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Communicating Asperger's Syndrome Idiosyncrasies to Your Child's Teacher

With the new school year just around the corner, parents of children dealing with Asperger's Syndrome are once again in a quandary about enrolling the youngsters in a regular school setting. Not needing the support that a special education setting has to offer, but needing a bit more assistance than other school kids, children suffering from Asperger's Syndrome are literally in a class by themselves.

Fortunately there are some effective ways of communicating Asperger's Syndrome idiosyncrasies to your child's teacher well ahead of the first day of class.

* Meet with your teacher and explain the basics of Asperger's Syndrome and also how this condition affects your child individually. Even as a generalized account of the condition may be helpful, a personalized accounting is much more useful to the teacher and to your child.

* Help the teacher understand your child's need for a set routine. Granted, there will always be the unexpected, but teachers have the unique power of controlling much of the classroom and the routines that occur during the day, and if your child's teacher knows that routine and uninterrupted structure make the youngster perform at his best, she will be more apt to pay attention to the little details. Conversely, this bit of information can help her anticipate any problems your Asperger's child may encounter during a school day that brought about a lot of change.

* Enlist the teacher's help in keeping you well informed about any events and changes in schedule that might disrupt your child's need for continuous structure. If you know that something is coming up, you may choose to keep your child at home that day, or begin working with him on the anticipated changes in schedule that are about to take place.

* Find ways to make the teacher understand that a child with Asperger's Syndrome lacks the ability to react to nonverbal communication and clues, and rather than being rude or simply belligerent, your child simply does not know the unwritten rules of social interactions. Being well aware of this fact also makes it easier for your child's teacher to help him with the other students and foster an environment where he can explore new friendships and relationships on relaxed terms.

* Whenever possible, help your child's teacher to recognize that your child is a unique individual and that it is made up for more than a medical diagnosis. Instead, Asperger's Syndrome makes up only a small part of your child's overall personality.

Granted, even the most careful teacher preparation cannot anticipate problems and issues before they appear, but it gives the teaching professional the tools she needs to ensure that your child is well taken care of. Failure to communicate about Asperger's Syndrome in general and how it affects your child in particular also fails your child's overall shot at having an enjoyable school year. Since you, as the parent, are in the unique position to make this happen for your child, do not put off this appointment with your child's teacher!