A child suffering from Aspergers Syndrome does not have intellectual disability but has problems in learning a curriculum that is imparted in schools. Teachers must be experienced with the required proficiency to successfully educate kids of this nature. Cognitive difficulties in Aspergers Syndrome kids can be conquered through consistency, schedules, lists and some can even learn non-verbal Communication.
Kids suffering from Aspergers Syndrome show over sensitivity to different stimuli, such as being sensitive towards noise or physical contact, while they can cope with some visual stimulus. A teacher imparting education to the kids must know how to teach keeping their idiosyncrasies in mind.
Today, the education ministry has organized as special cell which handles education and learning abilities for these kids. Key educational resources have been identified by top experts. Teachers have been especially trained to ensure the teaching methodologies are correctly implemented to educate the kids. Parents too, are regularly given advice and information on how to deal with the kids after school.
The expert educationist point out that care must be taken to ensure kids don’t get hassled with the teaching or environment in which they are learning. Here are some nuances of educating Aspergers kids.
Dos
- Deal with each individual kid separately. Know the correct methods of teaching as per the child’s ability, social and reasoning skills, and symptoms of anxiety disorder.
- Induce one-to-one interaction with the kid.
- Allow the kid to interact with other kids in small groups.
- Encourage sociable, flexible, and amiable nature in the kid.
- Enable the kid to learn social mannerisms and social cues.
- Practice, regularly interact, and perform stress-free teaching to help kids to learn.
- Induce usage of motor skills – especially fine motor skills.
- Induce skills to converse, act independently as the age demands.
- Inculcate thought-inducing skills. Remedial learning is necessary to help kids cope with learning problems.
…And, don’t forget to motivate them.
Classroom Coaching
Classroom ambience has a lot of importance in developing an Aspergers Syndrome kid’s sensory needs, language development, mental health, and tolerance towards certain external stimuli. Predictability is the buzzword for keeping the kids composed and happy as sudden changes in routine can cause distress in them. If possible allow:
- Schedules for the day posted on the classroom board.
- Class routines or basic classroom rules posted on the board.
- Timer to control timelines and help students to cope with timekeeping.
- Cards to depict the actions expected to be done in the class.
Teachers should break-down instructions into one task per instruction, instead of giving multiple tasks in a single instruction. Visual aid with the task would be a better way to communicate with the kids. It is also essential to keep dictionaries on words, phrases, proverbs, sarcasm, double meanings, rhetoric, and so no. Class-work or homework should be given in small bits initially so that the kids learn to cope up with the assignment and the timelines.
Peer interaction, managing bullying tendencies, and unnecessary fears must be dealt with care and affection to help kids with Aspergers Syndrome to learn and develop.
