December 3, 2009

When working with a child who has Aspergers it’s important to remember that the child does not like surprises. They like to have a regular routine and if that routine is changed they do not adapt accordingly. I have learned this through my own observations. One example I have is simply me being there. I have set days that I go and do my observations. The graduate assistant and I had decided that I would come on day’s I was not scheduled so he could have the same mentor. One thing I had to learn the hard way that I should not have done, was to tell him I would be there and then not show up. I agreed that I would come more often but I had also agreed that it was not definite that I could be there all of the time. One day I was with him and I had told him I would see him tomorrow because just in general people often say, see you tomorrow. This was a mistake. I could not come back the next day. When I came back the following day, after the day I could not come, I came back to a different child. He was so upset with me and we had an incredibly rough day together. This has helped me currently and will keep helping me in the future if I teach a child with Aspergers. If there needs to be change in routine, it needs to happen slowly and with some notification before hand.