11th April 2018

The education industry has so far undergone rigorous changes by implementing newer techniques to deal with special children, particularly of those suffering from Asperger’s. Earlier conventional teaching and learning methods often used to neglect children who are specially challenged. Perhaps, because secondary, primary and even the playschool used to lack specially trained professional who has adequate knowledge of handling kids or toddlers who behave differently, away from what has been the viewed as the normal norms of children responding to any given social setting of significant age. It is here modern education belts changed, to include professionals who accumulated formal training in teaching special children in Mumbai.   

• What is Asperger’s syndrome?

The very concept of Asperger’s syndrome dealt with the behavioural changes. But these changes are too frequent. Studies have often revealed that experiences are considered to bring suitable outcome based on what analysis is done which further constitute in generalised strategies. Psychologists would mention the Asperger’s syndrome as a developmental disorder. That is technically speaking is related to autism and which eventually find the bearer to face challenges while communicating in any social circumstances. Such that they are fearful of talking to other people, especially to those who are strangers to them. Hence newer people and newer settings make them feel uncomfortable and uneasy. Another difficulty zone includes in the preoccupation with very narrow interests.

• Understanding the Symptoms:

With an increase in the developmental disorder, it becomes quite a challenge for the parents or educators to identify the symptoms at an early stage. In a way to address the problem succinctly and help children learn by ensuring advance learning techniques. According to the theoretical understanding, a wider range of characteristics among individual would adversely affect the performance growth of children – be at school or beyond school. It will impede their learning abilities.

Some of the generic traits which are visible in these types of people are repetitive behaviour. As in they will not accept any modification or change of behaviour. Instead, they are sensitive souls, empathetic to the environment and its beauties. However, they are too capable of handling the routine norms.

Social interaction is another area of challenge where they are unable to relate with the formal decorum. This means that they are unable to understand a simple metaphor used in any sentences, and may feel bad for the use of humour. In short, they have poor comprehension skills with the difficulty of understanding the informally spoken manners.  

Even they would engage in limited social activities, mostly would attempt in finding a separate, secluded space – to isolate from the social chatters. Yet again this symbolises them to become obsessed with whatever action they are performing. For instance, many of them would collect coins and would repeat the action multiple times.

• How to help these children?

Teachers who are certified in training in Asperger's awareness in Mumbai are well-versed to deal with children with such disorder. Currently, Asperger’s are broadly considered to be part of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but then there are some who still segregate this as Aspergers. Trained teachers would use different techniques – use puzzles, games to make them learn words, sentences or any of the formal rules of socialisation.