A few experts opine that Asperger’s Syndrome is nothing but “high-functioning autism.” But, the fact is that the activities and behaviors of children who have been affected by this problem are much different from those of children suffering from autism.
In general, children suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome are very intelligent and bright. Some of them are very good at lateral thinking and so, they may be able to provide out-of-the-box solutions to many issues. This means that if they are treated appropriately, they may shine well in suitable professions that may demand their extraordinary thinking.
But, one of the characteristic that may differentiate these children from others is their socially inappropriate behavior. This means that they may prefer to remain aloof without being able to pick up the so-called socialization threads or cues. These children may avoid eye contacts and even if they have eye contacts, they may not last more than a brief period. Normal engagement in conversations may also be difficult for these children.
Many children suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome are very bright and so, they may sometimes be eloquent in expressing themselves. But unfortunately, this eloquence may be used at the wrong moments. Due to this, others may think that these children cannot have normal conversations and may have difficulty in concentrating on what others talk.
There are a few ways for dealing with children who have been affected by Asperger’s Syndrome.
Appropriate Counseling May Help
One of the best ways to deal with these children is to get them the right type of counseling. You must choose a competent specialist who may suitably give appropriate counseling to the children. Since these children are quite bright, they themselves can make out if the specialist who has been chosen is suitable for them or not.
Guide The Children To Choose Compatible Friends
These children may not be uniform in their interactions with other children. They may behave appropriately with a few children. With a few others, their behavior may be inappropriate. So, you should help the children choose only those friends who can be compatible with them. You should help them to strengthen the relationship with such children.
You must constantly monitor the children because “high-risk” situations may arise when they interact with the other children. If you ignore such situations, these children may get frustrated and their problem may worsen. They may become more inappropriate socially and the number of children with whom they behave inappropriately may increase. The general observation of experts is that children with Asperger’s syndrome may not be interested in interacting with or developing friendships with boring children.
Modeling Social Skills Can Be A Good Strategy
You can opt for the modeling technique for developing social skills in children who have been affected by Asperger’s Syndrome. Using this strategy, you can teach them as to how to make eye contacts with others during conversations. Similarly, they should be taught how to respond when there are emotional situations. They should also learn to be responsive to social cues. Modeling technique can be immensely useful for dealing with these children because they can learn by observing how the model behaves.
Exercises And Physical Activities Can Be Very Much Useful
Exercises and physical activities are capable of stimulating the neurochemicals of the brain. So, you can involve these children in games in which they are good at. Most of the children suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome are very good at individual sports. You must find out the special talents of the children and help them develop those talents. This strategy may be immensely beneficial because children with Asperger’s Syndrome can gradually have all-round development that may include behaving appropriately also.