Teachers can be great allies in keeping your child with Asperger syndrome safe and successful in school, but you'll need to make sure they have all the knowledge they need to help. Use these suggestions to create a information packet to bring educators up to speed.
Five Things Teachers Need to Know
1. My child needs structure and routine in order to function. Please try to keep his world as predictable as possible.
2. If there will be any sort of change in my child's classroom or routine, please notify me as far in advance as possible so that we can all work together in preparing her for it.
3. My child's difficulty with social cues, nonverbal communciation, figurative language and eye contact are part of his neurological makeup -- he is not being deliberately rude or disrespectful.
4. My child is an individual, not a diagnosis; please be alert and receptive to the things that make her unique and special.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in his life working together.
Printouts to Share with Teachers
Asperger's Syndrome Guide for Teachers
Source: O.A.S.I.S.
Understanding the Student with Asperger's Syndrome: Guidelines for Teachers
Source: O.A.S.I.S.
Educating the Student with Asperger Syndrome (pdf)
Source: Asperger Syndrome Education Network
Asperger's Syndrome Fact Sheet
Source: NAMI North Carolina
Tips for Teaching High-Functioning People with Autism
Source: O.A.S.I.S.
