On New Year’s Eve, parents and authorities in Denver, CO were thrown into a panic after a 16-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome disappeared after an argument. Missing for over 24 hours, the teenager’s case became the perfect illustration of how difficult the word can be for people with neurological conditions, and the importance of teaching those with Asperger’s how to handle difficult situations.

Asperger’s syndrome is a disorder on the autism spectrum, characterized by significant problems with socialization and restricted or repetitive patterns of interest and behavior. While a number of notable people throughout history are now believed to have had Asperger’s, the modern image of the disorder did not come into being until 1981. From then on, the condition was popularized and was eventually standardized as a diagnosis in the early 1990s. However, despite this recent shift, people with Asperger’s continue to advocate for a better view of their experiences: instead of a disorder or disability, many people encourage their peers to view it as a complex syndrome or difference in perception. For this reason, the growing number and improving quality of schools for Aspergers has been lauded by a number of educational experts and people with the disorder, as the best school for Aspergers will focus on teaching life and behavioral skills rather than striving to normalize the person with the condition.

The case in Denver is the perfect example of why this is necessary. While any 16-year-old disappearing from home for over a day would be worrying, it is an especially worrying scenario for a teenager with Asperger’s: while the unique nature of the boy’s condition is unknown, the social problems and repetitive interests can make it challenging for people with Asperger’s to communicate with strangers effectively. It may also not occur to someone with Asperger’s that disappearing could upset those close to them, or even why that is an undesirable situation.

For this reason, Aspergers schools are becoming an increasingly popular choice. The best school for Aspergers will not only teach life skills, but can also teach them to work with their disorder in a world that might not understand it. This has been an extremely effective approach for many people, so much so that some former students are not considered to have Aspergers as adults. As a result, there are now schools for ADHD and schools for dyslexia which use the same approach to improve these neurological conditions. Could your child benefit from the best school for aspergers, ADHD or dyslexia?