50 Caitlin van der Walt
into his school life. This raises questions around his social identity and how he
perceives himself in this social environment.
Social identity
The ignorance of peers toward AS caused the most upset and concern for Max.
Throughout the interviews, the concern of peer ignorance and prejudice toward
AS, and therefore him, was highlighted by Max, implying his pride and acceptance
of himself was at times threatened by social reactions. It was clear that his social
identity was at times jeopardised due to the reactions of peers around him. Ellemers
et al. (2002) offer support, suggesting that individuals are more likely to identify
with a particular group if people around them have a greater understanding of the
group’s context. When Max was questioned about whether or not he liked having
a label of AS he responded, “I like it, but I wouldn’t tell my friends about it.” This is
a personal choice that has been shaped by his past experiences, which can be con-
cluded from his response, “... I don’t exactly like being insulted because of people
who are ignorant... .”
When interviewing Anne, it was apparent Max had been concerned about the
stigma associated with AS. Anne suggested that Max’s social insecurities derived
from the ignorance displayed by peers “... who tease him about his syndrome, often
calling him ‘Downs’ as Down syndrome is the only syndrome they are aware of... .”
This supports Max’s concerns that the ignorance of his peers is what leads to the
prejudices that are formed against him. These experiences have seen Max not being
true to himself in social situations, with Anne reporting, “... I can see it [insecurity]
when he says hello to peers as he is not himself and is trying to put on a face to fit
into the social norms... .” Punshon et al. (2009) found the same concerns, suggest-
ing that due to past social events where bullies targeted them, participants became
withdrawn from social interactions as a form of coping with the social pressures.
Campbell, Ferguson, Herzinger, Jackson and Marino (2004) indicated the need for
peer awareness and knowledge of AS in order to create a positive and inclusive
environment for individuals with AS, with their findings indicating a significant
difference in peer attitudes as a result.
Discourse that creates stigma often associated with AS causes further opportu-
nity for prejudices to be formed about it. Throughout the interview, Max com-
pared the prejudice of peers against AS to that of racism, expressing that “... being
insulted like that [due to ignorance] is sort of like racism to me”. This sends a
powerful message as it provides a comparison for people to engage in and relate to.
Max continued to state, “racism is relevant in schools... drug education is relevant
in school... why can’t Asperger syndrome education be relevant you know... .”
Anne explained, “... he has spoken to one of the psychologists at the school and has
suggested that AS should be covered during personal and health education, just like
racism is discussed, as he believes this may create a better awareness and therefore
suppress the ignorance.”