Special Education

This is a form of “high-performing autism,” characterized by less pronounced intellectual and linguistic deficits as seen in children with frank autism. Most children with this syndrome have problems with social engagement and understanding social/non-verbal cues, and potentially, may have comparatively delayed motor skills development. 

Some symptoms of Asperger’s include:

Hyperfocus: Many people develop an excessive focus on a niche topic of interest. For kids, that can be an all-consuming interest, such as dinosaurs or train schedules, for example. This interest can trigger one-sided conversations with adults and peers.

Difficulty reading body language or facial expressions: Many autistic individuals have a hard time understanding and recognizing other people’s feelings. They may avoid making eye contact, find body language difficult to interpret, display few facial expressions, and speak in a monotone.

Difficulty recognizing social cues: People with Asperger’s may remain unaware of attempts to alter the topic of conversation, which may be one reason why they’ve difficulties with social interactions. They may also have trouble knowing when to lower their voices in particular locations.

Difficulty with coordination and motor skills: Some kids with Asperger’s might find essential motor skills, such as walking or running, challenging. They may lack coordination and have trouble with riding a bike or climbing.

No single test can identify whether a kid is on the autism spectrum. If parents observe any symptoms of Asperger’s in their children, a mental health specialist or professional can help identify support needs by evaluating key areas, including:

·         Social interactions

·         Language skills

·         Interest in interacting with others

·         Facial expressions when talking

·         Motor skills and motor coordination

·         Attitudes toward change

Asperger’s isn’t a medical condition that needs treatment. Some autistic individuals might need support at work, school, or when doing daily life activities, but support and treatment aren’t the same thing.

Early diagnosis can make it easier to receive the appropriate type of support, which can help improve day-to-day function and social interactions. Various therapy approaches can help people with Asperger’s improve emotional regulation, communication skills, and social interaction. Two of these include:

CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy): This type of psychotherapy can help find out and change unhelpful and negative behavior and thought patterns. CBT can help with depression, anxiety, and day-to-day difficulties, or other personal challenges.

Speech therapy: A speech therapist assesses and addresses communication and language challenges. For a person with Asperger’s, speech therapy may help with voice control.

In Autism Spectrum Disorder, children typically struggle with social engagement and the interpretation of non-verbal cues such as reading varied facial expressions, in addition to varying degrees of language and cognitive defects. These kids work better with fixed routines and may become destabilized when their routines are changed, and they also struggle with environmental sensitivity while fixating on things they like, almost to the point of obsession.

The combination of these may cause problems in the classroom for their teachers, but with assistive technology, the classroom experience is becoming better for these kids and their educators.

Early symptoms of ASD can be noticed by pediatricians or parents/caregivers before a kid reaches one year of age. However, signs typically become more prominently visible by the time a kid is two or three years old. In some instances, the functional impairment associated with autism might be mild and not visible until the kid starts school, after which the deficits might become apparent when amongst the peers.

Repetitive behaviors and restricted interests may include:

·         Extreme difficulty coping with change, inflexibility of behavior

·         Being excessively focused on niche topics to the exclusion of others

·         Anticipating others to have equal interests in those subjects

·         Sensory hypersensitivity

·         Difficulty tolerating new experiences and changes in routine

·         Arranging things, usually toys, in a very specific manner

·         Stereotypical movements like hand flapping, spinning and rocking

Social communication deficits may include:

·         Difficulty appreciating their own and others’ emotions

·         Reduced sharing of interests with others

·         Lack of proficiency with the utilization of non-verbal gestures

·         Disinclination to maintaining eye contact

·         Scripted or stilted speech

·         Difficulty making friends and/or keeping them

·         Interpreting abstract ideas literally

While there’s no cure for ASD, there’re several effective interventions that can enhance a kid’s functioning.

Social skills training: This is provided in individual or group settings and helps kids with autism increase their ability to navigate social situations.

Occupational therapy: It addresses adaptive skills deficits with different activities of daily living and problems with handwriting.

Speech & language therapy: It can enhance a kid’s understanding of language and speech patterns.

Parent management training: Parents learn useful methods of responding to difficult behaviors and inspiring appropriate behavior in their kids. Parent support groups help parents deal with the stressors of raising a kid with autism.

Special education services: Under an IEP provided by the school that accommodates their restricted interests, social communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors, kids with ASD can achieve their fullest potential academically.

This refers to a complex developmental disorder associated with movement problems. Some of the associated problems in cerebral palsy are inadequate muscle control, increased or reduced muscle tone, or problems associated with a sense of balance and posture. Cerebral palsy is associated with several symptoms due to the brain damage that resulted in the condition.

In the classroom setting, both teachers and students are considerably impacted by the problems associated with cerebral palsy. However, assistive technology is constantly being developed and tested to help with this.

There’re different types of cerebral palsy that affect different parts of the brain. Each type causes certain movement disorders. The types of cerebral palsy include the following:

Spastic cerebral palsy: This is the most common type of cerebral palsy, affecting around 80 percent of people with cerebral palsy. It causes exaggerated reflexes and stiff muscles, making it difficult to walk. Many people with this type of cerebral palsy have walking abnormalities, such as making scissor-like movements with their legs or crossing their knees while walking. Paralysis and muscle weakness may also be present. The symptoms can affect just one side of the body or the entire body.

Hypotonic cerebral palsy: This type causes overly relaxed muscles and diminished muscle tone. The legs and arms move very easily and appear floppy, such as a rag doll. Babies with this kind of cerebral palsy have little control over their heads and might have trouble breathing. As they grow older, they might struggle to sit up straight due to their weakened muscles. They can also have poor reflexes, walking abnormalities, and difficulty speaking.

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: People with dyskinetic cerebral palsy have difficulties controlling their body movements. The disorder causes abnormal, involuntary movements in the legs, hands, and arms. In some cases, the tongue and face are also affected. The movements can be jerky and rapid or writhing and slow. These can make it difficult for the person to talk, swallow, sit, or walk.

Ataxic cerebral palsy: This is the least common type of cerebral palsy. Ataxic cerebral palsy is characterized by voluntary muscle movements that frequently appear jerky, disorganized, or clumsy.

Mixed cerebral palsy: Some people experience a combination of symptoms from different types of cerebral palsy, which is called mixed cerebral palsy. In most cases of mixed cerebral palsy, people have a mix of dyskinetic and spastic cerebral palsy.

People with cerebral palsy might have other problems. These include the following:

·         Communication disorders, including language and speech disorders

·         Spinal deformities such as lordosis, scoliosis, and kyphosis

·         Drooling

·         Osteoarthritis

·         Incontinence

·         Contractures that occur when the muscles get locked in distressing positions

·         Osteopenia or poor bone density, which can make bones easily breakable