How Do I Fit In?
Trying to fit in and being bullied are things all children face. These are also areas that children with Aspergers struggle with daily. In his book “Aspergers and Girls” Tony Atwood discusses the topics of bullying and teasing. Although he discusses the interactions between girls in this book much of the material still applies to boys as well. One trait with Aspergers is the inability to analyze social situations, read facial cues, or even be aware when situations aren’t as they might appear to be. Joking and sarcasm are often misunderstood and taken literally. These social cues can be learned by people with Aspergers but usually don’t come intuitively. Teaching using social stories, watching movies and commercials and even “people watching” in public can help show social situations and what facial cues and body language are being used between people. When trying to make friends and fit in teaching body language is essential. They must learn what clues are saying “I am friendly” or “do
