Expert: James Michael Roan - 5/30/2007

Question
My son has Asperger's and has been attending a public school. They seem to have less knowledge about this disability than I do and I wanted to know what to do to insure that my son is getting the best opportunity to learn in a public school setting. Specifically, what should I be most concerned with academically when so much is lacking socially? Which should be most important at the elementary school level?

Answer
Hi Kelly;

This is a very good question. Academically: Ignore writing problems, they are a function of organizational deficits and motor problems, which are part of AS. Without question, social issues are THE issue. Knowledge is socially constructed, meaning it is negotiated between people. The world is beyond the sum of facts we know about it. Friendship and family relationships are social and our success, or lack thereof, contribute to our self-esteem and overall satisfaction with our lives. Teach your son how to make and keep friends. Those skills will help him maintain and thus sustain his relationship with his wife and children someday. Academics will come along well enough on their own.

Kind regards,
James