Asperger's Syndrome and School Success

Back in September of 2006, I posted a blog entry about Asperger's syndrome in response to a reader's question. In that post, I mentioned that Prufrock was preparing to release a book on the topic titled, School Success for Kids With Asperger's Syndrome by Stephan M. Silverman, Ph.D. and Rich Weinfeld. I'm proud to announce the release of this new book from Prufrock Press.

Hundreds of thousands of children face life with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism spectrum disorder that affects a child's language and social skills. In their book, Silverman and Weinfeld describe 10 of the most common school concerns faced by students with Asperger's syndrome, including:

• problems with social interactions;
• very focused areas of interest and expertise;
• need for predictability;
• problems with language;
• problems with abstract reasoning;
• problems with sensory hyper- or hyposensitivity;
• problems with anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation;
• problems with attention, organization, and other areas of executive functioning;
• problems with motor issues including written production; and
• problems with ritualistic, repetitive, or rigid behavior.

The authors provide detailed explanations of each of these problem areas and describe field-tested strategies to help teachers adapt their classrooms to provide opportunities for students with Asperger's syndrome to overcome their weaknesses in these problem areas. The book also offers strategies for parents that will help their child with school success.

School Success for Kids With Asperger's Syndrome includes an excellent chapter about the behaviors a parent might see in their child with Asperger's syndrome. Feel feel free to share this link with others. I think the chapter offers some important insights.

When the authors of this book first approached Prufrock Press, they made it clear that they wanted to write a sensitive book that would focus on the strategies that would promote school success for kid with Asperger's syndrome. They wanted to write a positive book that focused on ways parents and teachers can take positive action to help these children.

They have achieved this goal, and I would recommend that anyone touched by this issue purchase this book or check it out from their local library.