Students with Asperger’s Syndrome often display several areas of outstanding academic ability balanced by areas of ability far below their grade level.
Your student may be a genius with computers and technology, but be unable to write a grammatically correct sentence. He or she may have an encyclopaedic knowledge of dinosaurs, but be unable to do a page of arithmetic problems. When faced with these academic gaps, students with Asperger’s Syndrome understandably become very frustrated, and may experience a “meltdown.”
Knowing how to avoid meltdowns is crucial to maintain a functioning and effective classroom. Once again, strategies for avoiding meltdowns will depend largely on the individual student. Identify what triggers the student’s frustration, first of all, and avoid these things as much as possible. If the trigger can’t be avoided (math lessons, for example), then perhaps it can be modified or adapted to better fit the student’s needs. Frequent breaks may be necessary for the student to complete the task, or fewer problems assigned, or the promise of a reinforcer after the work is done.
Most importantly, these students need to learn strategies for coping and calming themselves down. Asking for a break can be a very appropriate way to lessen frustration levels. Keep a visual timer displayed during work time. This way, students have a finish line in sight. You might have the student draw a picture of the source of his frustration, with some written lines of how to best cope with it. This practice can be very purging and empowering.
Sometimes, students may need to take a walk to cool down. In these instances, send the student on an errand, perhaps to deliver an attendance roster to the office, or to give a message to another teacher. The errand itself isn’t important, but the act of errand-running will keep the student in a mode of class participation and of following directions, while at the same time giving him or her a break from the source of frustration.