Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Asperger's and Rett Syndrome

1. How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws? (Consider federal education laws such as IDEA & NJ spec ed code.)
· Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder may be eligible for early intervention services (birth to 3) and an educational program appropriate to their individual needs. In addition to academic instruction, special education programs for students with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (ages 3 to 22) focus on improving communication, social, academic, behavioral, and daily living skills. Behavior and communication problems that interfere with learning often require the assistance of a professional who is particularly knowledgeable in the autism field to develop and help implement a plan which can be carried out at home and school.
o “Disability Info: Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Fact Sheet (FS1). National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. 14 November 2007. .

· Asperger’s Syndrome: Recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ‘97) will significantly influence how behavioral support is conceptualized and provided to students with Asperger's Syndrome. IDEA ‘97 requires school districts to conduct functional behavioral assessments when student behavior negatively impacts individual student learning and the school environment.
o Buckmann, Steve and Pratt, Cathy Ph.D.. “Supporting Students with Asperger’s Syndrome”. 14 November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: Rett Syndrome is included under one of the five ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) syndromes. Children who have an ASD do not follow typical patterns of child development. In most of the children they start to see problems in communication and social skills when they are falling behind their peers. Around the ages of 12-36 months unusual behavior can be seen. Some parents say that their child may start to reject people, act differently, and lose language and social skills they may have already had (Smith, 2007).
Rett syndrome is a genetically based condition it and occurs only in girls (Smith, 2007): Rett syndrome is caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome. The MECP2 gene is responsible for turning off or regulating the activity of other genes. The MECP2 mutation (change in the gene) causes the turn-off/regulatory mechanism to fail, allowing other genes to function abnormally. So, RS is a genetic disorder of developmental arrest or failure of brain maturation. This is thought to occur when subsets of neurons and their connections (synapses) are disrupted during a very dynamic phase of brain development. This deviation occurs at the end of pregnancy or in the first few months of life during the critical phases of synapse development (IRSA, 2006).
o Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.
o (2006). FAQ. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from International Rett Syndrome Association Web site: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/index.asp

2. What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and levels of functioning.)
· Asperger’s Syndrome: People with Asperger’s Syndrome often have narrow interests, or fixation with a topic to the exclusion of additional activities. They may also show signs of awkward and uncoordinated motor movements and recurring behaviors or routines. Associations with others frequently involve irregularities in speaking and language, problems with nonverbal communication, and socially unacceptable behavior and interpersonal interaction. People with Asperger's Syndrome may not be able to communicate their own emotional state, or understand it in others. They also might have trouble showing empathy with other people. Accordingly, people with Asperger’s Syndrome might be seen as egotistical, selfish or cold.
o “Autism and Asperger’s Fact Sheet Overview of Asperger syndrome, one of the Autistic Spectrum Disorders”. 14 November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: A child who has Rett’s Syndrome will have the following telling signs after the normal period of development: “the deceleration of head growth, the loss of previously acquired hand skills (between 5 and 30 months). They can also lose hand movements like hand washing and hand writing. The child may also show signs of declining social engagement, shakiness, or poor coordination in the torso and in gait movements. There function level is severely impaired, and most girls that have Rett Syndrome also have mental retardation (Smith, 2007).
o Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.

· Commonalities/ Differences: Both disabilities have coordination mobility problems as well as speech and language problems. With Rett Syndrome children begin to develop normally then hit a plateau and begin to regress whereas with Asperger’s Syndrome children show more severe symptoms from birth as to developmental progression. Children with Rett Syndrome have more medical problems, such as trouble breathing, than children with Asperger’s Syndrome.

3. If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic and social support.
· Asperger’s Syndrome: Because students with Asperger's Syndrome are easily overwhelmed by change, limiting changes throughout the class would be a strategy to help this child with their disability. In doing so; a teacher can provide a predictable, secure atmosphere; reduce transitions; have a daily routine that the student can understand so the student can perform the day’s tasks; and prepare the child for upcoming surprises.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome illustrate a limited range of interests. To help a student with Asperger’s Syndrome, as a teacher I would designate a specific period of time for the student to ask questions about his interest, such as only for fifteen minutes during lunch or recess; explain to the child that all the class work needs to get done but I will allow extra time for each child to explore their interests; I will also tailor some assignments that the student finds hard to understand to his or her particular interest.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome also suffer from poor concentration and are often off task. As a teacher, I will break down and structure assignments for this student, I will give regular feedback, I will help them organize by giving them timed work sessions and advising them what should be completed by the end of the session, and the child will be seated in the front of the room and asked frequent lessons pertaining to the lesson.
Children with Asperger’s Syndrome usually have high intelligence but lack the skills to understand and apply. I will offer extended explanation to the student that may be common knowledge for the rest of the students, take advantage of the student’s memory skills and offer many facts for the student to memorize, and I will set certain expectations for the child and guide them to meet these expectations.
o Williams, Karen. “Asperger Syndrome: Understanding the Student with Asperger’s Syndrome: Guidelines for Teachers”. The O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support Web Page. November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: If I was a teacher in a general education classroom, there would be certain information and strategies that could help me to best support the child who has Rett’s Syndrome. Before the student came into my class for the school year, I would want to have a vast amount of knowledge about Rett’s Syndrome. I would want to meet with the parents and child before the school year starts to introduce myself, and to find out if they had any concerns or issues they would like to address. I would make sure the child is healthy and fit for school and get them excited about being in my classroom. I would meet with the child study team and discuss the child’s IEP, and what I must do for the child and how make review the necessary accommodations and modifications for school work and my classroom. I would also meet with the school counselor, and discuss with her/she that I will have a child with a disability in my classroom. I would want the school counselor to be ready to help support the child with Rett’s Syndrome or other children who may have never been in a classroom with a child who has a disability before. I would also look into support groups and websites. I want to see what families and people with Rett’s syndrome in their life are going through, and what issues are being presented to them. I would want to be as knowledgeable as a possibly could, I would go to any seminars available about Rett’s syndrome. I would do everything I could to stay actively involved with the child and updates on their disability so I could better her education and her life.

· Commonalities/ Differences: With both syndromes the teacher would want to meet with the child before the school year begins because they both have social issues and the teacher would help the transition to make them as comfortable as possible. Rett Syndrome can be more severe where they have a higher chance of having seizures and apraxia so that child would most likely not be in a general education setting whereas a child with Asperger’s Syndrome would be able to be in a general education setting with less complications.

4. What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (websites, agencies, people within your school, curriculum materials: 2 or 3 line description for each resource is required.)
· Asperger’s Syndrome: As a teacher I would use a multitude of resources to help a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Some of these being:
§ O.A.S.I.S (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support) [website]
o This website includes information for teachers and parents on children with Asperger’s Syndrome. This website is composed of support groups, message boards, education tips, family matters and much more.
o http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/
§ Asperger’s Disorder Homepage [website]
o This is the official website of Asperger’s. It covers what Asperger’s Syndrome is, the biology of it, the other problems that may coexist with this syndrome, possible treatment to repress it, and professional services and advice. It also includes a multitude of books that may be of help to a parent or instructor.
o http://www.aspergers.com/
§ MAAP Services for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome [website]
o This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to families about Pervasive Disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome. It includes local resources, legal rights of those individuals with Asperger’s, newsletters, and networking.
o http://www.maapservices.org/
§ Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers (Resource Materials for Teachers) by Val Cumine [book]
o This is a guide to effective classroom practice when working with children with Asperger’s Syndrome in mainstream schools. It covers everything from how to meet the child for the first time, to working with the child on a daily basis, to preparing them for the next level they will be moving to. It is full of great examples and explanations for why children with Asperger’s Syndrome behave as they do.
§ Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood [book]
· This book includes both identification and treatment tactics for parents and professionals. It offers a descriptions and analysis of the atypical characteristics of the disorder and strategies to reduce behaviors that are most debilitating. There is even an entire chapter dedicated to frequently asked questions those pose who come in contact with individuals who have Asperger’s.

· Rett Syndrome: The resources that I would need as a teacher to serve this child would be the following:
The child study team, the parents of the child, the child, support groups, and other teachers, and different books, and websites.
The child study will help me to set up the child’s curriculum along with the curriculum I already have planned. They will make sure that I do my part as the student’s teacher that I am doing all the implementations that are set out by the IEP. The IEP that is given to the student to make sure that the child gets an appropriate education they deserve while receiving the accommodations that are necessary, and special services will be given,
The next resource I would use would be the parents. I would make sure to always keep in contact with the parents of the child. I want them to update them frequently on their child’s progress socially and academically. I will make sure to keep them updated on any changes that may take place with their child. I want them to also let me know if there is anything going on at home that I should know about that could affect their child during school.
One of the most important resources that I would use is the child. I will have so much help from people around me to help this child get the best education that I can give them. But I also need to talk to the child herself. It is her education and I would want to know what she wants and expects from the school year, from herself, and from me as her teacher. I would want her to let me know how she feels about the accommodations she will be given and if they work for her, and how she is adjusting socially in the classroom, and I would want her to be able to talk to me to let me know how others are treating her.
Support groups will not only help the families but it can help me as her educator. Many families are in the support groups and if I encounter problems and need to seek solutions talking to other people whose child may have been in a similar situation could help me to help my student.
I could also talk to other teachers, especially other special education teachers. They may be able to help me and provide me with certain things that a general education teacher could not, like a specific devise that a child in a general education classroom may not necessarily need to complete their school work. They can help me deal with certain plateaus I may hit, if I can not help the child learn something. I feel that their strategies and information they can give me will help me to reach the child better and to help her education continue.
· The Rett Syndrome handbook is also another resource that I could use. It talks about all different aspects of Rett’s Syndrome. It helps with family issues, genetics questions answered, therapy issues, care and management issues, growing up, and a future with Rett’s Syndrome. The following website: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/, could be extremely helpful to anyone, especially if they do not know a lot about Rett Syndrome. It helps in educating, support, raising awareness, and new medical information available to families who have someone with Rett’s Syndrome.

· Commonalities/ Differences: For every disability there commonalities such as websites and books for the teacher to refer to. Students suffering from either disorder would have an IEP and work with the Child Study Team but the child with Rett Syndrome would need different modifications dealing with their health and well-being whereas with Asperger’s the modifications are geared towards social and academic progress.