Health
Fighting to fit in
bea rendon illustration
While all students deal with the struggles of teenage life, some students are forced to deal with the struggles of teenage life with a mental disorder. Through programs like Best Buddies, students are in an environment which encourages acceptance of their peers with learning and social disabilities such as Asperger’s disorder.
Unlike mental disorders, Asperger’s affects a person’s ability to interact socially. According to www.aspergers.com, Asperger’s disorder stems from autism and is diagnosed when a person shows signs of social isolation and eccentric behavior. Also, people who have Asperger’s generally tend to have repetitive patterns and focus on specific, usually abnormal, topics of interest.
Special education teacher Jacque Fletcher specializes with students who suffer from Asperger’s and autism disorders which are forms of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Fletcher said she sees the affects of Asperger’s in her students everyday.
“The students have on subject that they really like and they have a hard time getting off that subject,” Fletcher said. “There is often times an absence of facial expressions. These things go on the older they get, and they have really depleted organizational skills.”
As a teacher Fletcher said she does what she can to help her students who have Asperger’s with their education, and the special education program creates structured learning classrooms to help focus in on their struggles.
“We act as tutors trying to help them succeed. The class helps them with their organization,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher believes that each one of her students is unique and Asperger’s disorder does not affect them all the same way. She said it is important for her to view her interaction with them through that mindset.
“Everyone in the classroom is different. It depends on where they are on the spectrum. I have a whole range of students. It’s their social interaction issues that group them together,” Fletcher said. “There are all different levels of IQ just like there are all different kinds of people.”
From her experience with Asperger’s, Fletcher said the symptoms of the disorder can be recognized and diagnosed at an early age.
“Lots of times parents will notice symptoms right away. Generally what people notice right away, even at infancy, is there is no eye contact and poor non-verbal expressions. Also, babies will do the same things over and over again,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher notices her students have a hard time joining into conversation and usually focus on random topics. She said they struggle the most in high school with social interaction so it helps to expose them to the idea of friendship.
“I talk to these kids like they are my friends; I always refer to them as each others friend. I rally emphasize taking small steps,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said observing the way students with Asperger’s disorder are treated by students who don’t have disabilities makes her proud but believes improvements can always be made.
“I think this school is particularly wonderful at accepting people who are different. I think if things were perfect kids would take them (disabled students) into their group of friends and shelter them in that group,” Fletcher said. “Students really have to take the initiative to make contact.”
Though Fletcher admits her job comes with its challenges, she feels the joys outweigh the difficulties. She said she enjoys the feeling of accomplishment that comes with helping others.
“I enjoy working at Hoover,” Fletcher said. “It’s very fulfilling to work with the kids who have Asperger’s and autism.”
Freshman Melissa Hollister is spending her first year of high school as a member of Best Buddies. She said she wanted to join because she liked the concept of doing some good and having some fun at the same time.
“You get to help people and I knew I would meet a lot of people in that club,” Hollister said.
Hollister said she feels that she takes as much from the experience of being in Best Buddies as the students who the activities are centered around. She thinks volunteering with disabled students, some of whom suffer from the affects of Asperger’s, is beneficial for everyone involved.
“I think it helps me fit in with all different types of groups of people,” Hollister said. “It makes me feel better as a person.”
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