Overcoming Asperger’s

Theater has helped Anthony Vanduzee reach others in more ways than one. This East Valley High School graduating senior found that acting helped him improve social skills and feel more comfortable around others.

This is important considering Vanduzee has Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and by restricted, stereotyped interests and activities. Vanduzee also credits a Coeur d’Alene psychologist who first discovered the diagnosis when he was in eighth grade and worked with him to improve socially.

“Asperger’s – it kind of hampers my social skills, so it’s quite an accomplishment to be able to write but especially act in plays,” said Vanduzee. “I have to owe a lot of the progress I’ve made to a psychologist in Coeur d’Alene, Jonelle Simpson. She helped improve my social skills.” In fact, Vanduzee improved so much about two years ago that he no longer needed to meet with Simpson.

Vanduzee also plays violin in the school orchestra – something he has done since fourth grade – and is the piano player for the high school’s popular Strolling Strings music group. He also served as an orchestra teacher’s aide.

However, Vanduzee seems to get the most animated talking about all of the theater productions he participated in while at EVHS. He can recite the exact number of lines he had in each one.

“I debuted in ‘Taming of the Shrew.’ I doubled (parts), a small role, and had 24 lines,” he said. Others were the student production, “Murder on the Set” in which Vanduzee had 48 lines and last fall’s “Laffing Room Only” with 129 lines. “That showed I improved.”

Toward the end of this school year, Vanduzee stepped up even further. In early May, he directed a play he wrote, a comedy called “Murder on Sesame Street.”

“I just had a small role. I wanted to give other people a chance to have more lines. In Act 2, I kill off my character. It’s a comedy with a lot of cheesy humor.”

Understanding subtleties such as sarcastic humor is another accomplishment.

“I used to not understand sarcasm and I didn’t understand social cues, phrases like raining cats and dogs. I sometimes came across as rude.”

In conversation today, Vanduzee seems witty and good-natured. He smiles a lot.

His other interests include music, computers, and being a co-editor-in-chief of this year’s school yearbook. Although he has long taken to the violin, he describes himself as more of a piano player – enjoying both classical and modern music. He hopes to do some recital performances with his brother, who is taking drumming lessons.

After graduation, Vanduzee plans to take a year off from school and then attend ITT Tech. He hopes for a career with computers, perhaps as a member of the Best Buy Geek Squad, “but that may change,” he added.

“My biggest accomplishment has been being in all these plays. I’ve developed an interest in writing in a creative writing class that I’ve really enjoyed. I’m interested in play writing.”

Inside

A list of East Valley graduates./10