I know you’ve probably wondered what happened to me.  Needless to say, I’ve been quite busy recently with my son graduating from high school.  I also managed to get sick so I’ve been out of commission for a while.

What I would like to talk to you about today is getting vocational rehabilitation for students once they’ve finished high school.  There are various ways to obtain this service so let’s talk about that.

Students that have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) in high school should also have an ITP (Individualized Transition Plan).  The ITP identifies what services the student will receive to transition from high school to work, training school, or college.  If the student does not have an IEP leading to an ITP, then you can contact Vocational Rehabilitation in your area directly.  This is the step that I took for my son.

After contacting Voc. Rehab., my son was tested to determine what type of plan would best fit for him.  The testing determined that he would be successful in college and that Voc. Rehab would pay a portion of tuition and fees.  Although, you might not think that your child is ready for college, you should consider going through Voc. Rehab to meet your child’s needs after high school to enable them to enter the workforce with job skills that will help them earn a living.

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This video describes what many professionals have always assumed about Aspergers Syndrome.  While these individuals are well spoken, they often grasp and give back information in pictures or graphs.  This would explain why many people with Aspergers Syndrome perform well in jobs that are technology related versus a social services job that requires interpretation of body language and facial expressions.  Technology follows a consistent ordered pattern whereas body language and facial expressions are fluid and change rapidly.  I would like to point out however, that there are people with Aspergers Syndrome that are very proficient in Reading and struggle in the Maths/Sciences.  This just goes to prove that no two people with Asperger’s Syndrome look or act the same.

The information below is about the creator of this video and the awards presented for the video.  This video is also used as a training tool for high school counselors and therefore I chose to place in on my blog as well.

(A Video About Asperger’s Syndrome) INFORMATION: My name is Alex Olinkiewicz and when I was 6 I was diagnosed with Asperger’s (A High Functioning form of Autism). Ten years later I made this video to help you and others understand what its like inside my head. I show you how I behave and how I think by web-cam and by using cartoon pictures that I drew on MS Paints (Microsoft). RECEPTION: Ever since I posted this video it has received many positive things. First it became a Featured Video on the front page of You-tube. This video has won 2nd place in the 2007 East End Student Film Project and was nominated for Best Commentary Video for the 2007 You-tube Awards. This video was shown at the Western Suffolk Counselor’s Association spring conference in front of 25 counselors and will be shown again this time in front of 300 counselors. Also this video have received many comments, sure I have got a few bad comments, but mostly all of them are strong positive comments from Parents who has kids who are diagnosed, Teachers, People who has friends who are Autistic, and also people who have Asperger’s/Autism. Also this video will be shown on a public television station called Bronx-net on a TV show called The Crystal Stairs.

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Undiagnosed Aspergers is an issue that concerns me because so many people have Aspergers and are struggling to make it in this world without any help or resources.  Just today, I met someone who said that it was suggested that their child had Oppositional Defiant Disorder without anyone recognizing the other behaviors that are just as relevant.

There are many characteristics for Aspergers but one thing that goes unnoticed is that there can be a secondary diagnosis clouding the picture and causing undiagnosed Aspergers.   Many individuals with Aspergers also have ADD,ADHD, etc.  Because ADD or ADHD can cause behaviors that draw an excessive amount of attention, the undiagnosed Aspergers can be overlooked.

I have noticed through the years that many people with Aspergers can be oppositional and difficult to be around leading to undiagnosed Aspergers and a misdiagnosis of ODD, ADHD, etc. I don’t know why there is opposition but I suspect that on some level the person with Aspergers believes that they are smarter than everyone else and they don’t have to listen to “intellectually inferior” authority.  My son told me as a small child that homework didn’t apply to him because homework was for kids who didn’t know the material and he did so homework didn’t apply to him.

Adults with Aspergers often complain that their boss “doesn’t understand” or “I wish the cops would pull that guy over.  Why do I have to follow the rules if they don’t”.  That’s why it’s crucial that a person with Aspergers learns to handle their feelings of opposition in a socially appropriate manner and to also learn to stay on task with their jobs if ADD is a concern.

Undiagnosed Aspergers occurs frequently in America.  I think this is due in part to our society’s need for conformity especially with behavior.  If an individual is oppositional or off task, then he must simply be bad.  In fact, he may be bored with the task or find himself mentally understimulated.  The other reason may be that Autism has become such a buzz word that some professionals might prefer a diagnosis of ODD or ADHD as easier for a person to swallow while the person remains with undiagnosed Aspergers.

There are many techniques to cope with inappropriate behavior but for now I will only cover two.  The first technique is to give the person the right to be angry and irritable but in a manner that won’t cause a problem.  For instance the person can take a walk, bang on a pillow or a drum, doing something versus saying something that is detrimental.  The second technique for off task behavior is to give the work in smaller “chunks”.  Rather than force someone to complete all of their spelling, or get the whole spreadsheet finished, have the person work on the task for a short period and then move on to another task.   This lessens the frustration and keeps the interest level high.  Most importantly, the person with behaviors that are limiting their ability to function in society should at least ask the question “Do I have any other symptoms that might mean I have undiagnosed Aspergers?”  Not everyone has Aspergers but the question should be asked.

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Lately, I’ve had people ask me to talk about my personal experiences with Asperger’s symptoms.  That’s why I chose the video you just watched because I believe that the character of Spock explains everything perfectly.  Let me elaborate.

When I married my husband, we had to watch Star Trek on our wedding night because it was a “new episode”! He not only knew all of the character’s histories but he also accurately predicted the outcome of the show based on the writing styles of the show’s writers.  He definitely fit the description of a “Trekkie”.

I quickly learned that my husband and Spock had a lot in common.  My husband could have been the one stating the phrase that’s “highly illogical” because emotion didn’t play a role in any decision he made.  He also became incensed when people made the same mistakes over and over.  He felt that people should learn from their mistakes and retain the information for life ( just like Spock’s brain).  Honestly, how many people do you know still remember their locker combination from Elementary school?

Then along came my son and I soon recognized that my son was a little Spock with his own set of Asperger’s symptoms.  Like Spock he needed everything to be the same with no change in his routine.  He also didn’t want to be cuddled and was very independent-quite content to take a computer apart when my back was turned at only 2 years of age.  He also didn’t need or appreciate praise for acquiring skills.  In fact like Spock, he became annoyed when there was what he considered an excessive celebration causing him to leave the room rather than deal with the display of emotion.

Now that I’ve lived with various Asperger’s symptoms for years, I’ve come to one indisputable fact.  The more you think you know about this disorder the more you have to learn because as the person grows older the symptoms change.  A person with Asperger’s can learn what is appropriate or inappropriate in a social setting and they can develop skills to cope with things that annoy them but new perseverations and new unique social mistakes are inevitable.  Just like Spock was able to learn to express certain feelings, a person with Asperger’s can grow and change as well but it will take effort.

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There are several behaviors that jump out of this video.  The first thing is this child’s overall knowledge of specific subjects.  Most two year old’s do not know what a rectangle is or be able to recognize the number 20.  Individuals with Aspergers tend to learn everything there is to know about a subject and can recite it on command.  One of the other behaviors that stands out is the excessive amount of movement after each answer which I would like to discuss further.

Many children with Aspergers are misdiagnosed as having ADHD with no investigation by medical professionals of the possibility of Aspergers.  In the case of my own son, he was treated for ADHD for years before anyone mentioned Aspergers.  As seen in the video, there tends to be added movements that will be intermingled with the giving of information.  Autism is known at the disorder with “hand flapping” and “spinning”.  While individuals with Aspergers may not “flap” or “spin”,  they may wave their arms, cheer loudly, jump in place, or do other large muscle movements.

One of the other major characteristics of Aspergers in this video is the lack of eye contact and the lack of interpersonal actions.  The child in the video prefers to look at the symbols rather than his Mother’s face and he never goes to his Mom for a hug or touch for congratulations when he gets the information correct.   Individuals with Aspergers prefer the interaction to be factual (getting shapes correct) rather than emotional ( a touch or a hug).  ”Aspies” are thought to be cold and heartless when in fact they simply function in information rather than emotion.

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Many parents fear a diagnosis of “autism” as much as they fear cancer. “Autism” is a buzz word in our society with professionals, educators, etc. all looking for those “quirky attributes” that may indicate a child has Autism. The problem is there are so many types of Autism and different levels of ability with those affected that making a diagnosis can be difficult.

There are certain behaviors that are characteristic of autism such as limited eye gaze and repetitive movements (staring, lining objects up, etc). One of the misconceptions about autism is that any child “on the spectrum” does not speak. This is not true and one of the reasons that autism is such a challenging issue to diagnose.   No two individuals with Autism look exactly alike.

Many children may gain language but not necessarily use that language in a way that allows for effective communication. Some children speak in a manner above their age which is the type of autism that I would like to discuss in more detail.

There is a type of autism called “Asperger’s Syndrome”. In this type of autism, there is actually an exaggerated use of language. A young child might tell you all about Dinosaurs (the diet of the T-Rex, or the mating rituals of the Plesiosaur) and yet not be able to tell you the rules of a simple playground game.

This is due in part to a term called “perseveration” in which the child spends a great deal of time learning everything about a specific subject. Once learned, the child will want to tell you everything he knows, even if you aren’t interested.

Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome also have difficulty interacting with others in part because their speech is so different and because they don’t read body language or facial expressions correctly. School years are difficult when jokes and body language are so much a part of daily life. Aspy’s ( people with this syndrome) prefer interactions with people older than themselves where there is possibly less reliance on facial expression and more factual information given.

A major part of this syndrome is the need for consistent order and an awareness of what’s “going on” in their world because social situations are so difficult. For instance, a young child will want to know where they’re going at all times resulting in a tantrum if you refuse to tell them. This need to know helps the child organize their thoughts and plan for the correct response associated with that event.

It’s important to know that Asperger’s can also be seen with other diagnosis such as ADHD, ODD, or OCD. Having two diagnosis simultaneously, can make the need for routines, quiet work spaces, and tasks broken down into small bites critical. Young children may need directions repeated if there is a issue with ADD/ADHD and an adult might need a consistent rigid work schedule with little change in the daily structure to cope with OCD.

An adult with Asperger’s will want to know who’s going to be at the party, how long do they have to stay, and if there will be anybody there with their job skills so they can talk about work.  Again, a person with Asperger’s will always want to talk about something that they are very knowledgeable about to avoid the risk of making a social mistake while discussing a subject they have no knowledge or interest in.

These other conditions can make Asperger’s more challenging but it should be noted that Asperger’s is not a condition that will prevent an individual from being successful. Rather, success will come in ways that are sometimes unique and out of the ordinary. For example, researchers believe that Beethoven and Einstein both had Asperger’s due to their perseverations for Music and Math coupled with their struggles in childhood with general education. Both were labeled as “slow and possibly mentally retarded”.

While not all individuals with Asperger’s struggle at work or school, a high percentage of “Aspy’s” do not perform to their intellectual ability due to various problems such as perseverations, low self esteem, and difficulty finding the right “niche” for their unique skills and interests. In future articles I will discuss such things as perseveration, social stories, and techniques to help “Aspy’s” find the right career that matches their skillsets.

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