Education - What you need to know to help your child get the best out of school, college and university.


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home | Education

Education - What you need to know to help your child get the best out of school, college and university.

As your child will spend a major part of his life growing up in school, then hopefully college and university, this is such a key area. If your child can get into a good and supportive school it can have such a profound impact on his/her quality of life, future prospects and also improve life at home. However there are also a number of schools that don't really understand Aspergers and this can obviously have a very negative impact.

This department will give you as a parent the tools, strategies and ideas that you need to ensure that your child has a better experience in school. Whether that's adding little improvements to an already helpful school, or helping you to to challenge and advocate strongly for your child at a school that you feel is really not helping. Also this department will offer information and advice if you are in the very common situation of your child behaving well at school and not so well at home (or vice versa!) ...

How can I keep my son with Aspergers engaged in all of his subjects with homeschooling?

Classroom learning and school in general can be a challenge for children with Aspergers. Homeschooling is a practical option for many families. However, while being at home all day every day can be a dream come true for a school age child with Aspergers, it can become a real obstacle in the learning process. Finding a way to engage your child will keep him loving learning and homeschooling... . . . keep reading

What happens when a child is perfectly happy at home but it is the school alone that raises behavioral issues?

Children with Aspergers Syndrome find comfort in familiar surroundings. Most children with Aspergers enjoy sameness, routine, and the comfort of their own home. In fact, some enjoy home so much that isolation becomes a problem. While at home, your child feels safe and acts accordingly. The demands placed on him at school are not an issue, so he is a calm and pleasant child... . . . keep reading

How to integrate students with Aspergers into their community where they can interact with members of their community in a positive manner

It is essential to future independence that students with Aspergers Syndrome become involved with community projects, organizations, and individuals. Teens need this type of interaction in order to make a place for themselves within their community. This helps secure their future in other ways, like possible job opportunities and independent living situations... . . . keep reading

How do I get my daughter's teachers, including her special education teachers, to accept and support her needs as a girl with Aspergers?

Asperger's Syndrome is gaining attention in the public eye. Most people have heard of Asperger's, or even know someone affected by the syndrome. However, many of those same people really have no clear picture of the affect Asperger's has on a person. This is also true in many school systems... . . . keep reading

I know my son with Aspergers is a really smart boy. It is just getting the response. He is like a computer. The information is in there if the question is phrased in the way he received the information. How can I make things better for him?

If you've ever tried to use the Internet to search a particular phrase, you know that you have to have each word of the phrase spelled correctly and in the exact place or you will never find the information for which you are searching. It is frustrating, is it not? Can you imagine your brain working in this manner? How difficult and infuriating! All children with Asperger's Syndrome live with this frustration to some extent... . . . keep reading

My son with Asperger's lack of cognitive skills has made it all but impossible for him to attend public school. I have homeschooled him for two years now. Everything is black and white and there is no in-between. He cannot summarize things or put them in his own words. He repeats everything exactly as he heard or read it. Do you have any ideas on how I can help him with this?

Normal to superior cognitive development is the one factor that makes the difference between a diagnosis of classic Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. However, what seems like a lack of cognitive ability is probably a combination of cognitive challenges. The problems you are witnessing in regards to your son's educational abilities are typical for children with Asperger's Syndrome... . . . keep reading

I've spent the last 2 years getting my son with Aspergers into a special school so I can now concentrate on being him mum, rather than mum and teacher. Are there resources available for other mums in my situation?

Providing therapy for a young child with Asperger's is tedious work. While it is a joy to see the progress made each week, it is long, hard hours that can take a toll on you as an individual and a mother, as well as the whole family. It is tricky to be teacher, therapist, and mother at the same time. Yes, it is a relief to the entire family when you are able to go back to being mother. Finding a new normal will be challenging, but once you have, be sure to share what you've learned so that others may benefit... . . . keep reading

How can I get the teachers of my son with Aspergers to realize he is smarter than his peers are and acts out because he doesn't want to learn things he already knows? He is actually calmer with children 1 or 2 years older than he is.

Kids with Asperger's Syndrome are usually super smart, but have weaknesses that can disguise this fact. It must be incredibly frustrating to sit through lessons that you have already mastered and not have the ability to communicate the cause of your frustrations. As a child with Asperger's Syndrome, he is at a disadvantage if his teachers are not meeting his needs... . . . keep reading

Mainstream school is not meeting my boy's needs (he has Aspergers). His main needs are not understanding the problem in class and not believing he could achieve more-- help!

Sometimes it is very difficult to figure out the exact problems that are holding back children with Asperger's Syndrome. It is important to know your child well so you can be the advocate he needs in his educational corner. Now that you have discovered your son's true weaknesses, you can approach his school personnel with your concerns. . . . keep reading

My 10 year really struggles with his hand writing, the school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator has advised us buying a laptop for him. We are willing and able to do this, but I have many concerns not least the logistics of him coping with using it on a day to day basis. Running on battery and being able to charge it or to work with it plugged in (health and safety) If he is isn't able to use it and has got used to it, how will he cope. Storing it safely when not in use at break or lunch. How his peers will view it, will they be jealous or see it as something else to tease him about. Obviously there will be a learning curve, he will no doubt have many "frustrations" with it. Should I persevere with his handwriting practise and think about the laptop for when he is older?
Many children struggle with handwriting and some have a very difficult time mastering it ... . . . keep reading

My 14-year-old son is on the autistic spectrum, probably with Asperger's Syndrome. Most of his less attractive "differences" are tolerable, manageable and are being improved with a daily social skills programme, but sometimes everything can be undermined by his insistence that he is always right. This is a real problem at school where teachers and fellow pupils find it everything from personal arrogance to a trigger for class disruption. In trying to suggest to him that he's not always right, his reply is understandably that he's always indisputably right.Is this a feature of AS or have we got a secondary problem - and particularly how do we deal with it, as it is leading to increasing social isolation at school, where social integration with an AS child is tough enough in the first place?
One tendency people with Asperger's have is to see things as either black or white. This can include being able to see things from only one perspective -- your own. In your son's case, it sounds as though he has trouble seeing shades of grey and his belief that he is always right is creating problems at home and at school ... . . . keep reading

I have a 16-year-old son who has Asperger's. He still can't read! It's driving me nuts. He is in a private school for people like him in the spectrum. Most of them can read on their own. The school tells me that they are trying to help him but it seems that he just doesn't want to learn it. We don't have the means to pay someone else to teach him. I'm thinking that maybe he needs something "out of the box", for him to get motivated and actually understand and enjoy it. If you have ANY ideas, please let me know.
Most children want to learn. They want to please the teacher and they want to do well and be praised for their efforts. When dealing with children with Asperger's Syndrome, this is not always the case. Motivating a child with Asperger's can be complicated and sometimes frustrating. While it might be frustrating for a teacher to try to find a motivation for your son, encourage them to keep at it. It might appear that your son doesn't want to read, but it would be surprising if that truly were the case. Your son might need to be approached differently ... . . . keep reading

How should I (as a teacher) help the students with Aspergers understand about relationships, friendships-especially in regards to having a girlfriend/boyfriend?
Your students are fortunate to have a caring teacher willing to help with these personal social issues. They do need help in these areas. Friendships and relationships are weak spots for kids with Asperger's Syndrome. We all know how difficult the teen years are. Add in the problems that kids with Asperger's have with social skills and communication, and those awkward teen-age relationships escalate in difficulty. As an important adult in their lives, you are in a position to help these kids make better personal connections. Here are a few suggestions to get you started ... . . . keep reading

My son with Aspergers doesn't want to eat at school. What can I do?
Eating problems are very common in children with Asperger's Syndrome. There can be a variety of issues that cause a child to deny themselves food. Digestive problems, social discomfort, and behavioral problems are all real and possible concerns when it comes to the nutrition of the child with Asperger's. Since your question specifically asks about eating at school, these problems are probably not the cause. If any of these issues were present, your son would show an aversion to eating at other times and not just at school. The likely cause of your son's aversion is ... . . . keep reading

I have a 15 year old daughter who has Aspergers. We are having all sorts of trouble getting her to follow everyday rules, especially where school is concerned. She is already onto her third school in 3 years due to her resistance to following the rules regarding makeup, phone and basically the dress code that is required. Also a lot of her problem is her social inability which causes a lot of concern because we have been having major dramas with her making and maintaining friendships due to her high demand and control issues. Do you think that I should put her back on some sort of medication to try and de-stress her a bit as we are slowly running out of options?
Most parents want to try every behavior modification possible to try to change unwanted behavior before they turn to medication for their child. In this instance, it sounds as though your daughter is having a great deal of trouble dealing with the boundaries and rules of home and school ... . . . keep reading

Will my son with Asperger's be able to cope with college?
More and more teens with Asperger's Syndrome are graduating from high school and making a seamless transition to college. Adjusting to college can be a challenge for all teens. Your son will be no different in that aspect. There is every indication that your son will be able to modify his thinking with a few guidelines and some help from you ... . . . keep reading

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