TerryJ2
Well-Known Member
Wow. Now I am convinced that may son does not have Asperger's. (For those of you who recall, I had him tested and the neuropsychologist said "no" very quickly. I trusted him about 95%, but still wondered what was causing these symptoms.)
My husband taught Sund. school today (I went for a 2-mi walk instead) and there was a kid in the class who would not participate. husband said he's been kicked out of the classroom at least twice for fighting and he just won't cooperate.
husband noticed that when the other teacher asked for oral responses, he wouldn't participate. Someone came up and touched his arm and he got angry and turned away. He never made eye contact with-anyone, and literally turned his shoulder to the class. husband said he seemed very angry and husband assumed he'd gotten into a fight with-his parents b4 attending the class.
Since the other teacher wasn't having any luck with-her 1-size-fits-all approach, husband gave the kid a piece of paper and crayons and told him to draw something. During that, there was a discussion going on, sort of like a lecture.
At the end, the teachers asked for responses. The kids, particularly the boys, were reluctant to respond. Finally, husband rephrased it and said, "What did you learn today that will change the way you do things tomorrow?"
He said the kid opened up like a flower, showed off his drawing, and repeated, verbatim, everything that was said during the talk. husband said he was very smart and that you would never have known that from the beginning. The kid was, in fact, the only one who was paying attention!
Turns out, the kid has Asperger's. Neither of the teachers knew that until afterward, but husband said there was clearly something wrong with-the kid; he hated being touched, (that's what the fights were about--he just lit off when someone touched him), and a diff. approach was needed.
I just wish that A) teachers, even Sun. school volunteers, be told what's going on with-the kid prior to class, and B) that all teaching adults learn to improvise when faced with-a kid who is different.
husband showed me how the kid turned away, and physically demonstrated to me how the kid moved and reacted. That really helped, because to this point, I've only known one kid with-Asperger's and he's 17 and highly trained, and other than that, I've only gotten my info from books and written materials. It's one thing to assume you know what the author means by "lack of eye contact," but it's something else to see it done in person. An ADHD kid is likely to have his eyes dart all around the room, and an Asperger's kid is more likely to look down and away. (And if they're both, it makes diagnosis that much harder!)
The best part about this is that, while husband isn't always on the same page at home, he remembered that I had difficult child tested for Asperger's and he knew enough about kids to change his approach to this very different child. And I think it will make him more attentive to our difficult child hereafter.
I don't go to church if I can help it, but this was a religious experience for me! :smile:
My husband taught Sund. school today (I went for a 2-mi walk instead) and there was a kid in the class who would not participate. husband said he's been kicked out of the classroom at least twice for fighting and he just won't cooperate.
husband noticed that when the other teacher asked for oral responses, he wouldn't participate. Someone came up and touched his arm and he got angry and turned away. He never made eye contact with-anyone, and literally turned his shoulder to the class. husband said he seemed very angry and husband assumed he'd gotten into a fight with-his parents b4 attending the class.
Since the other teacher wasn't having any luck with-her 1-size-fits-all approach, husband gave the kid a piece of paper and crayons and told him to draw something. During that, there was a discussion going on, sort of like a lecture.
At the end, the teachers asked for responses. The kids, particularly the boys, were reluctant to respond. Finally, husband rephrased it and said, "What did you learn today that will change the way you do things tomorrow?"
He said the kid opened up like a flower, showed off his drawing, and repeated, verbatim, everything that was said during the talk. husband said he was very smart and that you would never have known that from the beginning. The kid was, in fact, the only one who was paying attention!
Turns out, the kid has Asperger's. Neither of the teachers knew that until afterward, but husband said there was clearly something wrong with-the kid; he hated being touched, (that's what the fights were about--he just lit off when someone touched him), and a diff. approach was needed.
I just wish that A) teachers, even Sun. school volunteers, be told what's going on with-the kid prior to class, and B) that all teaching adults learn to improvise when faced with-a kid who is different.
husband showed me how the kid turned away, and physically demonstrated to me how the kid moved and reacted. That really helped, because to this point, I've only known one kid with-Asperger's and he's 17 and highly trained, and other than that, I've only gotten my info from books and written materials. It's one thing to assume you know what the author means by "lack of eye contact," but it's something else to see it done in person. An ADHD kid is likely to have his eyes dart all around the room, and an Asperger's kid is more likely to look down and away. (And if they're both, it makes diagnosis that much harder!)
The best part about this is that, while husband isn't always on the same page at home, he remembered that I had difficult child tested for Asperger's and he knew enough about kids to change his approach to this very different child. And I think it will make him more attentive to our difficult child hereafter.
I don't go to church if I can help it, but this was a religious experience for me! :smile: