Understanding Asperger Syndrome
- A film which helps to explain the puzzling disorder called Asperger Syndrome.
- For health professionals, teachers, and parents.
- With a study guide and suggested strategies for management and support.
This DVD film is designed to help parents and professionals to understand and manage the poorly understood but increasingly diagnosed disorder known as Asperger Syndrome. This is an autistic spectrum disorder, in children of relatively normal intelligence, but with severe social impairments and communication difficulties which require special behavioural and educational treatment. The major difficulties for children with Asperger Syndrome are :
- Social peculiarities, and an inability to "read" people and situations in a natural and normal way;
- Social isolation, and difficulties in modifying social behaviour to adapt to the changing demands of different environments;
- Difficulties in the pragmatics of social communication despite normal speech capacities, i.e. problems with the social meaning of verbal and non-verbal interactions with other people;
- A restricted range of interests, and a tendency to the development of obsessive preoccupations with special topics or activities;
- Learning difficulties, and problems in coping in the school environment.
A majority of these children are not recognised as having the disorder, and/or are not understood at school; they are subject to teasing, bullying, social isolation, and teachers are at a loss as to how to "reach" them and teach them effectively. Such children suffer greatly from the lack of understanding of this condition and teachers and parents are searching for ways to effectively help them. Many children will have a poor adult outcome if their condition is not adequately managed.
Recent epidemiological studies suggest increasing estimates of prevalence as we acquire greater knowledge of the condition. Any school with approximately 500 children is likely to have at least one child with Asperger Syndrome.
The purpose of the DVD is to provide help for parents of newly diagnosed or potentially diagnosable children; for their teachers as they struggle to understand them in the classroom; and for child health professionals who need to be able to recognise and treat the disorder.
The content of the DVD includes information on diagnosis and assessment, typical behaviour characteristics of Asperger children, management and teaching strategies, and where to go for services.
The DVD is produced by:
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Professor Margot Prior, Psychology Department, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne
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John Cumming - Deakin University, Victorian College of Arts
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Royal Children's Hospital Autism Team
Copies of the DVD and study guide may be purchased through :
The Psychology Service
Royal Children's Hospital
Flemington Road
Parkville Vic 3052Telephone : 9345 5881