A few years ago I had the pleasure of writing an article with a 6th grade boy who has Autism.  Our article was published by a professional journal.  Here is the article:

 

 

Autism Through a Sixth-Grader's Eyes

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is becoming a household phrase. The prevalence of autism has risen to one in every 88 American children and almost one in 54 boys.¹
No two cases of ASD are exactly alike. Some individuals are nonverbal, but others are quite verbal. Some benefit from special diets, while others do not. Autism can be very difficult to recognize in young children, pre-teens, teenagers and adults because characteristics vary.

 

Paul, 12, is a sixth-grader with Asperger's syndrome, which is considered a milder form of autism. According to Paul, "This is probably the hardest case to recognize, as it always appears that the child with Asperger's is acting weird. They are also the most picked on due to their lack of social skills."

Characteristics of Asperger's syndrome are a qualitative impairment in social interaction; restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities; and clinically significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning. Individuals with the disorder have no clinically significant delay in general language, cognitive development, self-help skills or adaptive behavior.²
Paul was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 4 years old. "My childhood was good," he recalled. "Nothing bad happened to me. I remember either being really good at things or being pretty bad at them. I was always really good at mazes, math and reading. I had a really hard time with talking, using different tones in my voice, following teacher's directions, and controlling my emotions. I got mad a lot."

 

Elementary school was easy for Paul. He complained to his mom about how all the other children worked slower than he did and that he constantly had to wait for them. "I went to a private school that let kids use their strengths and unique ways of learning," he said. "We were taught to think and challenge. We did not take tests; we learned in groups and from each other."

 

He also attended a Montessori school in France for third grade because his mother, who teaches French literature, took a year to study abroad. The school was a good fit for him. "The teachers were really strict, so I worked hard," Paul said. "I experienced a few cultural issues because it took me a while to adapt to learning in a different language. I understood French well, but I didn't speak it so well. My biggest obstacle was mastering the language. English class, though, was a breeze. That was the hardest school year I've had in my life, but I would go back again if I had the chance."

 

Since then, he has attended three other schools in an attempt to find the best fit for his academic and social needs. Every school year begins the same: I meet with Paul's teachers and parents before the first day of school and explain his communication, behavior and learning needs. There is time to discuss suggestions for meeting his needs and an opportunity to ask questions. By the start of the second semester, however, Paul's teachers have stopped following the plan, and his academic and social progress begins to decline. It is my experience that students with Asperger's syndrome are the most misunderstood children in the classroom.

 

Today, Paul is in sixth grade at a public middle school. He describes a typical day.

"When I get to school, a mean sixth-grade boy bullies me. He threatens to beat me up at recess, gives me dirty looks, and spreads rumors to make other people hate me," he said. "Then I go to class, where I answer nearly every question right. I know by my peers' looks that they think I am a nerd. During computer class, I go through a peaceful period because I like computers and we're expected to work alone. When it comes to gym class, the teacher always tells us to pick partners. I am always left with the kids with no common sense and poor athletic skills."

 

Paul is still really good at certain things, while some things continue to be hard. He has gotten much better at talking and following directions, having received private speech and language therapy since age 6, Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT), and Fast ForWord® by Scientific Learning Corporation. The combination of all this has significantly increased his speech and language skills.

He sees himself as the household rogue because he is strongly independent and does not like to be a follower. "Table conversations can be hard, as I desperately want to leave," he said. "I have a hard time talking about other people's topics of conversations when no one is interested in mine."

His greatest fear is that he will never fit into a group again. "If you think school is hard, try doing it without friends!" he said.

 

Paul's parents are educated and work as instructors at the university level. Paul hopes that he will be able to achieve or exceed their accomplishments. "I don't know what I want to do yet, but right now I like computers and I'm really good at math," he said. "I am grateful for my mom and dad because all their energy outside of their careers is focused on helping me."

 

He would like everyone to understand that there is a fundamental goodness in all people. "If more people were to realize that, then the world would be a better, safer place-especially for individuals with Asperger's syndrome or autism," he said.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders. Surveillance Summaries, 61 (SS03); 1-19.

2. American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSMIV-TR).