Counseling Students with Asperger’s Syndrome

Counseling Students with Asperger’s Syndrome Presented by: Kathy Stangel, M.A.Ed. Oak Lawn Hometown District 123 Counseling Graduate Student, Governors State University kstangel@d123.org History and Statistics • First described and named by Leo Kanner in 1944, the mysterious disability of autism is characterized by a peculiar emotional intellectual detachment from other people and the common human world. • Although symptoms vary in nature and severity, language and the capacity for a normal social life are always seriously affected. • Two to four out of 10,000 children are autistic, 75% of them are boys. (Courtesy Curt Warner Autism Campaign - www.cwautism.com) • Linked to biological or neurological differences in the brain. • In many families, there appears to be a pattern of autism-which suggests there is a genetic base to the disorder - although at this time there has been no gene linked to autism. • NOT a mental illness; NOT caused by bad parenting; and children with autism are NOT unruly kids who chose not to behave. • Usually comorbid with ADHD, SpeechLanguage disorder, or Tourette’s disorder. Social Characteristics • Prefers to spend time alone rather than with others. • Little or no interest in making friends. • Low response to social cues: teacher “looks” of disappointment, verbal tones, eye contact, smile. • Short attention span. • Lack of spontaneous or imaginative play. • Does not initiate pretend play. • Tantrums for no apparent reason • Obsessive interest in single item, idea, activity. • Difficulty mixing with other children • Have inappropriate laughing and giggling, or show little or no eye contact - school personnel should not take this personally. • Resist changes to routine. If a session with an Autistic child is changed, it may cause a breakdown or tantrum. Keeping consistent schedules will help maintain the “peace”. • Echolalia (repeating words or phrases in place of normal language). • Inappropriate attachment to objects. • Limited response to peer pressure. • Unaware of the codes of social conduct (close talker). • Special interests that dominate person’s time and conversation. Cognitive Ability • • • • • Encyclopedic memory. Tactile sensitivity. Visual learning style. Preference for routines. Limited flexibility in thinking. Building Friendship Skills • • • • Level 1: Pre-school to 6 years Level 2: Ages 6 – 9 Level 3: Ages 9 – 13 Level 4: Adolescence to Adult (Tony Attwood, 2001) • Social Stories Level 1: Pre-school – 6 years • Recognition of turn taking • Proximity and physical attributes • Why is ______ your friend? (“I like him” “He lives next door”) • Observing natural play of child’s peers. • Inclusion with other children who can modify their play to accommodate the child. Level 2: Ages 6 - 9 • Reciprocity and being fair. • Like the same activities. • Aware of the preferences, feelings and thoughts of the other person. • Why is ____ your friend? (“She comes to my party and I go to hers” “She’s nice to me”) Level 3: Ages 9 - 13 • Aware of other’s opinion of them and how their words and actions affect the feelings of others. • Shared experiences and interests. • Greater selectivity and durability. • Gender split. • Trust, loyalty and keeping promises. Level 4: Adolescences to Adult • Peer group acceptance more important that the opinion of parents. • Desire to be understood by friends. • Different types of friendship. • “He/she accepts me for who I am” • “We think the same way about things” • Most complaints from Asperger’s – no one accepted me for who I was, they wanted me to be just like them. Social Stories (developed by Carol Gray) • Using student’s above average skills in reading comprehension and visualizing. • Describe what most of us dismiss as obvious. • Social stories can be used for basic skills (i.e. brushing teeth, hygiene) to visits to the doctor or making friends. • Basing stories on individual student’s needs. Guidelines to Writing Social Stories Write: • In first person. • In present or future (upcoming event) tense. • As though student is describing the event to others. • At student’s level of comprehension. • In a positive manner. Guidelines to Writing Social Stories Use “Wh” questions: • • • • • • WHO is present. WHAT they are doing. WHERE the situation occurs. WHEN it occurs. WHY Use directive in HOW to respond (i.e., I can try, I will try, I will work on, etc.). Guidelines to Writing Social Stories • Watch for literal interpretations • Be specific • Use the words “usually” and “sometimes” (especially when describing other people’s behavior). • Mention variations in routine. • Provide visual, concrete information. Layout of a Social Story • Keep in binder or spiral notebook. • A few sentences per page. • One aspect or one step of a social situation per page. Sample story: (When someone changes their mind) Sometimes a person says, “I changed my mind.” This means they had one idea, but now they have a new idea. There are many situations where a person may say, “I changed my mind.” I will work on staying calm when someone changes their mind. It is important to try and stay calm. This keeps everyone safe. Presentation of Social Stories • • • • • • Read new one first thing in the morning. Read before the event. Review new story daily (at least) for 1-2 weeks. Revise as needed. Write a new story after 1-2 weeks. Don’t forget to insert stories about successes. Key Words in Social Stories (words to use and teach students) • • • • • • • • • Know Guess Learn Decide Topic Idea Wonder Understand Sometimes • • • • • • • • • Suppose Confuse Expect Hope Anticipate Opinion Forget Believe Usually Fun Asperger’s Quotes References