Zahava Stemp

Research Paper
Aspergers Syndrome
Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician, once said, Not everything that steps
out of line, and thus abnormal, must necessarily be inferior(1933). This quote
rings true about people, not only with Aspergers syndrome, but people with any
type of disability or handicap. In this paper I will examine what Aspergers
syndrome is, how it is diagnosed, and how it influences education, both
academically and socially.
In 1944, Dr. Hans Asperger realized that some of the children who were
referred to his clinic had very similar character traits and behaviors to one another.
Asperger found this group of individuals to be fascinating, but he could not find a
description for them. Asperger observed that the childrens social maturity and
social reasoning were delayed and some aspects of their social abilities were quite
unusual at any stage of development(Attwood, 2007, p. 13). These individuals had
trouble making friends and were impaired in the conversational aspects of language,
both verbal and non-verbal. In addition to this, they had an egocentric
preoccupation with a specific topic or interest that would dominate their thoughts
and time(Attwood, 2007, p. 13). To put it simply, the way to understand Aspergers
syndrome is to think of it as describing someone who perceives and thinks about
the world differently(Attwood, 2007, p. 12). The term Aspergers syndrome, that is
now used to describe the group of people with the tendencies mentioned above, was
not coined until the late twentieth century. Lorna Wing, a renowned British

psychiatrist who specializes in autism spectrum disorders, was the first person to
use the term, in order to offer a new diagnostic classification (Attwood, 2007).
Aspergers syndrome is a type of autism. In 1981, Wing saw a need for a new
diagnostic category when she saw that some children who had the obvious signs of
severe autism in infancy and early childhood could make outstanding progress and
move along the autism continuum as a result of early diagnosis and intensive early
intervention programs (Wing, 1981). Some children who are diagnosed with autism
may develop functional language in early childhood and eventually have a profile of
abilities typical of a child with Aspergers syndrome (Szatmari, 2000). Autism may
have been the appropriate diagnosis in the childs early development, however a
specifc subgroup of children with autism can show a major improvement in
language, play, and motivation to socialize with their peers between the ages of four
and six years (Attwood, 1998; Dissanayake, 2004; Gillberg, 1998 & Wing, 1981).
The diagnosing of a child with Aspergers syndrome usually begins in school,
by the childs teacher. The majority of children with Aspergers syndrome are
diagnosed via this pathway because a teacher recognizes qualitative differences in
abilities and behavior in the classroom and playground(Attwood, 2007, p. 15),
which may not be revealed at home. It is clear that the child is not intellectually
impaired, but he definitely lacks the social comprehension of the others around him.
The teacher may begin to notice that that the child is immature in his ability
to manage emotions and to express empathy(Attwood, 2007, p. 15). His learning
style may be unusual, with outstanding knowledge in a topic of his interest, but
major learning and attention issues for other academic skills. The teacher may also

recognize problems with the childs motor coordination, such as handwriting,

running, and catching a ball. The child may also be sensitive to certain sounds, such
as the school bell, and will respond by covering his ears (Attwood, 2007).
After noticing the various red flags, the teacher knows that the child would
benefit from programs to help in his or her understanding of the social conventions
of the classroom and school playground(Attwood, 2007, p. 15). Not only does the
child need help, but the teacher needs help as well. She needs to have access to the
appropriate training and in-class support, in order to enable positive social
integration and academic success. A meeting is then set up between the parents of
the child and representatives of the school, at which parents are encouraged to
seek a diagnostic assessment both to explain the unusual behavior and profile of
abilities, and for the parents and school to achieve access to appropriate programs
and resources(Attwood, 2007, p. 15).
When a child grows and matures into an adolescent, the social and academic
worlds become more complex and there is an expectation that the child should
become more independent and self-reliant(Attwood, 2007, p. 19). This can be a
rocky transition for a person with Aspergers syndrome.
In early school years, social interaction is playing, rather than conversing.
When a child moves on to adolescence, friendships become a lot more complex, with
many interpersonal needs. In early school years, the child only has one teacher
throughout the entire year. During these years the teacher and the student build a
working relationship, learning each other and how to understand each others
signals. There is a lot of flexibility and leniency with regard to the school

curriculum and expected social and emotional maturity(Attwood, 2007, p. 19).

Throughout these years, the child may be less aware of the fact that he is different
from his peers. On the other hand, during adolescence, a teenager with Aspergers
syndrome is expected to relate to may teachers, each wit his or her own personality
and teaching style, and to engage in academic assessment that relies on abstract
thinking rather than facts(Attwood, 2007, p. 20). A teenager with Aspergers
syndrome is likely to have problems with organizational skills, causing him to miss
deadlines for school assignments. This can lead to a drop in school grades. The
students intellectual skills have not worsened, but the methods of assessments
used by teachers have changed(Attwood, 2007, p. 19). A group project may be
assigned, and the teenager with Aspergers syndrome is not easily assimilated into
a working group of students(Attwood, 2007, p. 19). The deterioration of the
students grades, along with the myriad of stresses a teenager with Aspergers
syndrome has, may give reason for him to be sent to the school psychologist.
Adolescence, for any person, is a difficult time. It is the time when a person is
contemplating who he is and who he would like to become. It is a time when the
influence of parentsdiminishes and the power of and identification with the peer
group increases(Attwood, 2007, p. 20). For people who lack social understanding,
this time in their lives can be very difficult, and at times depressing.
There are times when children with Aspergers syndrome perceive
themselves as more adult than child. In the classroom, they may act as the assistant
to the teacher, trying to correct her and discipline the other children. These
children take laws into their own hands, causing non-compliance with adults.

Because of this conduct difficulty, these students may get suspended from school.
There is failure to respect authority and maturity. The child with Aspergers
syndrome is often immature in the art of negotiation and compromise and may not
know when to back down and apologize(Attwood, 2007, p. 20). If he feels that a
school rule is illogical and does not seem to make sense, he will not follow it. This
can lead to conflict with the school authorities and may also lead to suspension
(Attwood, 2007).
When discussing the cognitive abilities of people with Aspergers syndrome,
Asperger explained, Where it is about logical thinking, where the issue is meeting
their special interests, they are ahead, surprise their teachers with their clever
answers; where it is about more or less mechanical learning by heart, where
concentrated learning is demanded these clever children fail in a severe kind of
way, so that they often are on the brink of failing their exams(1938). Both children
and adults with Aspergers syndrome have an interesting profile of thinking and
learning abilities. There are some young children with Aspergers syndrome [who]
appear to easily crack the code of reading, spelling or numeracy; indeed, these
subjects may become their special interest. In contrast, some children with
Aspergers syndrome have considerable delay in these academic skills(Attwood,
2007, p. 228).
Many children with Aspergers syndrome have an additional diagnosis of
Attention Deficit Disorder, making it difficult for them to pay attention. Even when
the child is attentive and seems to be on task, children with Aspergers syndrome
are often distracted and confused by irrelevant detail and they dont automatically

know what to look at(Attwood, 2007, p. 233). They need to be given concrete
instructions, so they know exactly what to do and what to be focusing on.
When it comes to problem solving, a child with Aspergers syndrome likes to
approach the problem in his way. The child does not want to listen to the teachers
suggestions or to solve the problem the way the other students are. It is the job of
the teacher to attempt to encourage flexibility in thinking(Attwood, 2007, p. 237),
because children with Aspergers syndrome have fixed ways and ideas. Flexibility in
thinking should be introduced to the child at an early age. When playing with a child
with Aspergers syndrome, the adult should bring up a real-life problem to solve.
The adult should then vocalize his or her thoughts so that the child with Aspergers
syndrome can listen to the various approaches the adult is considering to solve the
problem(Attwood, 2007, p. 237). Even after a solution to the problem is found, the
adult can encourage continued concentration and determine whether another
approach would have also been successful(Attwood, 2007, p. 237).
Another aspect included in the learning profile of many children and adults
with Aspergers syndrome is the need for perfection. Because of this need, they
have a tendency to focus on mistakes, and so they have a fear of making mistakes
altogether. The child may refuse to take part in an activity unless he feels that he
can complete it perfectly. This avoidance of errors can mean that children with
Aspergers syndrome prefer accuracy rather than speed, which can affect
performance in timed tests and lead to their thinking being described as
pedantic(Attwood, 2007, p. 238). Teachers and parents must change the childs
perception about mistakes. They should be taught that cognitive strength needs

exercise in order to improve its ability, just as physical strength needs exercise to
improve its ability (Attwood, 2007). This way, the children with Aspergers
syndrome may be able to cope more comfortably with mistakes and errors.
Another cause of stress and anguish for students with Aspergers syndrome
is homework. True, homework is most definitely stressful for any student, but
throughout the school day students with Aspergers syndrome rarely have an
opportunity to relax(Attwood, 2007, p. 248). While at school, these students are
forced to learn the social curriculum of school. They have to decipher the social
cues and codes and cognitively determine what to do and say in social
situations(Attwood, 2007, p. 248), that are taking place throughout the entire day.
Other children do not have to deal with this, seeing as though they only have the
academic curriculum to learn, not the social curriculum. By the time the end of the
day comes, the children with Aspergers syndrome are exhausted from having to
focus on this extra curriculum (Attwood, 2007). Children with Aspergers syndrome
want a clear distinction between school and home. They feel, rightfully so, that
home is for fun and relaxation. The prospect of homework can really throw these
children off (Grandin & Barron, 2005). To help them complete their homework
assignments in a stress-free way, a conducive learning environment should be
created at home. The parents and teacher should work together to come up with
plans on how to make homework a less stressful aspect of the childs life (Attwood,
2007).
Aspergers syndrome is a life-long and stable personality type. Its symptoms
have a great effect on the way the person with the syndrome learns and

understands, both academically and socially. Hans Asperger explained that just
because someone may be different, or seem to be abnormal, does not mean that that
person is inferior. People with Aspergers syndrome are in no way an inferior
group. They are a group of very special individuals who perceive the world in a
different way.

References

Attwood, T. (2007). The Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome.

Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Dissanayake, C. (2004). Change in behavioural symptoms in children with
High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome: evidence for one disorder?.
Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 29. 48-57.
Gillberg, C. (1998). Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 171. 200-209.
Szatmari, P., Kiln, A., Volkmar, F., & Sparrow, S. (Eds.). (2000).
Perspectives on the Classification of Aspergers Syndrome. New York: Guilford Press.
Wing, L. (1981). Aspergers Syndrome: a clinical account. Psychological
Medicine, 11. 115-130.