Asperger's Syndrome
What is Aperger's Syndrome?
Asperger's Syndrome is part of the spectrum of autistic disorders. It is a condition which affects the way a person understands the world and their surroundings, and how they process information and communicate with other people.
People with Asperger's Syndrome struggle with social communication, interaction, and imagination.
Characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome
Social communication.
Many professionals working with people on the autistic spectrum disorder will liken the life of a person with Asperger's Syndrome to how people feel when they travel to a foreign country, which has a completely different culture. The language, the signs, the customs are all hard to understand.
They will struggle to understand sarcasm, jokes, or complex words. People with Asperger's Syndrome are very literal - you could not, for instance, tell them that you had three best friends, because the meaning of the word 'best' is that there can only be one.
Social interaction.
People with Asperger's Syndrome are usually aware of their condition and their apparent differences to their peers. They want to be socially included, but initiating and maintaining social relationships is very hard.
They do not understand basic social rules, for example, personal space, and they can find other people's mood changes and temperaments unpredictable. They often insist on unreasonable routines that, if not followed, will lead to meltdowns.
Social imagination.
While people with Asperger's Syndrome usually have an above average intelligence and can be incredibly creative in writing, music and art, they can also have difficulty with social imagination.
As children, they will struggle with playing 'make believe' or dressing up and role play, but are rather drawn to logical games which have a definite answer they can find. They find it difficult to understand body language or facial expressions and do not like to be in unpredictable situations.
How Gateway Academy can help.
Gateway Academy is one of the leading specialist providers of education for children and students aged five to nineteen with Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, PDD-nos, social difficulties, and specific learning difficulties.
Almost all students admitted have experienced difficulties within mainstream schools. Many will have been excluded from school or had problems at home, because of their complex and challenging needs and social behaviors.
Contact us to find out if we can help. Telephone 480-998-1071 or email gatewayacademy@cox.net. Lines are open from 8am to 4pm Monday-Friday.
