Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: How You Can Help
Chances are you probably know someone in your school with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. He might be the student you see sitting alone in the cafeteria at lunch each day. Or maybe she is the student on your bus who talks quietly to herself or smiles and laughs for no apparent reason. He might be the student who loves to talk about the weather or video games or baseball statistics. You may have noticed that this student has some unusual behaviors or doesn’t seem to “fit in” with the other students at school.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is used to describe the range of conditions that includes Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disabilities- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Syndrome (AS). Individuals with ASD may fall on very different points of the autism “spectrum”. Some may have normal or above normal intelligence. Others may have mental retardation as well as autism. Some individuals with ASD will not be able to take care of themselves and will always need help with daily living skills. Others may be able to attend college and live independently in the community. Every individual with autism is unique and has his or her own strengths and challenges.
Even though all these students are unique, they will share some common characteristics of autism. Individuals on the autism spectrum have difficulties with social interactions and communication. They often have trouble making friends and “fitting in”. They may not be able to understand the social rules that “typical” people follow. Some individuals with ASD want to have conversations but they may stand too close, talk too loudly, or interrupt others when they are speaking. They may only want to talk about their favorite subject. Some students with ASD may avoid talking to others because starting a conversation is too difficult.
Another common characteristic of ASD is the need for routines and order. It is calming to individuals with autism when things are predictable. Developing routines in their lives may be their way of making a very confusing world more understandable. This desire for routines can make changes especially difficult. Starting a new school year with new classes, new teachers, and a new schedule can be a major adjustment. The student may feel anxious or overwhelmed as they learn to adjust to new experiences.
Many students with ASD also have sensory issues that can affect how they react to their environment. They may have overly sensitive hearing. For example, the buzzing of the fluorescent lights in the classroom can be painful to their ears. They may be distracted by noises that other students can filter out and ignore. Changing classes can be especially overwhelming with the sound of the bell ringing, students yelling, and the slamming of locker doors. Some students with ASD have a heightened sensitivity to touch. They may not like being touched and may pull away when someone touches them. Certain textures may actually feel painful to their skin, limiting the kinds of clothing they can wear. Oversensitivity to smells can also be an issue for individuals with ASD. It may be difficult for these individuals to be around people wearing perfume or in settings with strong smells such as biology labs, the cafeteria, or the locker room. Each of these sensory issues can affect how the student behaves in that environment.
No matter how their autism shows itself or how they may appear to others, each individual with ASD has feelings. They are sensitive to how they are treated by others and they want to be liked. Whether the student is in a special education class or in regular education classes with “typical” students, they can be vulnerable to being bullied. The odd behaviors they may have can make them stand out. Because they have difficulty making friends, they are often on their own and therefore are easier targets for bullies. Not only are these students trying to cope with the difficulties of their autism, they are often struggling to protect themselves from verbal and physical abuse from other students.
How can you help your fellow student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder? One of the most important things you can do is to accept and respect them for who they are. You can accept the fact that a student with ASD may prefer being alone, understanding that social situations are often difficult. You can accept that sometimes the student’s behaviors may seem odd, understanding the sensory issues that may challenge them or the difficulty they may have adjusting to changes. We need to respect these students not only for the unique perspective they offer, but for the challenges they must deal with on a daily basis.
You can also help the student with ASD by offering to be a friend. If you have a classmate who you suspect may be on the autism spectrum, go up to them and say hello. You can invite them to sit with you at lunch or ask them to work with you on a school project. Maybe you have similar interests like video games or movies that you can talk about. Of course it may not be easy to be a friend to someone who is considered different. Being a friend may mean standing up for them at times when someone is making fun of them or being mean. But when we are kind to someone, and when we open ourselves to the perspectives of others who are different than us, we broaden and enrich our lives. By reaching out to the student with ASD, you are giving them an incredible gift, something very difficult for them to achieve on their own- the gift of friendship.
(Published in “Tweens and Teens News Magazine”, Vol. 5, Number 11, November 2006)