Innovative Approaches to Working with Teens with Asperger Syndrome

So many teens with AS are socially isolated, spending far too much time in front of a computer or TV. Isolation can lead to boredom, lack of exercise, loneliness, anxiety, despair, and depression. Teens need chances to strengthen their social skills, and help in making real world connections and lives for themselves. Yet teens may not be open to attending the kind of social skills groups that work for younger children. Fortunately, we have been hearing about several professionals who have developed exciting new approaches to working with teens. I asked several of them to share their approaches. We hope their examples will inspire others to try new activities or formats. We hope to get articles for future issues on other outstanding, innovative programs.
Stephanie Loo, AANE Director of Teen Services

Take An Adventure Outside the Box!

By Cari Feingold and Lori Hodgins
www.adventuresoutsidethebox.com

It’s five-thirty on a Thursday afternoon and a teen adventure group is wrapping up for the day. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been gearing up for a weekend outing by breaking down our big plan into smaller manageable steps. We’ve created and reviewed a checklist of things to bring and practiced packing our bags. We have established a budget for the trip and have taken a trip to the grocery store for some healthy and energizing snacks that everyone agrees on. We’ve gone over our maps and know our route, being sure to identify contingency plans for when the predictably unpredictable happens.

During our previous weekly meetings, we’ve gone on neighborhood walks. We’ve identified how our bodies feel when we set a comfortable walking pace, modifying our plans based on how we are all feeling. We’ve practiced staying together as a group, and maintaining the ebb and flow of our conversations. We have also used these times to become cognizant of our surroundings, identifying environmental clues to make sure we are heading in the right direction (assuming we want to be going “right” and not left)—and we now know that the smart thing to do is to ask for directions when we get turned around.

Saturday’s outing was a real adventure! We met at our s to fill the need for innovative, engaging programs for teens with Asperger Syndrome and related conditions. We had both noticed that, on an almost weekly basis, families and professionals were expressing to us concerns regarding the lack of programming that provided opportunities for individuals with AS to practice social skills, life skills, and flexible thinking skills in the community. Drawing our own life interests and our combined professional knowledge (occupational therapy and educational consulting), we have created a program to incorporate the teaching of life skills into recreational experiences.

Our programming interconnects the development of executive functioning and social thinking skills in a fun environment. Introducing new ideas, and learning to expect the unexpected, are key goals of our groups. Our curriculum addresses these goals in a recreational, outcome-oriented manner, through a series of modules. The weekend trip varies with each new module to appeal to and expand on a variety of kids’ interests. However, no matter which Adventure your child chooses—the Nature Adventure, the Urban Adventure, the Winter Adventure, or the Letterboxing Adventure—he or she will acquire and practice new skills in a naturalistic setting with a real-life outcome.

AOB respects the diverse interests of today’s adolescents. We understand the importance of a program having “teen appeal” in order to be successful. Our ongoing programming model affords us the opportunity to work from teens’ own ideas and interests, expanding them into a social and community learning environment. For example, a student who shies away from active pursuits may be interested in getting “outside the box” to join us for an urban adventure or a geocaching trip. We are a progressive program, and we’re looking forward to developing new adventures based on the new ideas our teen Adventurers tell us about.

Cari M. Feingold, M.S. OTR/L, (below, right) co-founder of Adventure Outside the Box, has over 14 years experience as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. Her specialties include motor development, and sensory modulation and organization.
Lori Hodgins Brazell, M.S. Ed, (photo left) co-founder, is an Educational Consultant specializing in students with Asperger Syndrome. She has over 14 years of experience consulting, programming, and teaching social thinking for children with AS and related disorders, and training other educators.

Communication Solutions

By David Hughes, MSW
www.communicationsolutions.net

There is no single magical recipe for running social and pragmatic language groups for adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. However, I feel that seeking groups with the following qualities will significantly increase the chances for teens to get the most out of the group experience.

  1. Co-led groups with a speech pathologist and a psychotherapist.
  2. Groups integrating passions for music/art, hobbies and humor.
  3. Careful planning around “Goodness of Fit.”
  4. Content designed specifically for the age/developmental level of adolescents.
  5. Groups providing access to counselors and a “Parent Guide,” including curriculum and activities to follow up at home.

Groups co-led by a speech pathologist and psychotherapist (social worker, psychologist, or mental health counselor) provide a dual-perspective approach to teaching explicit lessons about how to communicate effectively. Combining speech and therapeutic disciplines provides the opportunity for both effective communication and sensitivity to affect regulation. These are essential as teens with AS often survive in a world tarnished by a history of being ineffective communicators, resulting in fragile egos.

Creatively integrate teens’ passions
If adolescents do not enjoy coming to group, they won’t buy into it. Providing teens the opportunity to make connections can contribute to group acceptance. One suggestion is to build a routine into the structure of group where each week a different group member shares a favorite song, piece of artwork or information related to a specific passion. Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome often have well developed understandings of humor and rely upon it to communicate. Providing a structure which allows humor to be used effectively and appropriately can also help create the comfort level adolescents need to buy into the group experience.

Finding a Good Fit
I believe that creating groups with the right group chemistry is by far the most difficult challenge for parents and therapists. One resistant group member can completely sabotage an otherwise well-matched group. Group questionnaires and screening interviews are probably the best safeguard for finding a good fit. Some adolescents with AS simply are not comfortable in group settings and therefore not good candidates for group work.

Design groups specifically for teens’ developmental level
When it comes to groups, adolescents’ needs differ from those of elementary school children. Their neurotypical peers are less tolerant, often leaving teens with AS unable to cope and feel comfortable in school.

Keep parents informed and involved
Learning effective ways for adolescents to be able to communicate effectively in their environment should not be a secret kept within group sessions! Groups that provide regular Parent Guides and staff availability are essential to reinforcing learned skills.

Finding groups with the potential to maximize your teenager’s ability to cope effectively in his/her social environment is a difficult task. However, successful matching can mean huge payoffs for adolescents who live with Asperger Syndrome.

David Hughes is a Clinical Social Worker in Andover, MA.
Contact him at .

Back to Top