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ALL MEETING ARE
THE 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH.
3 P.M. to 5 P.M.
It is located at 310 Highway 31 North in Flemington, N.J. 08822.
BUT CALL IF YOU LIKE AT 908 236 6153
ASPEN ASPERGER
SYNDROME EDUCATION NETWORK ADULT ISSUES - HUNTERDON COUNTY
The support is for
Asperger Syndrome people and other young people with high functioning
autism, or PDD may also be comfortable in our group.
18 and up and a
support for the parents and young adults and college students with
asperger syndrome.
The main purpose
of the group will be socializing. We meet once a month for a support-type
group where we will get to know one another and talk
about the challenges
of our jobs or college classes, learning to deal with co-workers, and
finding friends when school is over. We would also like
to meet one other
night each month to go to a movie, out to dinner, bowling or any other
activities that group members are interested in. We have
tentatively
arranged to meet at Healthquest in Flemington. We have reserved a room
for late Sunday afternoons. We would meet for two hours from
3:00 to 5:00 pm.
Parents would be welcome to meet with one another at the same time. If
you or someone you know would be interested in joining our group,
please contact
Matt or Carolyn at Carolyn@aspennj.org or
carolandmatt@aspergerfriends.com or phone 908 236 6153
COLLEGE PLANNING FOR THE HIGH FUNCTIONING STUDENT
WITH AUTISM
More Students With Asperger Syndrome Going to
College Some Schools Have Programs to Help Autistic Students
First Year of College: Lessons Learned for asperger
student.
My Semester With an Asperger
Syndrome Student
VOCATIONAL SUPPORTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ASPERGER
SYNDROME
Asperger Syndrome
(AS) is a neurobiological disorder on the higher-functioning end of the
autism spectrum. An individual's symptoms can range from mild to severe. While
sharing many of the same characteristics as other Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASD's) including Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not
Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), AS has
been recognized as a distinct medical diagnosis in Europe for almost 60
years, but has only been included in the U.S. medical diagnostic manual
since 1994 ("Asperger Disorder" in the DSM-IV).
Individuals with
AS and related disorders exhibit serious deficiencies in social and
communication skills. Their IQ's are typically in the normal to very
superior range. They are usually educated in the mainstream, but most
require special education services. Because of their naivete, those with
AS are often viewed by their peers as "odd" and are frequently
a target for bullying and teasing.
They desire to fit
in socially and have friends, but have a great deal of difficulty making
effective social connections. Many of them are at risk for developing
mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression, especially in adolescence.
Diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders should be made by a medical
expert to rule out other possible diagnoses and to discuss interventions.
What Is Asperger?
TOPIC: The Eight
Asperger Advantages Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel! There
are aspects of Asperger that you can use to your great advantage.
1. FOCUS Your
ability to focus on one objective over long periods of time without
becoming distracted allows you to accomplish large and challenging tasks.
2. UNIQUE GLOBAL
INSIGHTS Your ability to find novel connections among multi-disciplinary
facts and ideas allows you to create new, coherent, and meaningful
insight that others would not have reached without you.
3. INDEPENDENT
THINKING Your willingness to consider unpopular or unusual possibilities
generates new options and opportunities and can pave the way for others.
4. INTERNAL
MOTIVATION Rather than being swayed by social convention, other's
opinions, social pressure or fears, you can hold firm to your own
purpose. Your unique ideas can thrive, despite naysayers.
5. ATTENTION TO
DETAIL Your ability to remember and process minute details without
getting lost or overwhelmed gives you a distinct advantage when solving
complex problems.
6. 3-DIMENTIONAL
THINKING Your ability to utilize 3-dimentional visioning gives you a
unique perspective when designing and creating solutions.
7. CUTTING THROUGH
THE SMOKE SCREEN Your ability to recognize and speak the truth that is
being "conveniently" ignored by others can be vital to the
success of a project or endeavor.
8. LOGICAL
DECISION MAKING Your ability to make logical and rational decisions and
stick to your course of action without being swayed by impulse or emotional
reactions allows you to navigate successfully through difficult
situations without being pulled off-course. THESE TRAITS ARE INVALUABLE
LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS.
Characteristics of
Asperger Syndrome
Each person is
different. An individual might have all or only some of the described
behaviors to have a diagnosis of AS.
These behaviors
include the following:
Marked impairment
in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as: eye gaze, facial expression,
body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction.
Extreme difficulty
in developing age-appropriate peer relationships. (e.g. AS children may
be more comfortable with adults than with other children).
Inflexible
adherence to routines and perseveration.
Fascination with
maps, globes, and routes.
Superior rote
memory.
Preoccupation with
a particular subject to the exclusion of all others. Amasses many related
facts.
Difficulty judging
personal space, motor clumsiness.
Sensitivity to the
environment, loud noises, clothing and food textures, and odors.
Speech and
language skills impaired in the area of semantics, pragmatics, and
prosody (volume, intonation, inflection, and rhythm).
Difficulty
understanding others' feelings.
Pedantic, formal
style of speaking; often called "little professor," verbose.
Extreme difficulty
reading and/or interpreting social cues.
Socially and
emotionally inappropriate responses.
Literal
interpretation of language. difficulty comprehending implied meanings.
Extensive
vocabulary. Reading commences at an early age (hyperlexia).
Stereotyped or
repetitive motor mannerisms.
Difficulty with
"give and take" of conversation.
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