Essentials for Educators: High Functioning Autism & Asperger Syndrome 

I have High-Functioning Autism. I AM NOT A STATISTIC! I AM A PERSON! i spoke at 7 months old, read my 1st chapter book at 4 years, and have been bullied because i am 'different' both online and off. i have a MASSIVE love of books, but is hard for me to look people in the eyes.

The worst thing about AS is being put down by those that don't have it.

I don't think we should coerce people with ASD to "look me in the eye". That is counterproductive. Many listen better when they aren't looking at your face. You do need them to look at what you are showing or doing when teaching--so they don't miss important information.

why are there a bunch of people without ASD speaking for people with ASD? there are plenty that can talk about their experiences for themselves.

I have Aspergers and I would not change a thing about myself.

My 6 year old granddaughter has Aspergers and has the most incredible artistic and musical ability. She has such a unique way of interpreting the world through her art. I feel it is a wonderful outlet for her to express herself.

I wish my parents and teachers saw this video 30 years ago when I was growing up.

I have just been diagnosed at 37 years old with being on the Spectrum. My life has been a struggle and I never really knew why until now ... The thing is, Ive really only known my life is a struggle because it is pointed out so much to me by others, plus my finances, relationships with people always fail. My social life is a disaster, I always run dry with people, I have no understanding at all in peoples emotions unless they are either happy or crying ... now that I am aware of what I am, I am trying to learn things I have always just ignored. I suffer from Sensory Overload and it often results in me screaming at people and going into moods ... I am going to be getting help and it feels good.

My mum always says that my autism is a gift from God, because it means I can't stay angry with people, so I can always forgive people, even when they've really hurt me. I'm also polite and quiet most of the time, and thanks to early therapy (my mum is a child psychologist and nurse) I've managed to fit quite well into the neurotypical lifestyle. Don't give up Aspies, we've got loads of supporters!

I got aspergers, and this video makes us seem like morons. This is only for extreme cases. They should underline that. There is a reason it is called autisms spectrum. It is VERY wide.

I would like to add to this excellent well-meaning video: The world needs to realize these individuals on the spectrum are potentially 'our salvation' (e.g. they will be the ones to discover pollution free, cheap, clean renewable energy which would allow earth to survive a bit longer.) -- thus the more they can be respected and honored, the better chance they will have to do their greatest good. thank you.

Inspiring video, I hope my son is lucky enough to have teachers with this kind of knowledge, integrity and caring as he goes through school.

I have mild autism :0) I was born this way and I feel blessed cause I am a joy to everyone :0)

I'm almost 23, and I've been an "aspie" all my life. For my teens I didn't understand what my issues were, but I learned life hacks around not looking people in the eye as well as many other issues. For me, I choose not to view it as a disability, but as something that gives me great strength. I don't need special social programs to achieve success, I do the best I can in whatever I do because I don't view it as a weakness, but as a rare strength that the masses of society do not possess. However, I'm very particular on who I associate with, I'm very selective on who is worthy to be in my life, and who isn't. I'm not the first one to start a conversation, but if someone engages one with me, and it moves beyond the endless boring small talk, I enjoy meeting individuals that display a greater sense of comprehension of the world around them. If you know how to limit contact, to understanding when and when not to speak, you eliminate a lot if not all of the social barriers we face on a daily basis. Having said that, I'm not going to lie and say that I enjoy crowds, in fact, I get panic attacks, and I feel like I have to either escape, or kill everybody to eliviate my distress. You can't isolate yourself fully from people unfortunately, but being socially selective eliminates many stresses of the mind and allows you to block out the parasites known as people. Life is conflict, and even in the spaces you think are safe, can eventually become a war zone. So let me put it this way, would you rather have a gun, and not need it, than need the gun but not have it? Confront your fears, face down your conflicts, and you become the most dangerous force everybody fears, a free individual, unimpaired by our faults and weaknesses, or the collective hive mind mentality telling you "you're not good enough" and free to achieve the unattainable: independence, and individuality. Realize your inner self is the only source of comfort you have, so learn to be happy within your identity, not what others think of you. RPG, signing off.

I love how all the mothers in the video smile when they talk about their autistic children :) This is a great video, thank you!

This video offends me, im autistic, and these people have no idea what they ar etalking about. We ARE different, its also a challenge, I have sensory dissorder, its pretty hard for me to not get so cold. I have social awkwardness, It isnt just a "challenge" to be with other people or to make friends. It sometimes actually feels impossible. If you say that autiam is just a challenge then you are forgetting who we really are. I fail at math skills and my mind cant even do simple math problems. But since im a Savant, I am extremely good at art.i can photocopy someones style with my eyes. But I cant memorize math becauseof this, and I am starting to get worse, I cant answer simple questions like "how are you" People with autism arent devices that need to be repaired we are people that need to be understood. Some people in the video understood though. So im only writing this for those few people.

I'm pretty sure everyone with aspergers or HIgh functioning autism knows that when you say see you later etc... that you don't mean that we are a gator

I'm not an educator but i recently discovered i have Asperger's and after 24 years of not knowing exactly what i have (which has caused a lot of negative symptoms) i thank you, this has been very helpful!

Grew up with it, had trouble finding friends, but it all worked out in the end.... life is good

I'm on the spectrum, and although I commend these people for trying to understand autism, I feel that they never will. I don't feel like kids on the spectrum can ever reach their full potential learning in an NT environment. We don't learn the same; we don't socialize the same, and forcing us to do so will only lead us to more aggravation at the fact that we are not achieving like the rest. I was always at the bottom of my classes in high school, but when I was left to my own devices in college and adulthood, I achieved at a greater level than my peers. I can't explain it, but I feel like I am being dumbed down when I am in an NT environment for too long.

I have aspergers syndrome a form of autism high functioning and it's called a sprectum for a reason.

thank you, my father says i have borderline autism and i beeen bullied about it. just because your diffrent doesnt mean your not you.

I was only diagnosed with HFA and select traits of AS when I was twenty-six but the issues this video raises were there from the get-go. Barely anybody besides my uncle who was likewise diagnosed in later life suspected it however. I cannot begrudge my teachers and peers for not picking up on it as the former were not trained to detect signs of ASD until after I had left education and the latter would constantly put my quirks down to social awkwardness. Hopefully videos like this go a ways in promoting awareness. You can go through much of life without even realizing that something is different.

This content is so progressive and really excellent advice. Hard to believe it was uploaded over a decade ago - this is exactly what we are still trying to teach about autism in schools today!! ❤🌻❤

I grew up in the 60s with Asperger's,, before it was known in schools. there were 3 others in my class(2 girls and 2 boys) with the same learning "problems" as me. So I don't think there are more now,, its just that it is recognized as a real condition more now and its getting lots of press.. back then we were just considered "dumb" or "slow" . I am sorry I missed out in all this new understanding. I had very little chance of a good education since others were considered before me very few openings for higher education. I went to college in my 30s and received A's for every subject. I grew up with a great deal of shame and loneliness most of my life, but now I know why.

one of the most incredible videos i have ever seen... explains a lot as to why some teachers taught me a lot and others didnt, and how i have had to copy and develop skills/templates/procedures/instruction sets to work around and understand problems.

This is so far one of the best videos, it is not only a description but it's full of great ideas and methods In general. Lots of good experts are talking in this material. Thank you!

Excellent movie! As a teacher and mother of a child of the spectrum, I could identify with some of the points raised and learn. Thanks for that!

Very good material, I'm a teacher ( don't work as any more as I moved to the UK) but if I have to teach again now I know all this about Aspergers.... I would be a super teacher supporting all those kids with this disorder, My son seems to be an Aspe and my way to see the world totally changed.

The information is so detailed, thank you for posting this

I think I'd like to move to Utah to your school district. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's but was continuously misunderstood and mistreated by school staff and parents. No one believed he was really struggling, even with the diagnosis. Finally, I felt I had no choice to pull him out to homeschool him. I'd like to see him return to school someday but I don't know how to trust the school system. I love this video and you ALL seem so warm and caring. I wish there were more like you.

Thank you all very much for sharing your wonderful experience to us. I have to assist an autistic child in school this term , and this is valuable information for me. Thank you all so much.

Thank you..! For helping a person with a painful problem!

Generally a good video until they start talking about specifically educating in areas the student has no skills in, AND I HATE WHEN THEY BITCH ABOUT EYE CONTACT! You can NOT teach autism away anymore then you can special diet it away, medicate it away, or wish it away! Teaching educators to think of the lacked skill as something that can be taught is the same as saying the autistic student is acting autistic intentionally. If they are not able to socialize normally then you do NOT force them to do so, if they can't communicate normally you do NOT force them to do so, and if they are not making eye contact YOU DO NOT FORCE THEM TO DO SO. All you achieve if you do is a child who will shut you down, or worse meltdown, due to the stress YOU are putting on them to perform to a neuro-typical standard that they CAN NOT and WILL NOT. The autistic adult you will send out into society will be distrustful of authority. They will feel even more social inability, because now they question their every move (because autistic scrutiny is always on itself!!!) and whether it will measure up to neuro-typical standards. They will withdraw more into themselves as their social interactions fail, because they will have wrongly learned that it is there fault for their failures. Eventually they may even give up attempts at interaction because they feel they can do no right. This sense of failure may even effect there ability and/or desire to be productive. This video is the response of the 'normal' who simply can not and will not understand a) how to educate in any way other then by volume, b) autistics are different, not broken, not in need of fixing, and c) most high-functioning autistics and asperger's adults grow up to realize we do not need to be normal we like the way we are, because we have always felt that way. It's time to teach educators to accept us the way we are, and to avoid attempting to mold us into their cookie-cutter conformity.

I have Aspergers. I grew up in a time when people did not know about it. My sister was told her son has Aspergers when he was 12. Several years earlier she was told is has ADHD. Even before he started grade school, he shown how smart he is. Many children, but not all children with Aspergers have a high IQ. When my newphew was in a late part of third grade, he tested into the schools gifted program. It goes up to the end of the eighth grade. When my nephew was in 9th and 10th grade he was on the schools robotic's team and band. Although he did not like band he said quitting band would make him a quitter. My sister, myself and his case worker said it was okay to not be in band the following school year, which was this school. This year he was in robotics, but not band. He is a computer programmer. This year he coach told me at a competion which I could not go to, because I do not have a car, my nephew helped other team member with their computer programming issue. He said he would not have done the when he was in 9th and 10th. At the end of the school, he was place into a leadership role in robotics. Although has many duties, I believe he is up to the challenge. He wants to be a computer program, but does not know where he wants to go to college. Last summer he got a 34 out of 36 on the ACT. Because he was given the proper guideness, he will be successful for the rest of his life, even though he probably will have his share of failures.

I can understand the comments here frustrated about neuro-typical people speaking about people on the autistic spectrum in the third person. And I can also understand and appreciate The persons in the video, sharing out of there sometimes quite personal experience with the goal of improving the situation for Aspergers autists in the classroom. As another comment you mentioned, I too am thankful that professionals and parents are taking a look at experience of both teachers and students on the spectrum in the classroom and the school system and looking at ways to understand something that’s extremely hard to understand “from the outside“ and to make the process of school, which is traditionally a very neurotypical environment, as positive and rewarding a time as possible for all involved, including students on the spectrum. This is a process of getting to know each other, and I’m also thankful that more and more high-functioning autists are speaking up for example on RU-vid, giving their perspective, giving us the opportunity to get a glimpse “behind the scenes” and let us get to know each other and understand each other better. 💕

I sent a link to my son's principal. They have very little experience with children who are higher functioning. Thank you for sharing this.

This video is wonderful. Not only should all educators watch this, but all citizens of this world should watch this. We owe it to those who struggle the courtesy of trying to understand where they are coming from. I am an art educator and have had many students with autism. Although I was scared of these kids at first, many of them have left indelible marks on my heart. And they are all different, and all beautiful.

very informative and interesting, my son is currently being assessed for a high functioning spectrum disorder. this has helped me understand his thought processes and ill be reassessing the way i communicate and interact with him.

She's overworkin' that smile.

At times, people with autism can come across as being rude, or mean, or even gross, but we need to take a step back and try to understand our own reactions and their needs first and foremost. Thanks for this wonderful video!

my name is angela hill ive just seen this vidio and it has helped me. now i would like to share this with all collages around the uk so people will understand my autism

Really really informative video. Very well written/directed/edited.

Very appreciating video. Everyone must watch this..

my son with asd suffers mental health breakdowns when expected to reach the same expectations as everyone else. He puts enough pressure on himself to be like everyone else and it causes a negative effect. Not all asd are the same. He CAN excel when the bar is lowered because hes not under pressure to perform he will overperform.

I wish my sons teacher would watch this my son is 7 and has aspergers he has meltdowns every mourning because he doesnt want to go to school because he thinks his teacher hates him when i addressed the school they said it was his problem and there is nothing they can do. it broke my heart but seeing this video and knowing there are teachers who care about kids with special needs gives me hope for humanity again. also I am planning on home schooling my son because of their response to me.

Thanks for all the positive information!

Very nice video. I am a parent of a child on the spectrum. I live in germany and I would like to share this video with the teachers and teacher's aids that work with my child. Problem is the language. If I write the CC (sub titles) could you please add them to this video? I hope UPDC is listening. Thanks, Eric

I remember the teachers being horrible to be at school. The only ones who got me (the three in my entire education) were the ones who actually talked to me like an adult and explained things to me when I was upset or defiant. and this was way before AS was known about. And to get AS kids on keyboards asap, brilliant idea, for me, it's all about words having patterns so helps with spelling too. (Though they should still be taught how to free hand print righting) Awsum video! thanks!

I am a Emotional Behavior Disabilities Interventionist. This is a great video.

Thanks SO much for this video!!! I am sharing it with the staff and administrators where I teach.

AWESOME VIDEO ..THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS.I HAVE EMAILED SOME OF MY SON'S TEACHERS.GOD BLESS U

my 5 year old has autism i would never change a thing about him one bit but i can some days are better then others n i was told he has also adhd and ocd and add

Good points, but her smile is rather fake, and knowing that makes such a video a little uncomfortable. No person would smile for that long while talking about such a topic, but she wants you to believe that she does...

thank you for this information, I needed this support today :)

very informative.

I get that some of the individuales that wrote before me often feel frustrated by social interractions or lack of skill un certain área but is a reality that every human being needs to be taught to deal and work with math science language skills for example in order to be independent. I agree that everyone has to assesst and relay con their strengths to be happy and succesful but is also important to find machanisims to work arround our weaknesess in order to function. In my opinion ,as a parent of a young man with autisim, this vídeo is an atempt to teach teachers and people in general that they should try to teach individuals with autisim the skills they need to be independent and explore what are your skills so you could feel succesful instead of inadecuate. I love my son to death, and I love how unique he is . I know that some times ASD individuals dont feel the need for interaction and that is perfectly ok, but if you build a wall nothing bad can go trough but also nothing good can pass trough. You are viewing this from the oposite side of the glass . I want that my son's teachers understand that he is not another piece of furniture in the classroom he is an individual capable of doing great things, and they have to teach him how to overcome or work arround his difficulties so he can achieve his dreams. People outside the ASD spectrum face the same kinds of challenges that you guys face ( maybe not all as the same time as you do ) but we all work arrond them for instance I face more social anxiety than my son but i cope with it by taking a deep breath a glass of water or thiking about what i al going to day. I feel unconfortable in crowds my son can go to a dance and have a great time because he is not worried about what other people think. We want to ley everyone know that maybe they have to teach you un a different day or take a different aproach but is your right as an individual to learn and be your very best. Because people are afraid of what they dont understand.

The world has been very cruel. When I look at the way people have treated me and how they treat each other, it causes me to ask myself why I would want to be anything like them.

This has been good information for me

Our daughter is on the spectrum. We weren't aware of it till recently when she dropped out of school at 18. Teachers were abusive, cruel. One was a perfectionist. Talked behind my back to the other moms. Our daughter struggles with organization. She shys away from noise, crowds. I feel so lost.

This video is good at explaining what autism / asperger's syndrome is! I have Aspergers and I wish I found out earlier on in school then I would of got better grades and I wouldn't of struggled so much not understanding hardly anything what is being taught. Now i'm 21 just left colleg I am currently finding a job it's even really difficult for me with motivation but the main problem is interviews! That left me depressed for ages but I force myself to be productive so my stress doesn't get worse

It's nice to hear people with Aspergers having a positive interpretation of the world. Perhaps I don't view the world in a good light, because of all the negativity that surrounds it.

I need this vídeo with subtitles un Spanish so my son's teachers have a better undersatanding of ASD

This was great information and tips but I never heard what is suppose to be the difference in High functioning and Asperger's???

Blurring autism and Aspergers together and informing us of the symptoms of both simultaneously will leave people disinformed like blurring dogs and cats together and telling you of their combined traits. I am officially diagnosed as Aspergers and have volunteered at Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). The differences are obvious. I can tell you this because I don't have to worry about the AMA revoking my licence to practice if I tell the truth.

Great video! I wish the schools in my area dealt with ASD, instead of being afraid of "labeling."

teachers, employment agencies and employers need to inform themselves so people with aspergers do not end up between the lines.

I love this video thank you

I thought that the vídeo was a very good resource for teachers. Could be posible to close captioned it un Spanish because in other countries the teachers need to understand how to work with the ASD student in the regular classroom. Or at least to understand that they are not misbehaving. I will be thankful.

I've invented a new drinking game. Watch this video, and take a shot every time someone says "My name is...".

Great information

just meditation can make a huge difference. i learned to meditate when i had to sleep overnight in an airpot; i didnt want anyone to touch my bags meaning id have to be aware, i also needed rest. so i let my body completly relax, but kept my mind active and awake. sooner or later it becomes possible to use the balance and lower stimuli sensetivity in daily life.

I Have A Undiagnosed High Functioning Asperger's Syndrome That I've Been Misdiagnosed As Schizoefective Disorder. I Have An Extremely High Anger Problem Which Comes From The Intake Of Alot Of Information And Not Being Able To Use All Of It. I'm Also Extremely Obsessive When It Comes To Symbolism

It looks like most of the people who speak in this video are laughing while they talk. I'm never going to do that.

some kids are photographic so repatition causes just causes frustration and anxiety

My high functional autisme push me to improve social skills and its feel amazing to succeded. Even with autisme

I have schizoaffective disorder and either autism or adhd

I have it, it seemed like I had very high functioning autism, to the point where it was practically nonexistent, but recently it has gotten very bad with the transfer into secondary school (I'm 13 years old, by the way).

Wish the teachers and understanding from this video is where I am in Canada. I struggle with his teachers constantly. I am about ready to homeschool my son since the school system thinks lower their expectations is better "success" for my son so he went from grade 5 literacy to now grade 2, then wonder why he doesn't want to be at school. He's checked out and me as a parent don't know how to get him the check back in! So frustrating!

It's a really good video. Finally I understand why my son's behaviours. He is diagonosed high functioning Austism recently. I know should teach him in different way. Thanks!

I agree that keeping high expectations is definitely important in teaching individuals with ASD. The problem I ran into as a child with ASD (undiagnosed at the time though I did have an ADHD diagnosis and a noted learning disability) was teachers and my parents setting that bar higher than I could viably reach alone. When I failed though they would refuse to provide help. This is what we run into. Also even from someone with ASD who struggles with understanding social ques the people in this video come off as ignorant as to what ASD really is or how to deal with it. Personally... I feel a little offended.

These interview introductions sound like AA meeting introductions.

They do not understand that some skills you learn can help you or hurt the person with asperger. I be out of school and learning a lot more on my own. A lot this people did help me with some areas, but did not fill in other areas. Once someone say I have asperger they said How can I help you? Does that drive anyone out of there minds?

I ask god Every day why I can't do any math besides multiply. subtract. and divide. I got into higshcool and completely was ruined. I don't wanna have this. but I'm strapped. I am in forsyth tech now. with no friends. but I'm perfectly fine socialize fine. but people still hate me. I'm not a bad person. I don't want to have this. I just don't. I wanna be normal.

The handwriting point is accurate

5:19 - For a long time now I have trying my hardest to get my parents and teachers to realise/understand that when a normal neurotypical being may consider to automatically take a good few of our "natural" traits of autism as a sign of being arrogant, selfish and immature that it's not because we're intending to act in that manner of behaviour! For example, when it comes down to me and sensory issues, it would always end up as a so-called "excuse" for being naughty and as for ear-sensitivity...

I have Aspergers.

Se tivesse legenda seria muito bom!!

Can you sub it please? I'm not native in English but i can read it without problems. I only have issues getting the spoken language. Thanks :)

Did she just say Autism presents academic challenges? That's completely wrong, it presents social challenges, being socially challenged can affect your grades. People with Autism are not less capable academically, just less able socially.

Very well done that pretty much explains me in a nutshell. I just wish there was a lot more awareness back in the 80s and 90s and not just using the movie Rainman to stereotype us all. Grade school sucked for me both teachers and other students didnt understand me at all and bullied me due to lack of understanding.

is there a video to explain to us, about neuro-typical people?

A great informative video.

I disagree 100% with those of you who are taking this in a negative way. I am a 58 year old adult woman, that has FINALLY been diagnosed with ASD (Asperger's Syndrome). I don't feel that all of the people who made this video, are deliberately setting out to make us feel like morons at all. As I was watching this video, all I could think was, where the hell were these teachers when I was growing up and going to school?? I get what they're saying, it makes total sense to me. The MAJORITY of teachers these days, STILL have NO clue how to deal with, or teach us. Yes, the spectrum is vast. If our family members, teachers, friends, employers, boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, etc. had the patience, understanding, trust, methods, etc. when we were growing up, I think our lives would have turned out much better. I too, have gone through and, am still going through the struggles of life relating to processing information, learning and relationships. Please try and understand (process) the information they're giving people. They REALLY ARE trying to help. Debbie

I love this video. My son has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS when he was 3 years old. He is now about to be 8 years old. I believe he has Asperger's and he is about to be re evaulated by his doctor to see if this is true. I can say, he does not know how to talk to people. He sounds rude a lot of times when he is trying to say something, he does not have the patiece to wait to be called on.

i have aspergers in school the teachers knew if they put me int he back of the room i did my work more as longs i was allowed to stand to do my work the rule was for me as long as i keep a knee on my chair they did not care if i set or stand

I am 33 with Aspergers. I wish I had had teachers like you. I still don't have the ability to make friends. I still don't have the ability to always understand what my college professors mean or what the assignments are. I hope others will not struggle like I am when they are adults. My IQ is very high and I get good grades, but I cannot graduate even though I have 70 credits because I cant figure out how to do this while taking the classes I am interested in. Please help them be prepared

I'm 12 and autistic high functioning my mum has aspergers

How about look at the coloring of the other persons eyes

I.am.a. high functioning autistic and I have a fiance who has passenger's and we are very blessed cause we learn new things from each other daily :0)