What is an Aspie?

Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism which affects high-functioning, intelligent people who have difficulty reading social interaction and communication. The People's magazine article about the book, "The Best Kind of Different" by Shonda Schilling, Curt Schilling's wife, and her son having a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, drew the desire to research this subject because of the high numbers being recorded. Autism is an umbrella of many other neurodevelopmental disorders: Aspergers Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegration Disorder. "People say that in autism, everybody is a snowflake," (Lord) There are different levels of severity with Asperger's and it is on the increase in the United States by 10-17 percent annually. (Badanes)(Wallis)

Asperger's syndrome was first identified in 1944 by Dr. Hans Asperger. He studied a group of young boys who had social and communication differences similar to children with autism. However, they had average or above average intelligence and had good language skills. In 1990 his work was accepted in the medical field and named Asperger's syndrome. It is a social learning disorder and people who are high functioning can be helped with proper coaching. It is a neurological disorder which affects a persons behavior and social skills differently. The symptoms consist of over sensitivity to some sounds, smells, tactile and visual stimuli. They are called Aspies for short and an Asperger person will call themselves this abbreviated name.
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An Asperger's person functions more effectively with a schedule. They like routine, store knowledge on things that interest them, observe fine detail, make decisions without emotion involved and they have no problem being alone. Aspies tend to have a less developed part of the brain regarding social interactions. They have multi-tasking difficulties when concentrating and stressed. They are constantly leaning toward the side of caution. Their mind wonders. They are challenged with immediate and short-term memory and can be socially isolated finding it troublesome to make eye contact or make lasting friendships. Arranging social events to practice social skills is imperative. In general they are not understood by typical people. (Segar)

Treatment for Asperger's is long term and mainly affects males. "School may overwhelm them with kids running with no clear rules of what to do. The world may feel too disorganized and chaotic. They thrive on routine. Aspies do not understand why they have trouble communicating with others and why others have trouble understanding them"(Winner). "Social Thinking" is an approach Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP, named and developed for high-functioning autism and Asperger's people. The model she presents is called the "I Laugh", and teaches that to succeed socially you must listen with your eyes, ears and brain.(Winner) In society there are many unwritten rules that are accepted behavior. For an Aspie language is most difficult, idioms, phrases, sayings and expressions are hard for them to translate. For example, "cold feet" means you are afraid to participate. An Aspie would interpret that to mean your feet are cold. Fantasy and role playing are very hard for them to comprehend. Their thinking is black and white. "To assess a social situation you need to pick up clues and put the social puzzle together. An Aspie often misses some of the pieces resulting in difficulty being accepting in a social situation." (Grandin) Basics of communication must be taught. Initiating a conversation, staying on topic, abstract language and seeing the big picture are all difficult. If the rules are not taught an Aspie becomes laughed at, left out and bullied. They have no understanding of body language and the boundaries taught at an early age are not understood until maturity. (Winner)(Grandin).

The most difficult challenge for a person with Aspergers, they look normal. It is truly an invisible disorder and only by spending quality time with them would anyone recognize their differences. They are black and white in their thinking and extremely honest. Social coaching and quality time instructing them produce marvelous results. Socialization can be conquered and society can accept Aspies with patience and understanding. They make excellent employees as they are loyal, punctual and reliable. They have good characteristics: musical talent, visual logic, good at learning facts, skills and talents, accurate, dependable and are good at computer programming. There is hope and they can learn to work around their differences. Many famous people have been said to be Aspies: Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, and Mozart.

Work Cited

Grandin,Temple.,Barran,Sean. Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships:Future
Horizons, 2005. Print.

Picoult,Jodi. House Rules:Division of Simon & Schuster,Inv.2010. Print.

Parker-Pope,Tara."Asperger's Syndrome Getsa Very Public Face."
New York Times.com 4 December 2007.

from http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~alistair/survival/getting the best.html

from http://www.socialthinking.com

Curt Schilling 's son and Asperger's Syndrome

1. Where did the name Asperger originate?

2. What is Asperger's Syndrome?

3. Why is it prevalent today and mainly in males?

4. Does diet affect the individual?

5. What are the characteristics?

6. What treatment is available?

7. What is social thinking for an Asperger?

8. How do Asperger's Syndrome people think?

9. Why is routine so important?

10. Famous people affliated with Asperger's.

11. Why is it difficult for someone with Asperger's to make friends?

12. Observations from, "Home Run".

Summary: Building a Better Teacher

Final.
Teaching techniques are critical to keeping students on track. However, knowing your students and their environment outside the classroom is also a huge component. In order to hold a students attention, information must be relative to the student in some way. It is not necessary to be on their level but that the information be relative to the situation. It is a good idea that teachers must remind themselves not everyone learns the same way.

Building a Better Teacher the author Elizabeth Green found that having great resources students don't necessarily receive the best education. After many years in the education field, Doug Lemov has concluded a teacher must be taught the how to's of his field to be successful. "A good teacher is not born but made." Lemov has an extensive resume first as a teacher, advanced to principal and is a successful charter-school founder. Most recently he has been traveling as a consultant across the country to observe how teachers teach using a video camera. He has concluded there is a technique to being a successful teacher. Lemov found that the most caring teacher with the latest curriculum and software will not produce the brightest students.

Lemov observed in a Syracuse, N.Y. classroom that the latest software did not produce the test results they were expecting. He realized teachers need training in how to get and keep control of their class. Driving back to his home in Albany, he tried to figure out how to instruct the teachers for a better outcome. In his observations he noted no respect for teachers and students gearing off the topic subject. The teachers, daily task of getting students to learn was missing.(Green)

Across the country there is a great concern for what students are retaining.(Green)
Teachers were studied in Tennessee for three years and they found the weak teachers students would score 50 percentile points behind a student with a strong teacher.
The identical material given to students in different classes produced very different outcomes. The margins were huge. Across the country the concern is growing for what students are retaining.

In Michigan State's School of Education, Director Judith Lanier,began to research new innovative ways to teach education. She began two new programs and recruited educators from across the country. An elementary teacher,Deborah Loewenberg Ball, videoed her classroom and it became a model for teacher training. She concluded that teaching is extraordinarily specialized.(Green) It must at times be altered to meet the needs of each pupil.Ball learned through studying math herself and creating,"Math Knowledge for Teaching" that each student learns differently and tools can be made available to reach everyone. Ball began to classify the classroom actions and skills and concluded the best approach is to assume the best in each student. Lemov calls this "Strong Voice."

There is a movement in education to create monetary incentives for teachers who produce affectively. The Obama Administrative Educational Department is supporting merit-pay. Will it lure teachers back into the classroom? Teachers retiring will create a tremendous void. Estimations are that one million new teachers will be hired between now and 2014. They will need proper training to teach affectively.

Lemov, in his frustration after gathering national data regarding teachers helped found charter schools called, "Uncommon Schools" in the Northeast. Their purpose is to prepare students for college, reach high standards in academics and character. The teachers main goal is to give priority to instructional time. Lemov does not believe in replacing teachers but instructing them to a higher standard. "Good teachers have a deliberate technique." (Green)

Lemov turned out a five year project seeking the best teachers across the country. He documented their styles by video and now presents workshops across the country.
Lemov has concluded, "the best approach is simplify the instruction, be systematic, speak only once, be deliberate, make it fun and the students will listen."(Green)

Lemov has a book entitled, "Teach Like a Champion" in it he concludes, capture the attention of the class and you will succeed, be direct and specific using positive reinforcement as you teach,ignore negative behavior and reinforce thank you's. A teachers control should be an exercise in purpose not in power. Lemov's favorite approach stolen from Harvard Business School is, "no one raises their hand to answer a question." The teacher calls randomly on the student. Thus it forces the students to do the work. "A good teacher is not born but made."

I have ordered Lemov's book in hopes of applying some of his ideas to becoming a better home school teacher. I have two years remaining before he graduates from high school and I hope to acquire additional knowledge from reading "Teach Like a Champion" to help improve my sons study techniques. Homeschooling does not allow for classroom interaction with other students but his recent experiences at B.C.C.; University of Mass-Dartmouth and Regent University greatly impressed my husband and I and we look forward to his future education.

Final Al-Anon 3/12/10
At 6:45 p.m. upon entering the church I was drawn in the direction of the only lit room. I was here to attend my first Al-Anon meeting. I had no idea what was about to happen. I knew men and women gather together because alcohol has been or is affecting their lives. The members share experiences, look for feedback and they encouage one another.
The weather outside was cold and the building was dark. My idea of what would happen was of a warm and fuzzy group gathering together. But I soon found a room with the temperature cold. There were four people seated around a rectangular table and many empty chairs. The ceiling lights were bright so we could easily see one another. Everyone routinely kept their coat on until the temperature was comfortable. There was an array of pamphlets and literature laid out on the table. I took my seat and observed the four at the table chatting and laughing, just like a family. I expected to have one of them say hello. No one spoke a word to me. There was time to talk because the meeting would not start for another fifteen minutes. I did not let myself become self-conscious, otherwise I would have become uncomfortable.
The group consisted of a couple in their late sixties, a tall, white haired man, very well spoke, carrying himself to appear as the leader and one other lady, well dressed, in her forties talking about how the styles of clothes continues to change with each season.Other members of the group began to stroll in and take a seat. No one removed their coat as they were familiar with the room temperature. I was told by the woman seated next to me that the room would warmup shortly. She was right. The carpeted floor made it necessary to pay close attention when the members spoke.

The room is heating up and and it is 7 p.m. The chairs are filling quickly. Eleven people: three men and eight women. The leader was not who I assumed,a woman said, "hello my name is Mary, welcome to Al-Anon." She states everything said here is confidential. She welcomes any new, first time visitor to the meeting. I introduce myself and hear, "Hello Jane, welcome to Al-Anon." The meeting officially begins by reciting the Serenity Prayer. It reminds me of a mantra because of the tone. They circle the room saying their first name only. The leader introduces the topic of the evening, Step Three. She reads it to the group: "We have made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him."

A devotional type book is circulated to each member and they find the pages for Step Three. The leader begins by saying her name and then she reads the first message. It draws the listener into the mood of the evening. Each message is an uplifting story of someones life and how surrendering their will to God has helped in the alcohol struggles. It is a commencing point for the reader to comfortably share what is on their mind.

Looking around the room the faces are very somber. Each one is preparing in their mind what they want to share in relationship to Step Three. The ritual is simple, affective and no one speaks in a condescending manner. There is no pressure to speak after you read.

I felt comfortable among the group and no one was judgemental. Alcohol is a serious illness and it affects the lives of at least four other people. It is a serious problem. The members, knowing generally what each one endures, are compassionate and understanding. I wanted to hug each one knowing the past pain I had endured. I sat their appreciative of where I am now and where I had come from. Living with an alcoholic is fearful and every move they make is unpreditable.

The white haired gentleman, who arrived early to the group shared he had been in Al-Anon for twelve years. He said the program has brought him great comfort and that Step Three was a good reminder for him. Each one had a story to share, some uplifting and others it seemed were without hope. A number of times I heard said,"I have a control issue and wish I could fix everything."

At 8 p.m. there are two remaining members who have not spoken. The leader asks if they mind not sharing because of the hour. No one objects. We stand, hold hands and repeat the Serenity Prayer. The compassion expressed for one anothers pain was very real.

Al-Anon is a group of men and women whose lives have been or are being affected by alcohol. The group meets to share experiences and encourage one another.

Upon entering the church at 7 p.m. I went in the direction of the lit room. The room was cold in temperature but I soon was to find out it was warm in spirit. The ceiling lights were bright so we could easily see one another. There were chairs surrounding a rectangle table and four people already seated. There was an array of pamphlets and literature laid out on the table. The four seated were laughing and talking among themselves,just like a family. The group consisted of a couple in their late sixties, a tall white haired man who was very well spoken, carrying himself you would think he was the leader and another lady who was short, in her forties. There was time to chat because the meeting wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes. I sat quietly watching and waiting for someone to speak to me. Other members of the group began to stroll in and take a seat. I was told by the woman seating next to me the room would heat up shortly so everyone kept their coats on. The floor was carpeted so when people began to speak you had to really listen carefully.

By now it is 7 p.m. the chairs are filling up quickly. Eleven people, three men and eight women. The leader introduces herself, "hello my name is Mary". She then states everything said here is confidential and is not to be repeated outside the group. She welcomes any new first time vistors to the meeting. Everyone repeats the Serenity prayer. It reminds me of a mantra. They circle the room saying their first name only. The leader introduces the topic of the night which will be Step 3. She reads it to the group:"We have made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him." A devotional type book is circulated to each member and they find the page to be read on Step 3. The leader begins by saying my name is Mary and she reads the first message. Each message is a story of someones life and how surrendering their will to God has helped in their struggles. It is a commencing point, a way in which you can share your own story. Looking around the room the faces are very somber. Each one is preparing in their mind what they want to share when it is their turn. The ritual displayed includes giving your first name and reading the next message. I count ahead to read and prepare for my turn. There is no pressure to share but you are free to if you wish.

The white haired gentleman, who arrived early shared he had been in Al-Anon for twelve years. After he read his message and began to share with the group it was obvious to me that he was weary. He had been living with someone for many years who was an alcoholic and the program has brought him great strength. It was a pleasant reminder reading Step 3 that he could not carry the burden alone.

Step 3: "Make a decison to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him."

As we circle the table and each one reads their message it is evident to me there is a lot of thought going into what each one says. The atmosphere is serious and personal. The hope for each member of the group is acknowledged. They realize on their own they can not survive. A greater power than themselves is at work.

The older man took his turn to read and has a coughing fit. His wife takes over and reads the remainder of the message. She shares how she and her husband are burdened with their grown daughters alcohol problems. It is such a heartache to this couple knowing that at any moment the phone could ring with gruesome news. She admits to having a control issue and is not able to fix everything. It is hard to watch someone you love see their life slipping away because of alcohol. You are helpless to do anything. I listen to the stories and sense a feeling of helplessness.

Next, the man beside me shares his story. His eighteen year old son is drinking to excess. His life is meaningless. He is no longer a minor and the father has no say in his activities. He also takes medication for a personality disorder and the father is worried for his safety.

All the stories shared have the same dispearing undertone or theme. The family members all feel powerless to help their loved ones. Step 3 emphasizes to turn your cares over to God or your higher power.

At 8 p.m. there are two remaining people at the table who have not read or shared anything. The leader asks if they mind no sharing because of the hour. No on objects. We stand, hold hands and repeat the Serenity Prayer in unison. The hour has flown. Everyone thanks me for coming, encourages me to return and to also visit other sites. The leader tells me to attend at least six meetings before I make a decision to join. Memories taken from my first Al-Anon meeting are of comfort and solace. The understanding expressed for one anothers pain was amazing.

I was faced with the decision to pull him out of an organized school setting and begin a new road, homeschooling. He began his education as a first and second grader at a catholic school where bullying became a huge issue that was not being addressed. Bullying was foreign to us as parents but soon found out, he was verbally harassed and pushed on the playground. Another student slapped him across the face and was called to the office to explain himself. The following day he had to apologize to our son in front of the entire class and our son said, "I forgive you." We felt as Christian parents his self esteem was more important than anything else. We opted to teach at home vs the public school.

We began this unknown territory with anticipation, excitement, and mystery of the unknown. Having not gone to school for teaching education, I was told by many homeschooled mothers to just follow the Bible based curriculum we purchased. It would all work out. Reading with my son was base to his learning, as we chose not to use the internet for any teaching. He excelled in reading and comprehension and we whizzed through third and fourth grade. Math was taught by my husband and I did the other subjects. Field trips with other kids were once a month and there was no bullying. He felt safe, comfortable and he was learning. My anxiety level was subsiding but the pressure from outsiders was mounting. I often heard, "he is not in a social environment like other kids".

As fifth grade approached we enrolled him in the public school. The initial first couple weeks went smoothly, with many welcome responses. The classroom environment at first was a bit challenging for him, having to raise his hand to answer the questions. The atmosphere was unlike that of homeschooling, no one must be called on. Academically, he was about a year ahead of the other students, so fifth grade would be a refresher course. But after some time the bullying began again. Rules for the playground workers were set up. He was to be monitored to see who was doing the bullying. Everyone knows bullies are sneaky and are seldom caught. On more than one occasion our son and other students were called into the office to apologize for their behavior. He always forgave them and never held a grudge. Our son has a gentle, sweet spirit and is not aggressive. He just wanted to be accepted by his peers.

He wanted to be in the band in the fifth grade. The music teacher suggested the mallets since he already was playing the piano. It worked out well and he was accepted, he made friends with other musicians. Sixth grade the bullying escalated. The students grew stronger and taller over the summer. It was a stressful school year for our son. Telephone calls to the principal and my tearful visits to her office made for an unbearable year.

I had lost all hope, in my weakest moments, all I could do was lie still and trust God to make the right decisions. I had given Him my problem and once again He was about to direct and guide me. Our son did not deserve to be treated in the fashion in was treated. Homeschooling would be our solution for the following year. The realization that seventh grade boys at age twelve can be pranksters was not comforting. We were apprehensive about sending him to the junior high where it is a tri-town regional school district, we were concerned for his safety. As a homeschooler, in seventh grade, he continued to be in the band. He took Spanish with a tutor and did very well. As parents, we were very proud of his achievements.

Eighth grade arrived and after meeting with the school authorities hoping the boys had matured and being assured for his safety we reenrolled him, praying all would go well. We constantly were trying to keep him in the school setting to be with his peers. He quickly acclimated. The band was natural to him and the students welcomed him back. He has a good sense of humor. However, the bullies hadn't matured and quickly began harassing him in the gym and in the corridors. Anger arose in me and after homeschooling off and on it was time for the school to do their part. We were able, after meeting with the school, to have an aid shadow him from class to class and that worked.

He has been very privileged to travel with us each year as a homeschooler and see many countries which has added to his education. He loves history. He began his freshman year at the high school and was academically placed incorrectly. He was given very little homework which resulted in numerous parent conferences requesting a higher level. It was to no avail. So as a family we agreed after the Christmas break in his freshman year he would be homeschooled once again. Homeschooling for us, has worked the best. The upper grades have become more challenging, but with the help of tutors, he will be entering his junior year in September. Homework is always a struggle but with some screaming, coaching and reminding the work gets done. Organization is not one of his greatest assets.

Bullying is a huge issue in every school system. The students must be taught the seriousness of bullying and how it affects not only the target but their families too. There needs to be more funding and emphasis on training how to defuse it. Appropriate discipline must be administered promptly. Education and training at the elementary level must be reinforced for this horrid behavior to stop. There have been too many fatal tragedies. The new Legislative action in Massachusetts is just the beginning and will force schools to report instances of bullying and how school officials respond to them.

Our sons entire school life has been affected in some way by bullying. Dropping him off for school and hoping not to hear the phone ring from the principal has been so stressful on our entire family.

We were rewarded as parents last summer when our son completed a fourteen day Outward Bound Sailing trip with twenty other teens, including a two day Solo, off the coast of Maine. He was acknowledged by his peers as an outstanding leader. His tolerance level had been strengthened through many trials in school. He is currently enrolled as a 'dual enrollment student' at Bristol Community College looking ahead to his future.

Test

This is only a test, Brittany is helping me :D