What We Can Learn from the Lived Experience of Asperger's Syndrome
The overall purpose of this study was to survey the personal experiences of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), analyze and combine them into a shared lived experience in order to provide information pertinent to treatment and intervention, particularly in educational and extra-curricular settings. Those teaching, volunteering or working with individuals with AS must consider their behavioral propensities and natural inclinations in both characteristics and individual personality traits when guiding them in schooling, career preparation, life skills, social interactions and other responsibilities. The goal of the study was to identify common interventions, including technology interventions, or patterns of behavior used by teachers, parents or other adult leaders that assisted AS youth to adapt to neurotypical environments at home, school and other extra-curricular settings. It was also assumed that the study would reveal deficits in leadership and preparation that might have had a more positive impact if the understanding of AS by these leaders had been more current and complete. It was also assumed that the study would likely reveal some consistency in the symptoms addressed by the interventions and patterns of behavior. This study used a phenomenology method of research. Data was gathered from video monologues posted on YouTube by those with AS or parents of those with AS describing their own lived experiences involving AS. Data was analyzed primarily based on Colaizzi's Treatment of Data model. Twenty five subjects were selected based on their therapeutic interventions or interaction with parents, teachers or volunteer leaders: 13 were students who had AS and 12 were parents of children who have AS. The study did not include documentaries as a data source. Videos were transcribed word-for-word, then analyzed for patterns, topics and symptoms. Substantial, meaningful quotes were included in the findings following the phenomenology method of research. The data analysis found significant differences in the data gathered from parents of children with AS and students with AS. The study produced 12 recommendations for parents, teachers and volunteer leaders to implement when working with young people with Asperger's Syndrome in educational or extra-curricular settings.
Asperger's Syndrome--AS, behavioral propensities, children & youth, education, extracurricular settings, Lived experience, natural inclinations, Phenomenology, technology interventions, videos, Leadership Studies
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