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Essay on Asperger's Syndrome

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Although there is no cure for Asperger's syndrome, masking the symptoms and overcoming the challenges is possible by learning proper social skills, staying within a comfort area, and having a good support structure. A person with Asperger's syndrome faces many daily challenges, such as carrying on a conversation or looking someone in the eyes while speaking. Jacob, the main character in House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, learns to live with these challenges and function as normally as he can. "Asperger's syndrome, also called Asperger's disorder, is a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD). PDDs are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to …show more content…

Communication is one of the hardest challenges with Asperger's. People with Asperger's have a limited area of interest, resulting in the excessive discussion about this area of interest. They often do not realize that someone has lost interest in the topic of discussion ("PubMedHealth"). "Most treatment efforts focus on enhancing communication skills and reducing problem behaviors. For children with Asperger's syndrome, most therapy should consist of school education combined with special psychological supports for communication and socialization problems "("Magill's Medical Guide"). Fortunately, people, like Jacob, have tutors or teachers to help them converse and behave in a calm and collected manner. Jess, Jacob's tutor, teaches him how to order food politely, how to greet people, and overall, how to carry on a conversation without delving too deep into a certain subject. Being in a school environment gives one with Asperger's a sense of belonging or recognition. Jacob goes to a public school that allows him to use a "get out of class" pass if it gets too overwhelming for him. There is a certain area of comfort for someone with Asperger's. Going outside that comfort zone can cause emotional anxiety. For Jacob, the color orange causes anxiety. "The color orange. It means danger, and there's no rhyme for it in English, which makes it suspicious" (Picoult 20). Jess worked with Jacob for weeks on prom

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