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understand others, yet they may have great trouble with the flow of social conversation, talking

at

people instead of

with

people,

relaying factual information or phrases memorized from TV shows without responding to what their listener is saying or doing. Thus

individuals with Asperger’s may have extensive vocabularies, but difficulty using it in a fluid way to make conversation in social

situations. High-functioning individuals, like those with more language difficulties, may also have trouble with abstract language and

tend to interpret things literally. For example, if a teacher said, “Don’t let the cat out of the bag,” a literal interpretation would have

a student looking for a cat and a bag. In addition, many students with autism may have trouble processing language when there

are competing sights and sounds. Thus using language alone to explain complicated material may sometimes be less effective than

supplementing the explanation with concrete visual information that supports the verbal explanation (Quill, 1995).

Repetitive and ritualistic behaviors reflect a preference for sameness and repetition with regards to interests, daily routine, and

body movements. Many youngsters with autism develop a fascination with a particular area of interest and elaborate on that interest

to the exclusion of learning about new things. For example, I knew a youngster who became obsessed with vacuum cleaners and

was reluctant to attend to or talk about anything else. Many individuals with autism also exhibit nonfunctional routines that appear

superstitious in nature. One individual I worked with had to hang every picture in the house at a crooked angle before he could use

the toilet. Other students may not have nonfunctional routines, but prefer that their daily routines occur the same way all the time

and may become very anxious or upset when changes or transitions are introduced. Youngsters may also demonstrate repetition in

their use of language (repeating the same phrase over and over) or in their physical movements (e.g., repetitive hand flapping, body

rocking, or twirling around).

Because of the difficulties individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders have in negotiating social situations and handling

changes in their environment, many students experience stress, frustration and anxiety on an almost constant basis (Kim, Szatmari,

Bryson, Streiner, & Wilson, 2000; Myles & Southwick, 1999). Wanting to interact with another student but not knowing how,

not understanding the change in teacher directions for a new challenging task, hearing other students laugh around them, and

not knowing whether they are the target of the joke—these are all stressful situations that youths with Autism Spectrum Disorders

experience daily.

Despite this level of stress, it is important to point out the emotional variability among students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Some students rarely seem to get upset, as they may handle their stress by withdrawal and go virtually unnoticed. Others present

with additional anxiety disorders (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, or Panic Disorder). Some students seem to be

constantly frustrated, impulsive, and have frequent tantrums. Many of these individuals may also be diagnosed with Attention Deficit

Disorder or a Mood Disorder (e.g., Bipolar Disorder). Although students may react and cope with the stresses in their lives quite

differently, they may share a similar reason for experiencing high levels of stress, as described below.