Note: I'm not an expert on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. This blog is about my learning in and outside of my graduate studies. I just love to share what I'm learning along the way. If you want to learn more about Autism and AS, please read books and articles yourself. However, the best bet is to learn from the professionals and adult Aspies. If any Aspies are reading this, I know I might have grammar mistakes. English is my second language and I grew up without the proper language support I need to master the English language. However, it's important for regular people to read my blog entries as is because it shows I'm human and how I write is my written voice. Typical people don't like to read text that is too perfect so it's boring to them generally.
Mayo Clinic definition of Aspergers said, "Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.
Doctors group Asperger's syndrome with other conditions that are called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. These disorders all involve problems with social skills and communication. Asperger's syndrome is generally thought to be at the milder end of this spectrum.
While there's no cure for Asperger's syndrome, if your child has the condition treatment can help him or her learn how to interact more successfully in social situations."
To read a summary about Asperger's Syndrome, how it was named, and other facts, go here. Just as a note, many of the descriptions about AS explains the Aspie boys. There aren't as many Aspie girls but there is a growing understanding about them and how their symptoms are milder forms.
Here's a youclip about female Aspies:
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am reading up on Asperger's Syndrome (AS for short)during my winter break. I want to understand this diagnosis better. I learned that many teens and young adults with Asperger's call their condition as Aspies. Many people who get diagnosed with AS happens in their teens and young adult years since this condition became noticeable in some circles here in America during the year 1991. The last few years, more young children are being diagnosed with AS so it means they get earlier treatment so they can socialized better like typical people do. Read my first blog on AS here. Yes, the kindergarten boy is the first child I met who has AS. He is teaching me a lot about his unique perspectives. I don't get to spend too much time with him since I'm not his main after school leader. By the way, a few years ago, I had a chance to work about four months with a young child with high functioning autism. That's another story I won't get into now. I might have to write a blog entry on autism one of these days.
Asperger's Syndrome VS. Autism
Generally, both conditions have two things in common, these people struggle with communication and social skills. There are three areas we will look at to understand the differences between AS and Autism; they are speech, cognitive skills, and social skills and communication.
1. Speech
Aspies don't usually have speech delays or interruptions or loss of speech. Each Aspie child's speech and language development varies like typical children. We don't always start talking at the same age or acquire language the same way. By the way, my first language was Cantonese. I didn't start talking until I was about 3 years old. In my toddler years, I only knew how to say, "Mama."
At a young age, some Aspie children acquire higher language skills like an adult; however, they won't be able to share their wants and needs. For example, this child may know a lot about trains, but he or she can't decide what to eat for lunch. There are other concerns about speech development as in, "unusual speech patterns and talking in am onotone or sing-song manner...[he or she] might also have difficulty with pragmatics, understanding abstract and social uses of language" (p. 6-7).
2. Cognitive Skills
Children with AS usually don't have delays with cognitive (thinking and processing) skills development but children with Autism might have cognitive development delays. Here are three specific areas that an autistic child have difficulties:
a)"Visuospatial coherence: The ability to see an object as separate parts and then put those parts together such as buttoning a shirt or making a bed"(p. 7).
b) "False-belief understanding: The ability to infer what other people believe tend think and then predict behavior" (p.7). For example, a child may take your cup and placed it somewhere else. Generally, a typical child will know that you don't know where the cup went. However, the child with underdeveloped false-belief understanding will think you know where the cup is located since he knows where its location. This usually occurs after age 2.
c)"Executive functioning:Using cognitive abilities to carry out daily tasks such as planning, organization, keeping tack of time, multitasking, recalling past events and relating them to the current situation, chanting plans when needed and interacting with a group of people" (p.8)
3. Social Skills and Communication:
Both conditions do share issues with social skills and communication. Here are the details in how Apies are in social situations and using communication skills with others:
*They are interesting in developing social bonds but they need help with learning social skills such as looking someone in the eye (such an American behavior), recognizing facial expressions, and participating in a conversation.
*Some Aspies may be considered "odd" or socially inept. Sometimes some typical people may say that some Aspies as socially arkward or introverted or chatterboxes (people who talk too much without considering your audience).
Here's a youtube clip from a high functioning autistic man explaining differences between high functioning autism (HFA) and AS:
Source: I got the info between Autism and AS from this book called The Essential Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Eileen Bailey and Robert W. Montgomery, PhD. This is basically AS 101 to help you understand young children to young adults with AS especially a whole chapter on Aspie girls and women. Yes, this is a parenting book but I find many useful info from parenting books. Is it weird for a childless Single person like me to do this? I don't really care. I just love to read and sometimes I read for information for my life or my life's work. In addition, reading parenting books do give me a glimpse what's like for parents dealing with all kinds of children. Why does society judge parents so harshly?
Another book to check out is called Quirky, Yes--Hopeless, No: Practical Tips to Help Your Child with Asperger's Syndrome Be More Socially Accepted by Cynthia La Brie Norall, Ph.D. This is a fascinating book. So many good tips. I might even use some of these strategies on my K-1 typical students. I'm always finding better ways for me to communicate with children and strategies to help them succeed with problem solving, social problems and other life skills.
There are many books out there including ones written by Aspies. I just don't have time to read everything. I have two books on friendships checked out from the library. Maybe I'll gleam some useful info to use with my K-1 students.
No comments:
Post a Comment