How can we help?

keep your instructions short &

simple
Use clear unambiguous
sentences
Talents
People with Asperger Syndrome
often:

▪
like to act in a way that is
ASPERGER’S
A QUICK GUIDE
sensible
keep questions very specific to
▪
see and remember the Some common difficulties that
avoid yes/no answers details of things that other AS children experience:
give clear explicit instructions people miss social interaction
Give advanced warning to
▪
be very good at communication
changes in routine remembering rules, laws
imagination
Take time to explain hidden and systems and
meanings important facts. This creativity
Be aware of their reluctance to talent is useful in many co-ordination
take part in group work & types of work
encourage interaction handwriting

▪
be better at writing than
Give regular individual checks at talking to people, organisation
for understanding & progress because they are careful presentation
ELSA support to understand to choose words that
obsessional special interest
body language, idioms, mean exactly what they
sarcasm and learn social skills want to say resistance to change & need
for routine
Safe haven for break & lunch
▪
do well at maths,
times if required (ʻpop-Inʼ) computer programming difficulty with concept of
personal space (intrusive, over
and science
close)

▪
do well at drawing,
painting, photography, sensitive to noise, smells &
crowds
What is Aspergerʼs
Syndrome?
Asperger syndrome is a condition which
forms part of the Autistic Spectrum and
is caused by biological brain disfunction.
Aspergerʼs Syndrome affects the way in
which a person understands other
people, talks with other people, and acts
with other people. A person with
ʻAsperger Syndromeʼ often seem to be
rather odd, and may not fit in well with
other people. Both genders can have
Asperger Syndrome but far more boys
are affected than girls.
Children with Asperger syndrome are
frequently hard working and intelligent
pupils but their problems are often
overlooked. They have problems in 3
key areas:
Communication
Social relationships
Lack of imagination and creativity
Pupils with Asperger syndrome like
structure and routine. Because of this,
they often prefer lessons to break time
and will often find lessons like PE and
Drama difficult. They often have major
problems with time keeping and
organisation.
Effects of difficulties in
communication
Pupils with AS have difficulty in reading
body language and non-verbal
communication. When people talk to
each other, they use spoken words to
communicate. They also use the sound
of their voice and "non-verbal
communication" such as facial
expression, hand movements, and "body
language" to give meaning to what they
say. So while people are talking, they
are also looking for signs in the other
person's face and the movement of their
body to tell how they are feeling and
whether they mean exactly the same as
their words are saying. When people
talk, they use "non-verbal
communication" to add more information
to their words. People who have trouble
with understanding non-verbal
communication will miss this extra
information.
Effects on social
relationships
People with Aspergerʼs will have
problems with making friends in the
first instance, and then in maintaining
the relationship. This is not a phase
that they are going through, there will
always be problems interacting with
peers. They often prefer the company
of adults, or may seek out younger
friends (whose social skills are less
complex and therefore easier to
understand),
Effects on Lack of
imagination and creativity
Pupils with Asperger syndrome think in
a very literal, concrete way and find
subjects that need imagination,
pretence, abstract thinking and
speculation difficult. As empathy is
difficult for them to understand, where
at all possible, allow them to write a
straightforward factual account. Pupils
with AS are likely to have an excellent
memory.