Helping Writers with Asperger's Syndrome (Tutor's Column‪)‬

Three years ago, my young son was first diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and since that time my awareness of this learning disability has dramatically increased. This relatively newly described brain dysfunction is commonly associated with the autism spectrum although people with Asperger's often possess average or above average IQs. First described in 1944 by Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger, this syndrome occurs in only 7 out of 100 people in the United States with males affected at a rate 4 times greater than females. Further it was only added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. (Published by American Psychiatric Association, this document articulates specific diagnoses and symptoms of a variety of disorders, including those which require, by federal law, accommodations in primary, secondary, and postsecondary academic institutions.) Given the rarity with which this learning disorder occurs, it might seem that developing specific learning approaches tailored to meet the needs of such students is unnecessary. In fact, according to the Office of Disability Services at my small Midwestern college, only 2 students out of a population totaling 4,600 have officially registered to receive accommodations for Asperger's. On the other hand, due to the stigmas associated with autism, some students may feel uncomfortable about revealing the fact they have Asperger's. Instead, they choose not to ask for individualized educational plans and manage their schoolwork using other techniques. Further, because a psychological description of this disorder has only recently entered the literature, there may be some students struggling with writing tasks who never have been properly diagnosed. In any event, writing tutors may be faced with helping students who evidence some of the problems associated with Asperger's even though such students have no official label attached to them. Also, the reality is that many of the tips and suggestions which would help Asperger's students are just good advice, regardless of a student's learning style.