Assignment #3: Living with a Disability - Asperger's Syndrome

John Elder Robison is a gentleman who has grown up with Asperger’s Syndrome, though he did not know the term until later in life. By his own account, his formative years were fraught with abuse (physical, emotional and verbal). Over time he learned to turn his attention to areas that he could control and excel at, and where he did not have to struggle socially. In Robison’s case, these areas centered around sound technology, cars and machines.

His strengths are clearly focused around his ability to concentrate, which could be deemed obsessive-compulsive. In Robison’s case, technology and machines were an outlet that he grew towards for what I perceive as two main reasons. First, he was unable (or at least under-able) to create meaningful social relationships and therefore steered clear of activities and pursuits that required highly evolved social interactions. Second, he tended toward pursuits that were stimulating and complex but did not require a social component.

In his January 2nd blog installment, Robison mentions, “Aspergians drive (indirectly) style and fashion.” I do not agree that Aspergians indirectly drive style and fashion, though it is an endearing anecdote. I believe the corporate and capitalist machine incorporates technology wonks as readily as artists, musicians and other social rebels. I will happily concede that Aspergians contribute in a meaningful way to the society in which we live. Perhaps the point is that if Asperger were a country, more Aspergians per capita would make up the ‘shakers and movers’ of Western society than that any other nationality.

When it comes to teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, two things immediately come to mind: to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. As I see it, the strengths of a child with Asperger’s is their ability to focus on a task- especially, in Robison’s case, on tasks requiring problem solving, math, manipulation of technology and/ or machines. This is not to say that an individual with Asperger’s would not be equally devoted to art, music, chess or any other pursuit that does not depend on highly evolved social interaction. Independent learning would be essential.

The weakness of people with Asperger’s Syndrome seems to be in the area of normalized socialization and empathy. In a classroom setting, I would approach this in a couple of ways. I would strike a good balance of independent and group work so that the child could both shine independently and also work on group skills. Creating group problem solving lessons where the child with Asperger’s may have an advantage could result in positive social feedback when the child is sought after as a teammate. As well, pairing the child up with others who share common interests could offer a chance for the child to share her/ his knowledge and opinion where it will be well received.