Students with Asperger Syndrome

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One group of students with autism spectrum disorder that should be highlighted comprises those with Asperger syndrome (Verre, Guerrs, & Roeyers, 2006). A wide range of students may be identified with this disability. Students with Asperger syndrome have extraordinary difficulty in social interactions, such as making eye contact, using facial expressions appropriately and understanding those of others, and seeking out peers and other people, even though their language and intellectual development are typical. They also may have difficulty in using language correctly, confusing whether to use first-person (I), second-person (you), or third-person (she or he) pronouns. These students also may insist on specific routines in the classroom and at home, and as noted earlier, they may have extraordinary interest in a specific topic (for example, models of aircraft, countries in Asia) to the extent that they do not realize that others may not share their interest. Many students with Asperger syndrome have very high intellectual ability, and they appropriately spend the school day with peers in general education classrooms and continue on to college (Adreon & Durocher, 2007). However, because of their difficulty with social interaction, they may struggle to make friends.