Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Enrolling a Teenager With Aspergers Syndrome at a Therapeutic School

Aspergers syndrome is a disability that affects how a person relates to other people. People who have Aspergers may talk a lot about their hobbies but have problems in getting messages across other people or giving them a chance to talk. They may also have problems in understanding other people's feelings or their body gestures. Overall, it can be said that people with Aspergers have impaired communication with other people.

Aspergers is also demonstrated when people like their habits to be stringently observed and organized. They like everything to be at the right schedule and can be seriously frustrated when it is done in the "wrong" manner. The results of Aspergers vary and can range from formalized behavior to aggressive and anti-social behavior.

Secondary school can be highly upsetting for students with Aspergers syndrome given the secondary school's routine. Transferring classrooms and meeting new classmates and teachers can be extremely stressful for someone who likes everything to be "in place" or unchanging. A person who has Aspergers can also extend a lot of effort when speaking with others. While other students have better interpersonal relationship as they get older, people with Aspergers may find it tricky to maintain friendships.

A thesis by Petra Dewrang, a psychologist, investigates individuals with Aspergers from children between 14 and 18 years old. The thesis, which was based on interviews, self-evaluations and tests, found out that people afflicted with Aspergers were as comfortable as the comparison group. Although both Aspergers and comparison group established good relationships with their family, the former seems to have a difficult time building relationships outside the family sphere. With this, a therapeutic school can help people afflicted with Aspergers syndrome to gain more interpersonal skills, which permit them to relate with other people.

Hence, specialty schools such as an Aspergers school can help students get used to the school environment without much trauma. These schools have individualized programs that serve the needs of a person who struggles with a specific difficulty. For example, people with Aspergers can work with groups, such as clubs, that permit them to polish their hobbies. Although they are fascinated about a specific subject and have a difficult time keeping up with other subjects, personalized programs can help these adolescents concentrate on subjects where they are performing poorly.

Adolescents dealing with Aspergers can also experience burnout in terms of school work. Thus, facing homework can be even more daunting when they do not have colleagues to share it with. Therapeutic schools can work out with teachers to modify schoolwork for these students without actually lowering coursework quality. A school counselor can also help these students in developing positive attitudes in dealing with their interpersonal difficulties.

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