April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism spectrum disorder is just that — a spectrum. To help me envision a scale, I try to imagine a horizontal rainbow with the left side of colors being those who have a significant form of autism, the middle section moderate, and the right end tinted with Asperger’s Syndrome. Every family and individual has their own stories to tell. These include sad, happy, funny, and frustrating tales.
While the entire spectrum is clouded in a shadow of mystery, Asperger’s Syndrome is unique unto itself. These are people who excel far beyond the common folk in a few, isolated areas — yet they seem to be unable to resolve simple intra-personal problems. Those with Asperger’s Syndrome, or Aspies (a trendy nickname created by these individuals), have the ability to become super-involved and advanced in interests that they adore. A result of this is that most other areas of their lives, including life skills and inter-personal relations, become overlooked.
Families, peers, support teams, and inner-circles can feel a growing sense of frustration, as their loved one with Asperger’s Syndrome ages. It can be exasperating to listen to a person use an extensive vocabulary to describe specific topics, solve higher-level academic tasks, and recall memories with precise detail, but he struggles daily to be calm and cooperative. He may refuse to watch a TV channel with the number two in it. Losing electricity may cause him to be physically aggressive towards himself and others. Having visitors over to the house causes him to scream. The examples are varied, but their commonality is Asperger’s Syndrome.
Helping those with Asperger’s Syndrome is best tackled from a consistent behavior modification approach, mixed with some thinking outside of the box! Set real-life intentions in an attempt to reach A-S-P-E-R-G-E-R’S socio-behavioral goals. Try using a simple recipe-like approach:
A: Always have the individual keep a schedule for preparation and upcoming changes in routine.
S: Silence is the best policy when someone is losing control and getting upset. When your loved one is feeling frustration, remain silent and only communicate using pen and paper.
P: Proactive is key, if something worrisome is about to occur, prepare beforehand.
E: Educate the individual about Asperger’s Syndrome.
R: Reinforce and reward the behavior you like as soon as you see it occurring.
G: Give your loved one a limited amount of privacy each day to be who he naturally is.
E: Everyone wants to make their own choices, so allow him to make age-appropriate choices.
R: Rotate primary responsibility — consistency must come from all members of the support team.
’: Use this as a symbol to take a breath and a break, and provide yourself with respite.
S: Social stories and video modeling are necessary teaching tools.
Contrive social skill teaching time when you are feeling refreshed and ready. Role-play social scenarios when your loved one with Asperger’s Syndrome is calm and available for learning. Keep time on task and short and simple. Understand that these individuals want to improve their behavior — they simply need help.
Rebecca McKee is a behavioral coach. She is found online at www.mybehaviorcoach.com and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (718) 316–8057.
