Meeting the Needs of Disabled Children

Re “Disabled Boy’s Isolation Sparks Feud,” Oct. 11: I am a one-on-one instructional aide to a 10-year-old boy who has Asperger’s syndrome. He is mainstreamed into a regular fifth-grade class and experiences many of the social struggles you described. There is a constant challenge to help him understand the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior and the importance of good choices since he alone will have to shoulder the consequences of his actions. How different is that from what any child must learn?

The key to success is attentive consistency. A caregiver cannot let up for one minute. Where did the consistency falter in Jan Rankowski’s life? My student is being raised by a single mom who works full time, yet she makes sure he has his homework done, arranges play-dates for him outside of school and encourages him, through both word and deed, that (despite the extra Asperger’s hurdles) he can have a truly full and enriching life while at the same time following the rules. In Jan’s case, perhaps it isn’t the school that is the weak link.

Andrea Fonville

Palmdale