Asperger's Syndrome Research Paper
Education of the Exceptional Child Graduate Research Report July 28, 2013 Asperger’s Syndrome: Shedding Light on the Madness
Education of the Exceptional Child
Graduate Research Report
July 28, 2013
Asperger’s Syndrome: Shedding Light on the Madness
In researching my topic of Asperger’s Syndrome, I was confused at first because of all of the information out there. Firstly, it is an ASD, otherwise known as an Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the same time, my friends who have it didn’t always mention the fact that it was on the Autism Spectrum. Until recently, including finding out through …show more content…
my graduate studies, especially this course, Education of the Exceptional Child, I was not always acutely aware of the disability’s place on the Autism spectrum. In talking with my friend whose son has the disorder, and who I had recently reconnected with, the autism connection was made completely clear. My next step would be to find research on what the general person with Asperger’s Syndrome goes through on a daily basis, how they differ from others, if they have extra gifts or talents, and what coping mechanisms might be out there for people with their disability. As the process unfolded, my desire to learn more and more grew exponentially. In an article on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), (Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. 2011) the authors define an autism spectrum disorder as “a pervasive development disorder (PDD), a group of illnesses that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize or form relationships with others (p.1541). The authors (Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. 2011) go on to state that, when speaking of Hans Asperger, “Asperger was investigating an ASD now known as Asperger Syndrome, though for various reasons it was not widely recognized as a separate diagnosis until 1981 (p.1541). In researching the topic, I wanted to develop an overall arching knowledge of the traits of what the Asperger’s group I attended for graduate credit terms affectionately, an “Aspie”. The Aspie, it turns out, has one main defining point, as pointed out in the group, and it extends from there, each person possibly possessing some of the other defining traits. This main defining point is a problem with eye contact on a daily basis. At least, this is what the Aspies in the group told me, as does most literature I have been reading on the topic, including Asperger’s from the Inside Out by author Michael John Carley, who suffers from the condition himself. Carley runs GRASP (The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership). He (Carley 2008) is their executive director. (back cover). There are a lot of different problems that highly functioning adults on the autism spectrum, such as those with Asperger’s Syndrome, have to deal with on a daily basis. Carley gets to the bottom of these problems as only one who has been diagnosed with the disorder himself can. The book is primarily written for adults who were either diagnosed as children or as adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. It lets them know they are not alone. He reaches out to them as only someone who has been in their shoes can. There are chapters covering everything from jobs to dating. The fact that the diagnosis of the disorder was not around nearly as much when he was a child makes Carley glad his son has a chance to grow up knowing that he has it and what that means. According to Carley (Carley 2008), when he found out at the same time as his eight year old son that he had Asperger’s “If I had whatever C.C. had. If C.C. could be assisted through shared experience by someone who loved him as much as I loved C.C., then he might navigate through life more successfully (p. 45). Some children don’t get this chance, so it is good that C.C.’s dad will be there for him. Some of my friends who have Asperger’s grew up being misunderstood often, feeling overwhelmed, confused, and isolated. Carley’s book would be a great place for them to go in order to see that there is someone out there who suffered what they suffered, and who experienced their pain. A friend of mine went to school in order to be a graphic designer, for example, and just couldn’t handle it. He is currently working at a store. Mentioning the problems adults on the autism spectrum feel when dealing with jobs, Carley gets down to the nitty-gritty (Carley 2008) “The long and short of it is that probably everyone on the spectrum has endured some job problems caused by his or her diagnosis, but most of the time they’re caused by the social interaction required of each job rather than the actual work we do” (p. 119). Other issues for Aspies include, but are not limited to, problems that a good amount of people dealing with being somewhere on the Autism Spectrum eventually face, including problems with change, problems with language, and more. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2012) states about Autism in general that “Two core features of autism are: a.) social and communication deficits and b.) Fixated interests and repetitive behaviors” (p. 1). While an entire list would be lengthy, some of the traits of Asperger’s include (NINDS 2012) problems socializing and problems speaking, (p.1). Other traits included an inability to choose one profession and stick to it, but instead skipping all over the place. This came up in the Meetup group. I noticed many reoccurring traits in people who had been professionally diagnosed and those who were “self-diagnosed”. They wanted somewhere to belong, and the Asperger’s Meetup group was the place where they could share their fears and experiences without anyone laughing or judging. In Carley’s experience, (Carley 2008) being bullied has caused a lot of people with Asperger’s Syndrome to feel they just didn’t belong somehow, but they couldn’t figure out why (p.88). Carley writes (Carley 2008) The recently diagnosed individual will likely want to scan back on these moments, starting with why they were subconsciously identified as targets in the first place” (p.87). Carley’s views on punishment of people with Asperger’s could have some debaters talking. Those who believe in behavioral therapies may want to argue with Carley (2008), when he says “Behavioral approaches which rely on rewards and punishments can only work to motivate someone to do what they are capable of doing” (p. 127) I believe this to be true. After all, some people with Asperger’s may have been punished for reasons that are not their fault, especially if they didn’t know better because of their cognitive inability to understand things the way most people do. Sometimes people who do not have the disability do not understand the person with Asperger’s that they love or are friends with. However, they can grow to understand some of what this particular person is going through by reading books such as those by Michael John Carley and Judith Martinovich. Martinovich, in her book Creative Expressive Activities and Asperger’s Syndrome: Social and Emotional Skills and Positive Life Goals for Adolescents and Young Adults is particularly useful because she provides a very helpful guide for parents and caregivers of children with Asperger’s who want to help them therapeutically through the use of arts and crafts activities, journaling, and other creative pursuits, which are designed to give the child a voice and an outlet for their feelings and confusing thoughts they may be having. Journaling was pointed out in the Asperger’s Saint Louis Meetup I attended as a way for people with Asperger’s to write down what they don’t understand, including babblings, or things they want to say out loud at inappropriate times when they shouldn’t be talking. Journaling, according to the group, allows them a voice without disturbing others. Many group members say they find it helpful.
Martinovich (2006) also encourages parents to help children achieve what she terms as “voluntary control” (p. 37) over being happy. Martinovich (2008) states “It is an area where parents and professionals can offer a great deal of therapeutic support. There is little we can do to change the set range and inherited potential to be happy. Life events will vary according to individual circumstances and we cannot predict or prevent many of them. Voluntary control is the will to control, change, or modify our behavior and reactions to what happens to us” (p. 37). I believe that Martinovich is doing a good thing in offering ideas on many different activities and coping mechanisms for children and teenagers with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her books is of a certain type of book I have been looking for that provides activities for those with the disability. Seeing as though a good amount of people with Asperger’s Syndrome, from what I have heard from peers and friends, are gifted and talented in certain subject areas, such as the arts, I believe that the art projects, such as scrapbooking in various forms, offered in this book, are excellent means of therapy and self-expression for those with Asperger’s. They may even enjoy showing their friends and family what they have accomplished. I highly recommend Martinovich’s book.
In making sense of their world, people with Asperger’s Syndrome can benefit from more scientific discoveries than ever, but still more is to be found out in future years and generations.
This newly found research, as well as what I have found out, will also benefit those of us who know or are friends with a person who has the disability.
Resources/Bibliography:
Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. (2011). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). International Journal of Research in Ayurveda & Pharmacy, 2 (5). Retrieved from http://www.Ebscohost.com
Carley, M.J. (2008). Asperger’s from the Inside Out. New York, New York: Penguin Group.
Martinovich, J. (2006). Creative Expressive Activities and Asperger’s Syndrome: Social and Emotional Skills and Positive Life Goals for Adolescents and Young Adults. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Meetup.com (2013). Asperger’s Syndrome Meetup Group, Saint Louis, Missouri. Retrieved from http://www.Meetup.com
Office of Communications and Public Liaison. (2012) Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet. NIH, 13-5624.Retrieved from
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/Asperger/detail_Asperger.htm
Education of the Exceptional Child
Graduate Research Report
July 28, 2013
Asperger’s Syndrome: Shedding Light on the Madness
In researching my topic of Asperger’s Syndrome, I was confused at first because of all of the information out there. Firstly, it is an ASD, otherwise known as an Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the same time, my friends who have it didn’t always mention the fact that it was on the Autism Spectrum. Until recently, including finding out through …show more content…
my graduate studies, especially this course, Education of the Exceptional Child, I was not always acutely aware of the disability’s place on the Autism spectrum. In talking with my friend whose son has the disorder, and who I had recently reconnected with, the autism connection was made completely clear. My next step would be to find research on what the general person with Asperger’s Syndrome goes through on a daily basis, how they differ from others, if they have extra gifts or talents, and what coping mechanisms might be out there for people with their disability. As the process unfolded, my desire to learn more and more grew exponentially. In an article on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), (Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. 2011) the authors define an autism spectrum disorder as “a pervasive development disorder (PDD), a group of illnesses that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize or form relationships with others (p.1541). The authors (Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. 2011) go on to state that, when speaking of Hans Asperger, “Asperger was investigating an ASD now known as Asperger Syndrome, though for various reasons it was not widely recognized as a separate diagnosis until 1981 (p.1541). In researching the topic, I wanted to develop an overall arching knowledge of the traits of what the Asperger’s group I attended for graduate credit terms affectionately, an “Aspie”. The Aspie, it turns out, has one main defining point, as pointed out in the group, and it extends from there, each person possibly possessing some of the other defining traits. This main defining point is a problem with eye contact on a daily basis. At least, this is what the Aspies in the group told me, as does most literature I have been reading on the topic, including Asperger’s from the Inside Out by author Michael John Carley, who suffers from the condition himself. Carley runs GRASP (The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership). He (Carley 2008) is their executive director. (back cover). There are a lot of different problems that highly functioning adults on the autism spectrum, such as those with Asperger’s Syndrome, have to deal with on a daily basis. Carley gets to the bottom of these problems as only one who has been diagnosed with the disorder himself can. The book is primarily written for adults who were either diagnosed as children or as adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. It lets them know they are not alone. He reaches out to them as only someone who has been in their shoes can. There are chapters covering everything from jobs to dating. The fact that the diagnosis of the disorder was not around nearly as much when he was a child makes Carley glad his son has a chance to grow up knowing that he has it and what that means. According to Carley (Carley 2008), when he found out at the same time as his eight year old son that he had Asperger’s “If I had whatever C.C. had. If C.C. could be assisted through shared experience by someone who loved him as much as I loved C.C., then he might navigate through life more successfully (p. 45). Some children don’t get this chance, so it is good that C.C.’s dad will be there for him. Some of my friends who have Asperger’s grew up being misunderstood often, feeling overwhelmed, confused, and isolated. Carley’s book would be a great place for them to go in order to see that there is someone out there who suffered what they suffered, and who experienced their pain. A friend of mine went to school in order to be a graphic designer, for example, and just couldn’t handle it. He is currently working at a store. Mentioning the problems adults on the autism spectrum feel when dealing with jobs, Carley gets down to the nitty-gritty (Carley 2008) “The long and short of it is that probably everyone on the spectrum has endured some job problems caused by his or her diagnosis, but most of the time they’re caused by the social interaction required of each job rather than the actual work we do” (p. 119). Other issues for Aspies include, but are not limited to, problems that a good amount of people dealing with being somewhere on the Autism Spectrum eventually face, including problems with change, problems with language, and more. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2012) states about Autism in general that “Two core features of autism are: a.) social and communication deficits and b.) Fixated interests and repetitive behaviors” (p. 1). While an entire list would be lengthy, some of the traits of Asperger’s include (NINDS 2012) problems socializing and problems speaking, (p.1). Other traits included an inability to choose one profession and stick to it, but instead skipping all over the place. This came up in the Meetup group. I noticed many reoccurring traits in people who had been professionally diagnosed and those who were “self-diagnosed”. They wanted somewhere to belong, and the Asperger’s Meetup group was the place where they could share their fears and experiences without anyone laughing or judging. In Carley’s experience, (Carley 2008) being bullied has caused a lot of people with Asperger’s Syndrome to feel they just didn’t belong somehow, but they couldn’t figure out why (p.88). Carley writes (Carley 2008) The recently diagnosed individual will likely want to scan back on these moments, starting with why they were subconsciously identified as targets in the first place” (p.87). Carley’s views on punishment of people with Asperger’s could have some debaters talking. Those who believe in behavioral therapies may want to argue with Carley (2008), when he says “Behavioral approaches which rely on rewards and punishments can only work to motivate someone to do what they are capable of doing” (p. 127) I believe this to be true. After all, some people with Asperger’s may have been punished for reasons that are not their fault, especially if they didn’t know better because of their cognitive inability to understand things the way most people do. Sometimes people who do not have the disability do not understand the person with Asperger’s that they love or are friends with. However, they can grow to understand some of what this particular person is going through by reading books such as those by Michael John Carley and Judith Martinovich. Martinovich, in her book Creative Expressive Activities and Asperger’s Syndrome: Social and Emotional Skills and Positive Life Goals for Adolescents and Young Adults is particularly useful because she provides a very helpful guide for parents and caregivers of children with Asperger’s who want to help them therapeutically through the use of arts and crafts activities, journaling, and other creative pursuits, which are designed to give the child a voice and an outlet for their feelings and confusing thoughts they may be having. Journaling was pointed out in the Asperger’s Saint Louis Meetup I attended as a way for people with Asperger’s to write down what they don’t understand, including babblings, or things they want to say out loud at inappropriate times when they shouldn’t be talking. Journaling, according to the group, allows them a voice without disturbing others. Many group members say they find it helpful.
Martinovich (2006) also encourages parents to help children achieve what she terms as “voluntary control” (p. 37) over being happy. Martinovich (2008) states “It is an area where parents and professionals can offer a great deal of therapeutic support. There is little we can do to change the set range and inherited potential to be happy. Life events will vary according to individual circumstances and we cannot predict or prevent many of them. Voluntary control is the will to control, change, or modify our behavior and reactions to what happens to us” (p. 37). I believe that Martinovich is doing a good thing in offering ideas on many different activities and coping mechanisms for children and teenagers with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her books is of a certain type of book I have been looking for that provides activities for those with the disability. Seeing as though a good amount of people with Asperger’s Syndrome, from what I have heard from peers and friends, are gifted and talented in certain subject areas, such as the arts, I believe that the art projects, such as scrapbooking in various forms, offered in this book, are excellent means of therapy and self-expression for those with Asperger’s. They may even enjoy showing their friends and family what they have accomplished. I highly recommend Martinovich’s book.
In making sense of their world, people with Asperger’s Syndrome can benefit from more scientific discoveries than ever, but still more is to be found out in future years and generations.
This newly found research, as well as what I have found out, will also benefit those of us who know or are friends with a person who has the disability.
Resources/Bibliography:
Akanksha, M., Sahil, K., Premjeet, S., and Bhawna, K. (2011). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). International Journal of Research in Ayurveda & Pharmacy, 2 (5). Retrieved from http://www.Ebscohost.com
Carley, M.J. (2008). Asperger’s from the Inside Out. New York, New York: Penguin Group.
Martinovich, J. (2006). Creative Expressive Activities and Asperger’s Syndrome: Social and Emotional Skills and Positive Life Goals for Adolescents and Young Adults. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Meetup.com (2013). Asperger’s Syndrome Meetup Group, Saint Louis, Missouri. Retrieved from http://www.Meetup.com
Office of Communications and Public Liaison. (2012) Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet. NIH, 13-5624.Retrieved from
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/Asperger/detail_Asperger.htm