Support Group for Parents and Teachers

Teaching Difficult Students with Aspergers

Having spent nearly 20 years working with adolescent students who had emotional and /or behavioral disorders, some of the most complex students I worked with were those who had Aspergers.

Aspergers is a neurobiological disorder which is part of the autism spectrum. Most kids and adolescents who are diagnosed with Aspergers are usually very verbal and demonstrate average to above-average IQs.

Aspergers is diagnosed through examining atypical patterns of behavior, activities and interests. Aspergers may affect behavior, senses, and vision and hearing systems. Often kids and adolescents with Aspergers fixate on a single subject or activity (e.g., a youngster may only want to learn about trains).

Students with Aspergers have extreme difficulty with breaks in routine and transitions. They also have very poor social interactions. Most kids and adolescents with Aspergers with demonstrate repetitive movements and sensitivity to light, sound smell and/or touch.

Until recently, it is believed Aspergers was under-diagnosed. This is because many professionals and adults learned to compensate for Aspergers and used their fixations to their advantage.

In a classroom setting, Aspergers may manifest in behaviors which include, but are not limited to:

• Average to excellent memorization skills - may excel in areas such as math or spelling
• Clumsy walk
• Conversations and activities only center around themselves
• Inability to usually socially appropriate tone and/or volume of speech
• Lack of common sense and/or “street smarts”
• Lack of empathy for others
• Lack of facial expressions
• May be teased, bullied or isolated by peers
• Often very verbal
• Poor eye contact
• Talking about only one subject/topic and missing the cues that others are bored

If you have a student in class who has Aspergers, here are some ideas for assisting them:

• Develop a structured classroom with routines - write down the daily routine for the student
• Give the student an outlet for their fixation - For example: if a student finishes and assignment you require for class, allow them to turn work on the topic of their choice for extra credit.
• If/When the student becomes overwhelmed with frustration and experiences a "meltdown", remain calm and use a normal tone of voice to help the student deal with the stress
• Teach appropriate social interactions. Show the student how their words and actions impact others
• Team with moms/dads and other professionals to develop strategies
• Work with other students to develop an environment of tolerance and acceptance for the student with Aspergers

Frustration is a concern for all adolescents, but is multiplied in students experiencing Aspergers. It may be helpful, to get permission to speak with any mental health practitioners who are involved with the youngster. These professionals can help you gain a better understanding of the disorder, and work with you to develop effective interventions for the student in you classroom. 

Work with them and families to learn the warning signs that a student is being overcome with frustration and about to experience a "melt down". In turn, you provide to the mental health professional beneficial insight into how the youngster acts in and academic setting, which can help the professional treat the youngster in a more holistic manner.

ODD Child Occupies All Of Mother's Time

Parent/Teacher Name = Mommy of a ODD/ADHD child...

DifficultStudents.com: Comments/Questions = How do I balance my time that my 3 year old needs with house cleaning and personal care (which I don't have much time for). I have to attend to him 24-7. My husband works long hours so it is just me take care of him. Please help!

Answer =

Many parents with young kids can testify to the fact that it is hard to get anything accomplished with a three-year-old at their feet. A toddler requires nearly constant supervision, instant results to his every need and desire, and undivided attention whenever his little heart pleases.

The average attention span for a three-year-old is about 8 minutes. Unfortunately, this doesn't give nearly enough time for the parent to even begin to start on a task before the toddler is once again whining at her feet.

Tips to Increase a Youngster's Attention Span—

The first step to getting a youngster to focus for longer periods is through practice. One of the best ways to do this is through reading books to the youngster. Many kids will find it difficult to sit quietly through a story and each time they do so, their ability to focus if honed and developed.

One of the most crucial steps to increased attention span is to turn off the television. Young kids who spend too much time in front of the TV are more prone to ADHD and ADD once they are school aged. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for kids younger than 2. In many households this is difficult if not an impossibility, especially when there are older kids who have the TV turned on. It may be more realistic to advise limiting the amount of time spent in front of the television to under 2 hours a day.

Preparing Fun Activities for Busy Times—

One of the key strategies to success when trying to occupy a youngster is preparation. Instead of grabbing a piece of paper and some crayons, perhaps one could have a craft station set aside for the youngster. Have an area specifically designated to arts and crafts, organized in easily identifiable baskets or trays. This will ensure a quick "out" when the phone is ringing and an instant solution is needed.

Prepare different bins filled with items that the youngster finds interesting. Perhaps one could hold different stacking toys or even simple plastic containers and lids. Another could be filled with magazine pictures and scissors. This way when the parent is unable to stop her current task, she can pull out a bin in mere seconds and finish what she was doing.

Spending Quality Time—

Obviously one of the greatest needs a youngster has is love and attention. Often, they misbehave simply in an attempt to gain their parents' focus. Therefore, the most successful tool a parent or caregiver has is to sit down each day and interact with the youngster.

Instead of giving them an activity and walking away, parents could color with them; using the opportunity to teach them about shapes and colors. Sometimes it is as simple as getting down on the floor and playing with their favorite car or doll collection. Usually if a youngster receives even just twenty minutes of an adult’s time, she is content to play on her own for a while.

Entertaining a Toddler—

Toddlers have an uncanny ability to require all a parent has to offer them and it can be overwhelming. However, following simple steps to increase their attention span, be prepared, and spending one-on-one time with them each day can help develop kid's growing sense of independence, leaving parents with a little more precious time on their hands.

How long can your youngster pay attention to one activity?

This usually depends on their developmental age. If you have unrealistic expectations of your youngster's attention span, it can often lead to temper tantrums and other upsetting behavior. Keep in mind that whether or not your youngster likes the actual activity, or is sick, tired, or hungry can affect his/her attention span. Here are some guidelines to help you understand the typical lengths of attending behaviors in young kids:

• Ages 8 months - 15 months—Any new activity or event will distract your youngster, but they can usually attend for one minute or a little longer to a single toy or activity.

• Ages 16 months - 19 months—Your youngster might be restless, but is able to sustain attention to one structured activity for 2-3 minutes. Your youngster might not be able to tolerate verbal or visual interference.

• Ages 20 month - 24 months—Your youngster is still easily distracted by sounds, but can stay attentive to an activity either with or without an adult for 3-6 minutes.

• Age 25 - 36 months—Your youngster can generally pay attention to a toy or other activity for 5-8 minutes. In addition, he/she can shift attention from an adult speaking to him/her and then back to what he/she was doing if he/she is prompted to focus her attention.

• Ages 3 - 4 years—Your youngster can usually attend to an activity for 8-10 minutes, and then alternate his/her total attention between the adult talking to him/her and the activity he/she is doing independently.


*ODD Support Group for Parents/Teachers