| A common trait for children and adults with | | | | picture. They are usually also good at |
| Aspergers Syndrome is that they tend to get | | | | finding embedded figures in complex geometric |
| caught up and lost in the details of tasks or | | | | patterns. Unfortunately this can mean that |
| situations and the environments around them. | | | | children with Asperger's can have poor |
| This affects all cognitive ability such as | | | | categorisation abilities, because instead of |
| reading ability - words are reduced to | | | | recognising similarities they see |
| letters or sounds in isolation - and maths | | | | differences. They can also have great |
| ability - equations become single numbers or | | | | difficulty distinguishing foreground from |
| number patterns. They don't see the "larger" | | | | background. A practical solution that works |
| or whole picture, so often they're not even | | | | in helping increase Asperger children's |
| aware of other people within a scenario; | | | | cognitive acuity is using visual prompts such |
| consequently the other persons emotions and | | | | as flash cards and times tables where the |
| feelings don't register with the Aspergers | | | | background is black and the text is white. |
| Syndrome child. Neurotypicals process | | | | This strategy can also be utilised for art |
| information from both internal and external | | | | lessons, where students can use white chalk |
| sources, but because of the Aspergers | | | | on black paper - you'll be amazed at the |
| Syndrome child's focus on detail they see | | | | increased artistic ability of children with |
| things very differently and process | | | | AS using this medium. For reading support, |
| information from that singularly alternate | | | | try "framing" where a piece of cardboard with |
| point of view. This means that not only is | | | | a small hole cut out is used to "frame" each |
| emotional information coming from someone | | | | word as the child reads, or try covering all |
| else invisible, but also should it happen to | | | | text on the page except the sentence being |
| be noticed at all it is usually incorrectly | | | | read. Also, try turning the page upside down |
| interpreted. Therefore social situations are | | | | - you'll be impressed with the readers' |
| usually solved by intellect and not | | | | improvement! AS children will naturally love |
| intuition. Children with Aspergers Syndrome | | | | 'compound' words - two words joined together |
| have a distinctive, albeit uneven, profile of | | | | to make a new word, such as blackboard. When |
| cognitive abilities - they understand the | | | | working on spelling point out any words |
| logical and physical world and easily grasp | | | | within words as a memory aid e.g. 'together' |
| facts arranged systematically. IQ is formally | | | | is to + get + her. Children with Aspergers |
| measured across four areas:- verbal | | | | Syndrome have a unique perspective that needs |
| comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working | | | | to be accommodated and understood in all |
| memory and processing speed. Children with | | | | aspects of school life. ©Nelle Frances |
| Asperger's Syndrome usually have a higher | | | | |
| verbal IQ than performance IQ, however this | | | | Nelle Frances is the mother of a 16 year old |
| discrepancy usually diminishes with age. | | | | with Asperger's Syndrome, a Special Needs |
| Asperger's Syndrome children have a tendency | | | | Educator and Author of the Ben and His Helmet |
| toward fragmented perception and are known to | | | | series of books for Asperger children. Her |
| have an atypical visual perspective. This | | | | site offers resources, strategies, and |
| means they are often good at copying abstract | | | | articles on Aspergers Syndrome for parents |
| patterns or reproducing Lego models | | | | and teachers. |
| accurately after briefly looking at a | | | | |