Mistreatment And Ostracizing Of Children With Aspergers Syndrome - Research Paper Example

Mistreatment And Ostracizing Of Children With Asperger’s Syndrome Introduction Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder that is distinguished by obsession for one activity or interest. The disorder is one of autism spectrum disorders, which are an assortment of developmental disabilities including autism. They are called spectrum disorders since their symptoms appear in various combinations and varying severity degrees. For instance, two children having similar diagnosis may share some behavior patterns, but show varied abilities and skills. (KidsHealth 1). This paper looks into the mistreatment and ostracizing of children with AS, but first, we will look at some background information on the disorder. Background Information on Asperger’s Syndrome Asperger’s syndrome is named after a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 gave an initial description of a set of patterns of behavior that was apparent in some of his patients, mainly males. Hans realized that even though some of his male patients had normal language development and intelligence, their social skills were severely impaired. They also exhibited poor coordination and were incapable of communicating effectively with others (KidsHealth 1). According to WebMD (1), the number of persons suffering from Asperger’s syndrome is unknown, though it is estimated that out of every 1000 kids, 2 to 6 of them have the disorder. Additionally, boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to suffer from AS than girls. Similar to other autism spectrum disorders, Asperger’s syndrome is normally hard to diagnose and treat. Initial diagnosis of this disorder in children happens between the age of two and six years. Asperger’s syndrome is distinguished by poor or improper social interactions, odd speech patterns, as well as obsession with a single subject (Kieran and Kieran 31-34). Children with this disorder show few facial expressions and find it difficult to read others’ body language. In addition, they might involve themselves in obsessive routines, as well as, become unusually sensitive to sensory stimuli for instance; they might choose to wear clothes made from only a specific material, or be bothered by sounds within their surrounding to the extent that they block their ears. Other characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome include limited interests, repetitive speech, motor delays, odd preoccupations, lack of common sense, odd behaviors, awkward movements and physical clumsiness among others (KidsHealth 2). In general, children with AS are able to function in their daily lives, but tend to be a bit socially immature, and more often are seen by their peers as odd. It is vital to mention that unlike children with autism, kids with AS do not show language development delays, have good grammatical skills, as well as, highly developed vocabulary at an early age. Nonetheless, they normally show a language disorder i.e. such children may have trouble applying language within a social context. Also, they do not have obvious cognitive development delays, although they can experience challenges with organization and attention. Children with Asperger’s syndrome normally have average intelligence although, at times, others have above-average intelligence. Both WebMD (1) and KidsHealth (2) admit that there is no known cause of Asperger’s syndrome and that investigations are still underway to determine the exact cause. A majority of people believe that the behavior pattern characterizing AS may have several causes. For instance, the disorder is said to be hereditary, hence is passed from one generation to another. Brain abnormality is another possible cause of AS according to KidsHealth (2), due to the functional and structural variations within specific brain regions that have been recognized by use of advanced brain imaging. Mental disorders like depression can also cause AS. Currently there is no known treatment for Asperger’s syndrome, meaning children with AS will grow into adults still having the disorder. Nevertheless, a majority of people with AS normally live filled and happy lives, and attaining this ought to be enhanced with the right education, resources and support. Mistreatment and ostracizing of children with Asperger’s syndrome Bullying of children with or without disabilities is unacceptable and it is a sad fact that a significant number of children with Asperger’s syndrome face repetitive bullying and victimization from their peers. Bullying of such children can be physical, sexual or emotional. Due to their poor social skills and limited interests, children with AS often ostracized and mistreated by their peers. According to Massachusetts Advocates for Children (9), up to 94% of children with AS are victimized by their peers. This high number is confirmed by Little (43-47) who also indicated that mothers of children with AS said that the victimization rate on their children was 94 percent. In addition, the research by Little showed that nearly three quarters of children with Asperger’s Syndrome had been beaten by their fellow siblings or peers in the last one year while 75% had been bullied emotionally. Another 15% of children suffering from AS suffered sexual assault while 10% were physical attacked by a gang. Peer ostracizing was also reported in the research i.e. one third of children with AS said that they received no invitation to attend a birthday party within the last one year while numerous others reported that they were picked last to play for their teams, or they ate lunch alone. These figures show that ostracizing and mistreatment of children with AS is real, and there is a need for some action to be taken to put a stop to such gross acts. My Aspergers Child (1) states that children with Asperger’s syndrome are an easy target for ostracizing, mistreatment and other forms of victimization because they are generally viewed by their peers as odd. Because of their low social IQ, they become comparatively powerless and vulnerable in social settings. AS affects behavioral, communication and social skills, and consequently, children who are affected cannot comprehend bullying incidents and accordingly protect themselves. Because they are repeatedly maltreated by their peers, they tend to have a build up of frustration, which eventually leads them to over-react when provoked; hence the bullies know how to manipulate them at will. Additionally, because the pace of Asperger’s children of processing information differs from their peers, their response to various issues is sometimes slow, making them look disconnected. Also, there limited interests may seem to bore to some of their peers, making extremely difficult for them to have many friends with same interests. This is a major reason why they are usually isolated by their peers. Below is a personal childhood experience of someone who faced mistreatment as a child with Asperger’s syndrome to show that mistreatment of Asperger’s children is real. “As an adult on the spectrum, I will say the only thing that ever worked was fighting back, physically if necessary. Teachers normally did not intervene when they witnessed bullying. Parent and teacher intervention was not effective, and the teachers didn't really care. Teachers generally did not take insults, kicking, or another student threatening to stab me with a pocket knife seriously” (My Aspergers Child 1). From the earlier texts, it is clear that thousands of children with Asperger’s face physical abuse every year from their peers, siblings and even parents. While some of them die from the abuse, those who survive remain with an emotional trauma that mostly lives with them forever. Asperger’s children who have been mistreated exhibit a poor self image, rage, fear, anxiety, aggressiveness, nightmares, flashbacks, as well as social withdrawal. They also tend to abuse alcohol and drugs, engage in physical fights, carry weapons, feel depressed, display fear of starting new relationships, show incapability to love or trust others and have suicidal thoughts. Asperger’s children who have been sexually abused exhibit sexual molestation aspects in their games, drawings and fantasies; they also withdraw from family and friends, fear going to school, are seductive and secretive and may show unusual avoidance or interest in everything of sexual nature (My Aspergers Child 1). The emotional effects of mistreatment and isolation to Asperger’s kids are often severe and do not surface till during teenage years or even much later when they become parents. According to My Aspergers Child (1), a majority of Asperger’s children who face mistreatment tend to be abusive as adults. They have trouble establishing stable and lasting relationships, as well as, with trust, intimacy and closeness. In addition, they become very vulnerable to work/ school problems, depression, anxiety and depression. Conclusion It is a fact that Asperger’s children are ostracized and mistreated in school and even at home by their parents. From the figures reported in this paper, it is clear that kids with Asperger’s syndrome experience higher rates of bullying than their nondisabled counterparts. This ought to be a reminder that immediate needs to be taken to avert further damage to such children. School-wide programs aimed at preventing bullying should be implemented with seriousness. For instance, reports of acts of bullying should be acted upon seriously. Additionally, parents of Asperger’s children should work together with teachers to help them be conversant with the needs of their children. Also, the children should also be taught how to identify and report cases of bullying. Children with Asperger’s syndrome have a right to live normal and enjoyable lives; therefore, it is up to us to choose to stop their mistreatment. Works Cited KidsHealth. “Asperger Syndrome.” Web. Retrieved 20 November, 2012, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html# Kieran, Sweeney and Sweeney, Kieran G. “Recognising and managing Asperger's syndrome.” Practice Nurse 39.1 (2010): 31-34. Print. Little, Liza. “Middle-Class Mothers' Perceptions of Peer and Sibling Victimization among Children with Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorders.” Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing 25.1 (2002): 43-47.Co Massachusetts Advocates for Children. Targeted, taunted and tormented: The bullying children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 2009. Web. Retrieved 20 November, 2012, from http://www.massadvocates.org/documents/Bullying-Report_000.pdf My Aspergers Child. “The Bullying of Aspergers Children.” Web. Retrieved 20 November, 2012, from http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2010/12/bullying-of-aspergers- children.htmlnformahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/014608602753504847prehensive WebMD. “Asperger's Syndrome.” Web. Retrieved 20 November, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome Read More