Liane Holliday Willey - Pretending to be Normal

• Try to help the AS person avoid the kinds of pitfalls that will send them reeling with confusion and consequent dismay. Help them avoid situations that will tax their sensory sensitivities; encourage them to turn their hobbies and interests into both therapeutic and career opportunities; be prepared to help them organize their home lives by assisting them with any number of things such as shopping, housekeeping, child rearing practices, day-to-day chores and responsibilities, wardrobe selections, and society’s expectations.

• Find direct ways to reassure them of your affection and friendship. Share their hobbies, follow their interests, tell them you like listening to their stories, laugh at their jokes, go places with them, in short — enjoy them just like you enjoy other important people in your life.

• Do not condescend or patronize. AS people are not stupid, they are not without wits. They simply view the world through different windows. Try to see the world as they do, and you will likely come away refreshed and renewed.

• Keep in mind that many AS people lack organizational skills, therefore do not be surprised when they forget assignment due dates, homework, classroom materials, etc. Be as flexible as you possibly can. Try to assist the student by giving him or her visual reminders such as a picture of all the things that should be brought to class each day, a calendar with assignment dates highlighted and marked in bold ink, and notes on brightly colored paper that serve as memos and reminders for the day, week or month. Establish a peer mentor who can be responsible for calling the AS student with reminders and hints on what to bring to class and how to prepare for assignments. And send important notes and dates home to family members who can also make reminder calls.

• Remember that people with AS have problems with abstract and conceptual thinking. Use very concrete examples and explanations, and literal and direct word meanings when you are explaining thoughts that involve high levels of problem solving skills. Suggest tutoring services, if you feel they are necessary, and be certain the student has taken all the prerequisite courses they need before they enter your class. Skipping courses simply to accommodate a class schedule is a terrible idea for the AS person. They need as much background building material as possible.

• Note that odd behaviors can often come as a result of stress. If you see your AS student becoming noticeably upset or engaging in self calming rituals, ask them in private if they might not like to take a few moments away from the classroom to relax or if they need a session with a guidance counselor.

• Be prepared to hear some different kinds of discussions and questions from your AS student. Realize they are not intentionally trying to goad you or act out rude behavior. Know that weak social skills and an honest misunderstanding of the language or logic you might be using could very likely be at the root of these kinds of situations.

• Avoid idioms, words with double meanings, sarcasm and subtle humor.

• Know the AS person probably has difficulty reading non-verbal messages. Do not rely solely on these to convey your messages.

• Try to use plenty of visual aids, allow the student to use tape recorders, be flexible in peer assignment requirements and classroom presentation expectations.

• Keep changes in routine and class structure to a minimum.

• Help the student find a seat in the class that will keep visual and auditory distractions to a minimum.

• Always keep in mind that what AS people might lack in terms of social skills or flexibility can be more than compensated for through their tremendous sense of loyalty, dedication, strong knowledge base and solid capabilities.

• Guide the AS employee to a job that matches their interests knowing that this can be a very strong motivating factor which works to help the AS person make incredible strides and accomplishments in that very field.

• Encourage jobs that require few social skills and little socializing. Capitalize on the fact that many AS people might reach success in areas that other persons would normally find too lonely or isolated.

• Assign freelance projects that can be completed at home where the AS person might feel far more comfortable and therefore far more able to really concentrate on doing an excellent job.

• Take advantage of a typical AS characteristic — a desire for routine and repetition. Help the AS person find jobs that follow a pattern and are predictable. This will do quite a lot to prevent stress and anxiety which could interfere with high productivity.

• Prepare the AS person in advance before making changes in job expectations or responsibilities, office relocations, schedule changes and staff shifts. Again, stress and anxiety will be reduced if change is kept to a minimum or, at least, gradually made.

• Use a mentoring system. Let an empathetic co-worker who has ideally been educated about AS assist the AS employee with such things as group projects, informal and formal presentations, following and understanding company rules and expectations, maintaining composure and professionalism in social situations (though contact with customers and clients should probably be kept to a minimum unless the AS person is well trained in how to handle themselves in such situations) and even in finding their way around the physical environment of the company.

• Ask the AS person what she or he needs in terms of environmental considerations. For example, specific lighting and acceptable noise level requirements.

Each of these groups is committed to Asperger’s Syndrome and other related developmental disorders. Those on-line typically offer additional links for further study.

American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

4720 Montgomery Lane

Bethesda, MD

20814-3425

Telephone: 1-301-652-2682

Fax: 1-301-652-7711

http://www.aota.org/index.html

The ASPEN Society of America, Inc. (Asperger Syndrome Education Network)

P.O. Box 2577

Jacksonville, FL

32203-2577

Telephone: 1-904-745-6741

http://www.asperger.org/

Asperger’s Syndrome Support Network, associated with the Autistic Family Support Association, Victoria, Australia

Asperger’s Syndrome Support Network

C/O VACCA

PO Box 235

Ashburton Victoria 3147

Australia

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~autism/assn/asperger.htm

The Autism Society of America

7910 Woodmont Ave

Suite 650

Bethesda, MD

20814-3015

Telephone: 1-800-3-AUTISM

Fax: 1-301-657-0869

http://www.autism-society.org/asa_home.html

The National Autistic Society

393 City Road

London EC IV 1NE

Telephone: 0171 833 2299

Registered charity no. 269425

Email: nas@mailbox.ulcc.ac.uk

O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support)

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

Sensory Integration International (SII)

The Ayres Clinic

Telephone 1-310-320-2335

Sensory Integration Resource Center

http://www.sinetwork.org/index.htm

These books are among those I routinely see recommended by parents, researchers and individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals