Lifespan Issues in Asperger Syndrome
Lynda Geller, Ph.D.

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High School
High school bears some similarities to middle school in its challenges. There is even less adult supervision of peer interactions and peer pressure often intensifies. Sometimes AS adolescents have identified a clique of students with whom to be comfortable, but unfortunately other times they are solitary figures, depressed and alone. Again, there are those who remain undiagnosed, although they may have been educationally classified as "emotionally disturbed (ED)." We need to remember that ED is not a diagnosis and tells us little about what the problem is. It is simply a classification schools use to characterize a child's problems as primarily emotional. We know that AS is a developmental problem, and that there are typically emotional issues associated with it, however, by conceptualizing the problems as "primarily" emotional, the correct interventions may not be developed to address the underlying roots of the presenting issues. Even the correctly diagnosed student for whom planning has been assiduously done may experience intense difficulties in high school. It is important to remember that most secondary teachers have received no training in disabilities or how to address them, so they are dealing with a variety of included students with little specialized knowledge. Thus, it is important for parents to continue to be strong educational advocates, even for the nearly adult student, and to advocate for pre-training for the teachers the student will encounter in the upcoming school year. Depression and school phobia are frequent reasons AS high school students are referred for evaluation and treatment. Sometimes these are individuals who have been undiagnosed and sometimes they have had good planning over the years. However, the pressures of impending adulthood, heterosexual relationships, and oftimes increasing social misery can cause them to lose hope about their present and their future. This may be a good time to reconsider psychotherapy with someone who really understands the pressures young people with AS face. A specialized group can also help with skill development and opportunities for camaraderie among others facing the same sorts of issues.

When parents of AS children ask us about what the future holds in store, they are wondering if they will grow out of their social disabilities and have a "normal" life. This is a difficult question to answer, as there have been no long-term longitudinal studies to show us what types of childhood problems continue into adulthood and which ones tend to diminish, and in what combinations. Just as for more neurotypical children, there is no crystal ball for AS individuals, because there are so many variables to life adjustment. In addition, those who are adults now had much less opportunity for appropriate intervention, so we cannot always accurately extrapolate from their life experiences. What we do know is there is a wide range of life outcomes from individuals who go to college, marry and have a family to those who live with their parents or in supervised environments throughout life. We know that childhood adjustment is the best predictor of adult adjustment and that behavior patterns formed in childhood can persist throughout life. Therefore, it is crucial to work very diligently with parents to help children develop appropriate social skills, learn to modulate their emotional states, learn to problem solve independently, and have as positive an environment as possible within which to learn and grow, both at school and at home. Nevertheless, there are a number of issues that need to be considered as adulthood approaches.

>>>Page 4: Adulthood

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