Asperger’s syndrome, AS, is a disorder on the autism spectrum. It was first recognized sixty years ago by Hans Asperger. It effects one in three hundred people with ninety-percent of those effected being male. Some characteristics of it are “low capacity for communication, and social interaction, restricted and repetitious stereotyped behavior” such as rocking (Asperger, 2005).

Although many see the disorder as “not a disability, but a difference” (Asperger, 2005), it has also been observed by those effected by it that they do not naturally express verbally their non-verbal experiences. As some one diagnosed with it, Gladstone (2005) feels that it is important to teach children at a young age how to write about past experiences without cramming every last detail about the environment into the paper. Coursey (2005), another person effected by Asperger’s Syndrome, through his son, notes that those with it have no internal dialogue. This perhaps affects the reasoning and abbreviating done naturally by those not affected with the disorder. Both Coursey and Gladstone agree that individuals with and without Asperger’s Syndrome can learn a lot from one another. Gladstone (2005) feels that both should be aware of the idea of going from an abstract thought to a concrete fact and back again, as most humans naturally do. This self-awareness can help both while writing and relating past to present experiences.

By looking at people living with the disorder, educators can get an even better perception of their students with this diagnosis. This allows the educators to get a better idea of what is going on inside the child’s head.

References

Asperger’s Syndrome.(2005, February). Harvard Mental Health Letter, 21 Issue 8, 4-8, 2p.

Coursey, Charles. (2005, July). Asperger’s Syndrome Could be a Character-Builder. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 62 Issue 3, 308-309, 2p.

Gladstone, Kate. (2005, July). Response to Charles Coursey’s Commentary. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 62 Issue 3, 310-312, 3p.

I found this great story written by a brother who is impacted by Autism. The story is called What You Can Do: A Teenagers View of Joy, Laughter and Hope While Living in a Family with Two Brothers Affected By Autism and I found it on the Easter Seals sight. It is a free download of a touching story.

Here’s an exert:

Get Your Free Copy Here:

What You Can Do: A Teenagers View of Joy, Laughter, and Hope While Living with Two Brothers Affected By Autism

 

Educational Purpose of Music Therapy

Music therapy can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as speech, physical, and emotional interventions. It is also applicable to a wide range of environmental settings, like the classroom or more healthcare type options. It’s wide range of usability and applicability, as well as, children’s uncanny draw toward music often make it a great option.

Teacher/Student Activities in Music Therapy

Teachers help children connect through music. They use an open medium of music that is based on the basic fundamentals of music: rhythm, harmony, beat, melody, tempo, timbre, pitch, texture, form, sonatina, syncopation. Students can practice listening, social skills, telling their story, and expressing feelings. Usually music therapy is done in a group for twenty minute to an hour.

Student Assessment/Accommodations in Music Therapy

Teacher will need a music player with headphones and a wide genre of music and/or a selection of songs to sing. It is also great to have instruments available to help students engage. Teachers can grade how this technique is working by student’s cooperation and how the class dynamics are before and after. This should help to create a calm, cohesive environment.

Related Articles

Art Therapy

Play Therapy and Drama Therapy

Related Site

American Music Therapy Association

 

Stress and Children

I recently read an interesting article from American Academy of Pediatrics on how stress in early childhood contributes to a life of health problems. Many of us are aware of this correlation, but the article is about how it is more than a simple correlation. Instead there are lasting effects that effects the actual make up of the brain. Early experiences can influence emerging brain architecture and as a result long-term health.

Long-term effects of childhood adversity can include, poorer:

• Academic achievement
• Economic productivity
• Health Status
• Chances of dealing with stress later on in life

Although a child going through unhealthy stress is not a rat, consider this. There was a study on rats: mother’s who licked and cared for there newborn produced babies that had less exaggerated stress as adults. Compared to rats who did not care for their infants so religiously who had pups who then in-turn passed on this skill to their babies. These less cared for baby mice had worse skills for dealing with stress.

The health status of children from stressful situations where they do not have a responsive caregiver can give different physiological effects which create:

• the “wear and tear” effect on multiple organs, including the brain
• a change in neuronal architecture which changes learning, memory, and executive functioning in the brain
• impaired memory and mood control
• more anxiety
• hyperactivity
• Problems in development of linguistics, cognitive, and social-emotional skills
• Difficulty distinguishing between conditions of safety and danger

Literally a child’s early environment get under their skin and change the very make up of the child. The relationship between stress and children can create many poor outcomes. Helping a child get through it can make all difference. This means creating the safe environment to know that the adult is there and will help them through life’s unexpected difficulties.

Children who have emotional disabilities may need many options when it comes therapy. Art Therapy is one possibility. It is a treatment that children can start at a very early stage of life and continue throughout adulthood. Art therapy is something personal, so that the strategies learned could eventually be used in their own schedules to help get through the daily grinds of life.

Educational Purpose

• Individual’s need help overcoming emotional problems by connecting with their feelings and others through art
• This connection can allow students to move forward and promotes personal growth

Teacher/Student Activities:

• Students are normally in a group setting
• Art allows students to express themselves, even when there are typical communication barriers and/or the individual is shy
• After the students have expressed themselves through art, have the student describe the picture. It is often easier for the students to talk about their picture than themselves

Student Assessment/Accommodations

• This is a medium for therapy that should be individualized and can be useful when the child enjoys doing art
• If the child does seem to be connecting through art, it is important to see how they trust their environment and what they are willing to share about their art

Resources:

http://www.artsintherapy.com/

Newcomer, P. L. (2003).Understanding and teaching emotionally disturbed children and adolescents ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-ed.