This essay describes Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) using the case of Jake, a 2 year old AS patient. It will attempt to use the case in demystifying the experiences and symptoms of AS in children. Rudy (2008) defines Asperger’s Syndrome as a form of autistic disorder that causes its victims serious deficits in their interpersonal skills. The article further relates children that suffer from AS to those that lack the ability to resolve conflicts, manage their anger, participate in teamwork, and communicate effectively and assertively. It implies that such individuals would not only dislike changes in routine, but also display the inability to start and maintain conversations (Rudy, 2008).
At the age of 2, Jake, a preschooler, was recently diagnosed with the Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). Prior to the diagnosis, Jake had been constantly attracting his teacher’s and classmates’ attention through his hyper-activeness. Jake’s experience with his previous school had not been an exciting one. For instance, his former class teacher always preferred students that exhibit high discipline and conformity to school rules. She would, therefore, become appalled when Jake refused to partake in classroom tasks and reacted aggressively towards her and his classmates. Indeed, his parents had first noticed the classic symptoms of this disorder through Jake’s hypersensitivity towards strong lights, tastes, and loud noises. The disorder heightened as Jake started displaying signs aggressiveness towards other children. His former principal also noted that teachers resented it whenever Jake related to them as his equals. This shows that Jake lacked the ability to distinguish between his peers and teachers.
The WebMD (2010) reveals that children with Asperger’s Syndrome would find it hard to comply with normal school programming following their social and behavioral deficiencies. Therefore, upon his diagnosis, Jake parent’s transferred him to a more specialized school where he has been able to break the communication rift. Generally, the two months Jake has been in this school have been both positive and productive. This is because of the effective techniques that his parents and teachers use to ensure that he gets the best learning support. Academically, Jake has been able to maintain an average performance. However, Jake relies on a wide array of strategies to for additional positive outcomes (WebMD, 2010).
The site also asserts that preschool children with Asperger’s lack the ability to control their voices and speech with respect to their environment. Similarly, Jake’s speech is characterized by pitch monotony and lack of rhythm. For instance, teachers have to remind him to lower his voice every time he responds to questions. Moreover, Jake’s narrow interests and poor interpersonal skills threaten to turn him into a socially isolated child. Though he shows interest in making friends and playing with his peers, Jake still finds it difficult to collectively engage in social activities such as playing with toys and catching balls (WebMD, 2010).
Lastly, Jake has developed an obsession with the toy house and gets upset when it is time to switch to other school activities. His interests specifically revolve around toys designed for older children such as super heroes and action figures. Indeed, his teachers jokingly state that Jake wants to become an explorer and a super hero when he grows up. Jake’s parents presumably connect this interest to an all-time favorite children Television show “Dora the Explorer.” This shows that, through behavioral analysis, one can easily observe Jake’s fears, competencies, and weaknesses. The above case study reveals a successful attempt in demystifying the experiences and symptoms of AS in children.
Reference List
Rudy, L. J., 2008. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Is it Asperger Syndrome?. [Online] Available at: http://autism.about.com/od/aspergerssyndrome/a/adultsaspergers.htm[Accessed 2 July 2013].
WebMD, 2010. Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center: Aspergers Syndrome Symptoms. [Online] Available at: http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-symptoms[Accessed 2 July 2013].
