Monday, March 29, 2010
SWD
Two summers ago, I worked as a day camp counselor for a church near my home. The camp included elementary ages students from kindergarten to kids who were going into the sixth grade that next year. About a month into the program we had a student start. I got a chance to talk with his mom, and she informed me that her son, we’ll call him Max had Asperger’s Syndrome. I was not very educated about this disorder and therefore was not expecting it to be that big of a disturbance on the rest of the campers and their experiences. She told me that it was only a mild case and that the only major thing that would be helpful would be if there was going to be a change in the schedule, I should let him know ahead of time so that he could adjust. That was not necessarily the case. We had multiple incidences over the course of the next 2 weeks in which this student had to be taken home early because he got violent with other campers. One day it was raining outside so we were playing board games in one of the rooms, and he was playing really well with another camper, but when he lost at “Guess Who?” he proceeded to jump on top of the person he lost to and try to pull out his hair. Another day, Max wanted to swing on the tire swing, but there were already students on it. So, he went to the student who was pushing them and bit him so hard that he started to bleed! Unfortunately, Max couldn’t stay with our program after that situation. The part that was so upsetting to me was when we had to confront Max’s mom and let her know that he would not be allowed to come back. She started to cry and told us that this was the 5thcamp that summer that he was kicked out of. She didn’t know how to handle her own son, and didn’t have the resources to figure out what environment was best for him. As a counselor I was frustrated because she did not inform us accurately of how much this disorder really affected his life, but as a person, I was hurting for her because she didn’t know what to do, and proceeded to tell us that school was a similar situation. I can’t begin to imagine being a teacher and having this happen. Max’s mom just needed information.
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When I hear the word "Asperger's," I often think of a really mild disorder. The fact that we often call it "mild Autism" can be really misleading. As you showed above, Asperger's can greatly affect a person's life. Not understanding social cues and being aggressive can really harm how a child fares in school and around other kids. Max's mom should have definitely let you know just how bad it was. It sounds like she is in denial and makes thought you all wouldn't notice?? My aunt has a child with Asperger's and she at first acted similarly to Max's mother- thankfully, she decided to confront the problem and he is now in a special school for a bit of early intervention.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened to me as a counselor when a mother did not inform us her son had Asberger's as well! If we had been forewarned and educated, we could have been more adequately prepared to be watchful and handle any stressful situations that arise. If students like this are in our classrooms, the best thing we can do is educate ourselves and be informed of the situation so that we can be prepared. I honestly believe that if a teacher cares enough and was aware of the circumstances, she could handle problems much better than someone who was not told the whole truth.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad you shared this story with us because I am working as a camp counselor at the YMCA this summer and need to be prepared for these types of incidents. It sounds to me that this case, and many other cases, begin with frustration. I imagine that children with disorders like Asperger's get angry about things very easily due to their discomfort in social situations. As authority figures, I would say that the best thing to do is to be patient with the children along with being stern (especially in violent situations). And in regards to your comment, education in the matter is very very important. How are teachers and parents supposed to deal with conditions that they know nothing about?
ReplyDeleteThat is a really sad story, and I agree that often times you do not realize how much of an impact a certain disability can have on a person until you see it up close and personal. It can be tough on the person with the disability, but I think in some ways it is often harder on their parents and family. I can believe as a parent that their is that desire to try and help your child when you see that they are having difficulties but you cannot help them.
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