulties, their problems are most often associated with their social ineptness, an obsessive interest in a particular topic, sensory sensitivities, and a defensive panic reaction (just to name a few).

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

The symptoms of AS and HFA can vary greatly from child to child depending on the severity of the disorder. Symptoms may even go unrecognized for younger kids who have mild or less debilitating deficits. Indicators that require evaluation by an ASD professional include:

• abnormally intense or focused interest
• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• clumsy, un-coordinated movements
• excessive lining up of toys or objects
• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• impaired ability to make friends with peers
• inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals
• lack of empathy
• naïve, inappropriate, or one-sided social interactions
• no smiling or social responsiveness
• odd postures
• poor eye contact
• poor non-verbal communication
• preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• repetitive or unusual use of language

For many young people with AS and HFA, symptoms improve with age and behavioral treatment. During the teenage years, some young people on the autism spectrum may become depressed or experience behavioral problems, and their treatment may need some modification as they transition to adulthood. Some young adults on the spectrum continue to need services and supports as they get older, but depending on severity of the disorder, they may be able to work successfully and live independently or within a supportive environment.

A defining feature of AS and HFA is that children with the disorder generally experience normal intellectual and language development. However, given the diagnostic importance of this variable, surprisingly little is known about the cognitive abilities of these children. Some researchers have reported an uneven cognitive profile pattern on individualized IQ tests (e.g., Wechsler intelligence scales) in children with HFA, including a significantly higher Performance IQ when compared to Verbal IQ scores.

Subjects with HFA specifically obtained their highest scores on the Block Design subtest and their lowest scores on the Comprehension subtest of the Wechsler scales. Based on their Block Design performance, some have inferred that children with AS and HFA have relative strength on nonverbal concept-formation tasks, specifically those that require perceptual organization, spatial visualization, abstract conceptualization, and general intelligence. On the other hand, relatively poor performance has been reported in areas requiring an understanding of social mores and interpersonal situations, social judgment, common sense, and grasp of social conventionality.



In one of the few studies of cognitive abilities of kids and teens with AS, researchers assessed the cognitive profiles of 37 subjects, as measured by the Wechsler scales. The scores generally fell within the average range of abilities, although the IQs ranged from intellectually deficient to superior. The Verbal IQ and Performance IQ scores showed no significant differences.

Consistent with the findings of other studies, the study did reveal relatively high Block Design subtest scores. These findings suggest generally strong nonverbal reasoning ability and visual-motor spatial integration skill. The Coding subtest revealed relatively low scores, suggesting that many of the subjects had visual-motor coordination difficulties, were distractible, were disinterested in school-related tasks, and had visual memory weakness. The children also obtained relatively low scores on the Comprehension subtest, suggesting poor social judgment. However, this and other studies on this topic have generally failed to identify a specific cognitive profile for children diagnosed with AS and HFA.

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

Even though there are a number of deficits associated with AS and HFA, there are numerous positives as well. For example, most children and teens of the autism spectrum:

• pay attention to detail, sometimes with painstaking perfection
• are not very concerned about their external appearance in comparison to their “typical” peers, worrying less concerning hairstyles, brand names as well as other expensive and unimportant externals that most people worry about
• have the ability to focus on tasks for a long period of time without needing supervision or incentive  
• are not restricted to any social expectations that they have to meet
• have a higher “fluid intelligence” (i.e., the ability to find meaning in confusion, solve new problems, and draw inferences and understand the relationships of various concepts, independent of acquired knowledge) than “typical” kids
• usually have a higher than average general IQ 
• are honest to a fault 
• rarely judge other people based on who is smarter, richer or fatter
• are independent and unique thinkers
• have strong rote skills (i.e., able to memorize large amounts of information)
• are internally motivated (as opposed to being motivated by praise, money, acceptance, etc.) 
• usually see through surface appearances so as to find out the other person’s real character
• are more logical than emotional, spending a lot of time “computing” in their minds
• are visual, three-dimensional thinkers, which lends itself to countless creative applications

In addition, young people with AS and HFA are often precocious in speaking and reading and tend to use sophisticated or formal language. Also, they are often passionately devoted to – and eager to expound on – topics of particular interest to them.

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

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

You May Have Asperger's or High-Functioning Autism

Do you think you may have Aspergers? Let's see... For you, are the following statements TRUE or FALSE?

Social Characteristics of Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

High-Functioning Autism (HFA), formerly “Asperger Syndrome,” is first and foremost a social disorder. Children with HFA are not only socially isolated, but also demonstrate an abnormal type of social interaction that can’t be explained by other factors (e.g., shyness, short attention span, aggressive behavior, lack of experience in a given area, etc.).

Children with HFA are notable for their lack of motivation to interact with others. However, their social difficulties frequently stem from an incompetence and lack of knowledge and skill in initiating and responding in various situations and under variable conditions. For example, an adolescent with HFA may appear odd because of his continuous insistence on sharing with peers an obsessive interest in space craft, despite their displays of apathy for this topic.

The fact that social difficulties of young people with HFA range from social withdrawal and detachment to unskilled social activeness is well documented. Nonetheless, even within this broad range, these kids are thought to be socially stiff, socially awkward, emotionally blunted, self-centered, inflexible, and have difficulty in understanding nonverbal social cues.

Preliminary evidence suggests that children with HFA may be able to infer the meaning of facial expressions as well as match events with facial expression. But, the difficulty arises when dealing with the simultaneous presentation of facial, voice, body, and situational cues. Thus, even when HFA kids and adolescents actively try to seek out others, they encounter social isolation because of their lack of understanding of the rules of social behavior (e.g., eye contact, proximity to others, gestures, posture, etc.).

Children with HFA often are able to engage in routine social interactions (e.g., basic greetings) without being able to engage in extended interactions or reciprocal conversations. Parents often describe their HFA children as lacking an awareness of social standards and protocol, lacking common sense, tending to misinterpret subtle social prompts, cues, and unspoken messages, and displaying a variety of socially unaccepted habits and behaviors.

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

Children with HFA also typically display emotional vulnerability and stress. For example, they may become upset if they think others are invading their space or when they are in unpredictable and novel social situations. However, in contrast to “typical” children, many HFA children do not reveal stress through voice tone, overt agitation, and so on. As a result, they may escalate to a point of crisis because of others' unawareness of their excitement or discomfort along with their own inability to predict, control, and manage uncomfortable situations. Also, it is very clear that kids and teens with HFA are relatively easy targets for those who are prone to teasing and bullying others.

While they are known by others for their lack of social awareness, many HFA children are very aware that they are different from their friends and classmates. As a result, problems with self-esteem and self-concept are common. These problems often are particularly significant during the teenage years and young adulthood.

Variable social situations make it difficult for children with HFA to apply social rules in a rigid and consistent way. Social rules vary with circumstances (i.e., there are no inflexible and universal social conventions and rules). This lack of social consistency is especially confusing for kids with HFA. They often painfully discover that interactions that may be tolerated - or even reinforced - in one setting are rejected or punished in others. For instance, one 5th grader with Asperger’s could not understand why his calling Mr. Potts (his teacher) "Mr. Potty" in the restroom was the source of great delight to his classmates, while saying this in the classroom in the presence of Mr. Potts drew a much different response.

Kids and teens with HFA do not acquire greater social awareness and skill merely as a function of age. All young people are required to use increasingly sophisticated social skills and to interpret ever more subtle social nuances as they progress through school. For that reason, children diagnosed with HFA may find themselves more and more in conflict with prevailing social norms as they move through the teenage years and young adulthood. As a result of these requirements and the experiences that follow, these individuals are vulnerable to developing a variety of problems. For example, studies of adolescents diagnosed with HFA indicated that they often experience increased discomfort and anxiety in social situations, along with a continuing inability to effectively interact with friends and classmates.

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

Depression and anxiety may also appear during adolescence. Clinical reports have revealed that adolescents and young adults with HFA seem to be at higher risk for depression than their “typical” peers.

Since one of the most significant problems for children and teens with HFA is difficulty in social interaction, the most important thing parents can do is involve their child in social skills training. As HFA has become more and more common, a sort of industry has grown up around teaching social skills to these “special needs” kids.

Social skills therapists come from a wide range of backgrounds and training (e.g., social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech/language therapists, etc.) and specialize in working with children on the autism spectrum. In recent years, "do it yourself" social skills training strategies (in the form of videos, books, and eBooks) for moms and dads of HFA kids have become available. Social skills training will provide HFA children with the ability to converse, share, play, and work with “typical” peers. In an ideal world, such training will allow these kids to become almost indistinguishable from their non-autistic peers.

The best social skills practitioners are not so much trained as born. They happen to be very talented in their own field, with an innate understanding of how to help children and teens with HFA "get" how others think, feel, and act. Thus, the fact that someone has been trained in a particular social skills method does not necessarily make him or her the perfect therapist. The best way to decide if a therapist is right for you and your youngster is to attend a few sessions.

More resources for parents of children and teens 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

==> 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

==> Do you need the advice of a professional who specializes in parenting children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders?  Sign-up for Online Parent Coaching today.

 
==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism