Marching to a Different Drummer:
Recognizing and Supporting Young Children
with Asperger Syndrome
Is there a child in your school who:
- Prefers trucks, trains, dinosaurs, or guinea pigs to people?
- Has frequent melt-downs?
- Can't stand to be touched?
- Jumps when he hears a loud noise?
- Can't settle down at circle time?
- Has a phenomenal vocabulary and an almost photographic memory?
- Sounds like a "little professor" and lectures his classmates in a monotone?
- Can't tear himself away from a favorite activity?
Maybe this student has Asperger Syndrome (AS).
Marching to a Different Drummer is a 1½ hour workshop designed to help preschool teachers understand AS, a form of autism that affects approximately one in every 300 children. The first part of the workshop will define AS and explore in detail how it presents in young childrfen, including topics such as:
- Development of language and communication
- Social development and play
- Cognitive development
- Classroom behavior
- Motor skill development
- Sensory processing and sensory integration
We will then provide information about classroom modifications and teaching strategies the support children with AS, how to approach parents if you suspect a student is afflicted, and resources for families and children.
This workshop is available for presentation at your school.
| Cost: | $250.00 |
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| Length: | 90 minutes |
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| Date: | Arranged at your convenience |
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| Place: | At your center or school |
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| Handouts: | Each participant will be given an information packet |
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Workshop can be customized to accomodate your particular situation or need.
If you have any questions about the workshop, or would like to schedule a presentationat your school, please call:
AANE Office at 617-393-3824
or
Nancy Schwartz (workshop presenter) at 781-235-4632
Nancy Shwartz, MSW has extensive experience in community service organizations, and is the parent of a teenage son with Asperger Syndrome. She teaches AANE's monthly parenting seminar, Understanding Asperger Syndrome.
The Asperger's Assocaition of New England (AANE) was founded in 1996 by a group of parents and professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with Asperger's. Our mission is to foster awareness, respect, acceptance, and support for individuals with Asperger's and their families.
Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurological disorder affecting several areas of a child's development. Children with AS are likely to develop social acceptance, but may be unable to mediate social interactions. Their conversations may be one-sided, overly focused on a narrow topic of interest, and characterized by pedantic language. They may speak in monotone. A child with AS is usually not able to read the social cues or body language of others, or to sense others' feelings. As a result, a child with AS is likely to be considered odd or eccentric, leading to social isolation.
Other characteristics often identified with AS include: delayed development of motor skills; sensory defensiveness (the inability to cope with certain sounds, smells, or textures); dependency on sameness (predictable environment and schedule); inability to cope with change; difficulty with planning and prioritizing; obsessions with specific and limited topics of interest. Given the impairments common to this disorder, individuals with AS are likely to struggle with social relationships and experience considerable difficulty in many family, school, and community situations.