Table Of ContentAsperger Syndrome
A Guide for Professionals and Families
Issues in Children's and Families' Lives
Series Editors:
Thomas P.Gullotta, ChildandFamily AgencyofSoutheastern Connecticut,
NewLondon,Connecticut
HerbertJ.Walberg, UniversityofIllinoisatChicago,Chicago, Illinois
RogerP.Weissberg, UniversityofIllinoisatChicago, Chicago, Illinois
ASPERGER SYNDROME
A Guide for Professionalsand Families
Edited by Raymond W.DuCharmeand ThomasP. Gullotta
CHANGING WELFARE
Edited byRachelA.Gordon and Herbert J. Walberg
PREVENTING YOUTH PROBLEMS
Edited byAnthonyBiglan, Margaret C.Wang, and Herbert J.Walberg
AContinuationOrderPlan isavailableforthis series.Acontinuationorderwill bring
deliveryofeachnewvolumeimmediatelyuponpublication.Volumesarebilled only
uponactualshipment.Forfurtherinformationpleasecontactthe publisher.
Asperger Syndrom.e
A Guide for Professionals and Families
Edited by
w.
Raymond DuCharme
The Learning Clinic, Inc.
Brooklyn, Connecticut
and
Thomas P. Gullotta
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
Research Assisfanfs
Je ssica M. Ramos
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
and
Je nnifer C. Messina
Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Asperger syndrome: a guide for professionals and families / edited by Raymond
W. DuCharme and Thomas F. Gullotta.
p. cm.-(Issues in children's and families' lives)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4613-4704-0 ISBN 978-1-4419-8883-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-8883-6
1. Asperger's syndrome. 2. Asperger's syndrome--Patients-Family relationships.
3. Parents of autistic children. I. DuCharme, Raymond W. II. Gullotta, Thomas,
1948- III. Series.
RJ506.A9A855 2004
362.198'928588-dc22 2003054469
C0 2003 by Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers in 2003
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 2003
http://www.wkap.nl/
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A CI.F. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or
otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any
material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer
system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the book.
Permission for books published in Europe: [email protected]
Permissions for books published in the United States of America: [email protected]
To KS.andKB.forboth ofwhomIneed tohavebetteranswers
R.WD.
Preface
Every bookhasnotone butmanystories to tell as readersbring their life
experienceanduniquepersonalinterpretationtothewordsfoundonthose
writtenpages.ForTom Gullotta,thisbookbegan unknowinglysomenine
teen orso years ago with theadoption ofhisthree-week-oldson.Bernie's
inexhaustibleenergy,excitability,and precociousself-centered naturehad
created by kindergarten a record already inches thick. Tothishistory still
more feet of documentation, conflicting opinions, and, frankly, anguish
wouldbeaddedbeforethewords AspergerSyndrome (AS)werefirstmen
tioned at age fourteen.Tom suspects that many readers with children or
other loved ones with AShavehadsimilar experiences.
For Raymond DuCharme, thisbook ispartofa longsearch for ways
tohelp children and their families.Hestates,
Children teach usagreatdealaboutourselves, and fragilechildren teachus
tobe thoughtful about our effects on them.A child's reaction mirrors our
sensitivity,orourlackofsensitivity.
Children with ASare among the most fragile children. They are most
reactivetowhattheyarenotprepared todo.TheyhavetaughtmethatImust
use theirsignals toadjustmy expectations, and totap theirpotential.They
havetaughtmetousetheevidence that theyprovidetohelp them dowhat
theymostwish- tobeasaccepted and assuccessfulas theirpeers.
From these different journeys, this volume was conceived as a
HartmanScholar'sprogram.Nearlyadecadesinceitsinception,Hartman
Scholar programs identify an issue affecting children and their families
for intensive study. Once an issue hasbeen selected for study, a search is
undertaken toidentify leading scholars and practitionersworkingin that
area.TobeaHartmanScholarisdemanding,entailing twoweekend study
groupsoveraperiod ofone year,withindividualstudyoccurringbetween
vii
viii Preface
meetings.The productofthatyear-longcollaborationisthe volumebefore
you.
The eight chapters that follow cluster into three untitled sections.
The first, consisting of four chapters, provides readers with a compre
hensive overview of the syndrome. In Chapter I, Raymond DuCharme
and Kathleen McGrady examine the etiology of AS and address the con
fusion that surrounds diagnostic issues pertaining to it. In Chapter 2,
Brenda Myles examines the evidence-based literature and identifies pro
grams that show promise. In Chapter 3, Raymond DuCharme provides
a comprehensive overview of instructional studies. This review is en
riched with a wealth of additional data from the author's work at The
Learning Clinic, which points to an educationalapproach thatis success
ful with youth with AS.In Chapter 4,the first section concludes with an
examination by Ann Wagner and Kathleen McGrady of counseling and
other therapeutic strategies that are helpful to youth with AS and their
families.
The secondgroupingofchaptersfocuses on twocriticalissuesaffect
ing youthwithAS.Chapter5by Liza Little examinesthe risk theseyoung
people face for victimization and strategies toward reducing that risk. In
Chapter6,PeterF.Gerhardtexplores the subjectof transition supportfor
learners withASfrom childhoodintoadulthood. He identifiesseveralar
easinwhichsubstantialworkremainstobeundertakenifthelivesofthese
deserving individualsare to be maximized.
The final grouping of chapters are of special importance. Chapter 7
by Sherry Moyer and Sheryl Breetz offers not only practical advice from
the mother of a young person with AS but also provides a case study in
howtransitionalhousingandsupportservicescanbedevelopedforyoung
peopleas they age out" ofthe educationalsystem. Chapter8byStephen
/I
Shoreisapositive,hopeful,oftentimeshumorousaccountingofStephen's
lifewithAS.In aconversationaltonethatconnectswiththe experiencesof
individuals with ASand theirfamilies, this remarkable youngmanhelps
all of us to understand ASmuchbetter.
Weofferthisbooktopolicymakers,educators,practitioners,andgrad
uate students, but most of all to individuals with AS and the families of
individualswithAS.Wehopethatpolicymakerswill use the lessonsfound
in this volume to craftlawsandfunding opportunitiesthatservethis un
derservedandoftenunrecognizedpopulation.Wehopethateducatorsand
practitionersapplythe scantknowledgethatisavailableandjoinus incall
ing for intensifiedeffortstodevelopevidence-basedservicesforindividu
als withAS.Wehopethatthisworkservesasamotivationalstartingpoint
for studentsto undertakebadlyneeded researchto improvethe dearthof
Preface ix
knowledge in this area.But most of all, we offer this book to the Bemies
who live with AS every day of their lives and to their parents who love
themsodearly.Maythisbooknotonlyoffer somehopebutinspireyouto
speakouton behalfofallwithAS.
RAYMOND W.DUCHARME
THOMASP. GULLOTTA
Acknowledgments
A project of this scope and magnitude requires support and assistance at
manydifferentlevels.TomGullottaisindebtedtoJohnandKellyHartman
for enabling this program to be established. He expresses his deepest
appreciation to the Board of Child and Family Agency of Southeastern
Connecticut who have encouraged him over many years to actively pur
sueknowledge and to tum that knowledgewithotherstaffinto practices
that enable families to succeed. Further, this effort would have not been
successful were it not for assistance from the Connecticut Department
of Mental Health and Addiction Services. In particular, thanks goes to
CommissionerThomasKirkandtoDianneHamad,DirectorofPrevention
Services.ResearchassistantsJessica RamosandJenniferMessinaprovided
valuablecopyediting,proofreading,andlibraryresearchsupportforwhich
TomandRayare grateful.At ChildandFamily,the logisticresponsibilities
for this program fell on the very able shoulders ofJudy Lovelace, whose
charm, grace, and competence ensures that this effort runs smoothly.
Raymond DuCharmereflectsbackon the startofhis careerandacknowl
edges the lasting influence on him by Delores Taylor, Ph.D. and Jim
Simmons,M.D.for theirsimple,clearadviceand guidance.Both are ded
icated to the value of research and the need to apply it to meet the needs
ofchildrenand theirfamilies.
xi
Contents
1. WhatIs Asperger Syndrome? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
RaymondW. DuCharmeandKathleenA. McGrady
2. Social Skills Instruction for Children with Asperger
Syndrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Brenda SmithMyles
3. Evidence-Based Instruction for Children with Asperger
Syndrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
RaymondW. DuCharme
4. Counseling and OtherTherapeutic Strategies for
Childrenwith Asperger Syndrome and TheirFamilies . . 83
Ann Wagner andKathleenA.McGrady
5. Identifying and Preventing the Risks for Victimization
of Children with Asperger Syndrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
LizaLittle
6. Transition Support for Learners with Asperger
Syndrome: Toward Successful Adulthood 157
PeterF. Gerhardt
xiii
