I had the privilege of attending a conference called “Asperger
Syndrome and Adolescence: Building Skills for the Real World”
hosted by The Gray Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan last week.
It consisted of two speakers. The first, Talmer Shockley, was an
adult diagnosed with Asperger’s who spoke openly and honestly
about his personal experiences. He offered insight into all the
challenges that present themselves to him on a daily basis. The
second speaker was Teresa Bolick, Ph. D., who spoke about
strategies to help individuals with Asperger Syndrome better
understand the social world around them. I would recommend that
anyone who gets a chance to hear Dr. Bolick speak should do so.
She was an entertaining and thoughtful presenter with many
suggestions and ideas for intervention. Following are a few
highlights from her presentation: - The concept of “Social
Capitol” is very important when looking at what behaviors are
acceptable and what behaviors are unacceptable. Kids with social
capitol have a reputation wit