This week I had the privilege of attending a course on students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I have had plenty of preparation in school on how to accommodate and modify instruction to best suit children, but in a very general sense. Tips for Autism was an extraordinary way to problem solve for one specific student and how we, a team made up of the teacher assistant, teacher and parent(s), can truly provide the best support and assistance for him. My team, Team Lorenzo, was not only the oldest, but, in my opinion, the strongest and most dedicated of the teams. Together, we were able to problem solve and plan activities and modifications to instruction not only at school, but home, too!
Day 1 - What is ASD?
Overview
The "Tip Star" is centralized around the CHILD, with factoring in Collaboration, Curriculum, Research and Knowledge about ASD, Planning Goals, and Evidence-Based Strategies. Together, these components factor in the essentials to preparing students for success in and out of the classroom. As mentioned earlier, this course was specifically dedicated to learning and preparing materials for kids with ASD. For those who aren't as familiar with ASD, a few symptoms and characteristics may include but are not limited to:
repetitive and restricted behaviors and speech (including sensory sensitivities)
inability to initiate or maintain relationships or social interactions
strong interests (trucks, maps, dinosaurs)
adherence to routines, resistant to change
This made me reflect my relationship with on of my good friends from elementary school who on the lower-functioning side of the spectrum. He was absolutely wonderful to me, but also extremely protective and hated when I wasn't his partner or things changed in class. I know realize I was similar to a safety blanket, I kept things consistent for him. As a child I was just being kind because I had patience and the desire to become friends with him; however, after this course I realize how we mutually benefitted from our relationships. I developed a sense of understanding of ASD and he felt safe and comfortable in the classroom when I would reassure him.
In their Shoes
The first activity introduced us to the other side: the way the students felt. One of the facilitators instructed us to record a paragraph on the screen, using our opposite writing hand, while talking to us, and playing music. This was extremely difficult, as you could imagine. Role playing this scenario demonstrated how some students with ASD have extreme sensory issues and cannot get much done because they are overwhelmed by the sounds and movement around the room.
The second activity broke us up into two groups where Group 1 acted as students with
ASD and Group 2 were the parents. Group 1 was given role cards to follow when they wanted to reply 'yes', 'no', and when they heard the words 'veggies' or 'fruits'. The parent's job was to try to figure out what the students wanted to eat for dinner. It was chaotic to say the least. My 'parent' thought I kept saying I wanted fish when all I wanted was chicken! This made me realize how difficult it can be for students with ASD to communicate yes or no, but specifically if they have a preference. They physically and mentally cannot produce the words to express how they're feeling or what they want. There are sometimes too many choices in the world and especially at the food market, grocery shopping can become frustrating for not only the students, but parents, too.
Visual Supports
This led for a perfect transition to implementing visuals into the classroom and at home. When I was younger, I had an extremely hard time after school because I wanted to always do something. My parents and I were never shore what the something might be, but I always needed to come home and be entertained. Therefore, my brilliant mother decided to create a visual to help me choose from a select number of choices using visuals. While I'm not on the spectrum, it was just a common method parents can successfully use visuals at home. Providing students with choices allowed for guided play and activities they can choose. Students with ASD might enjoy watching a video of a task, for example, setting the table, instead of just a visual. It can be extremely overwhelming for students with ASD to complete a task when they are unsure where to even begin.
Visuals are also beneficial in the classroom for scheduling, social play, meetings students in the class, and break time activities. By implementing visual strategies, students not only have options to choose from, but know to expect they have the choice or they are aware of the schedule today. Instructions, checklists, and timetables are also very helpful and easy to integrate in every day activities whether with students with or without ASD. I began using checklists like my dad when I was younger because I saw him being successful, so I figured it had to at least kind of help.
Social Interaction
Social interaction is defined as "including joint attention or sharing something with another person." If you know anyone with ASD, you could reflect and understand this definition easily in any situation with your child. Trying to pry them away from their iPad, truck set, or map can be exhausting because they're so invested in their interest. However, if students can develop a sense of other and begin to share the interest (of cars) with another student who likes cars, social interaction can occur. This skill is primarily mastered in the early ages, but with students who have ASD it could take longer. This could reflect as being "anti-social" or "independent" because students with ASD don't have a 'theory of mind' yet where it is difficult to understanding how to allow others to play when they're having fun by themselves.
Play Strategies
I don't know about you, but when I think of play, I think of recess. I automatically thought about break time, Morning Tea, and lunch recess when the students have a set time to "play", unless of course they're in kindergarten. However, this course made me realize play is more than letting kids "goof off" or "mess around" during parts of the day. Even since coming to the intermediate school in NZ, I noticed how laid back the teachers are when it comes to play. They encourage play and allow for social development when appropriate. Teachers motivate the students by acting appropriately and modeling proper sportsmanship during games and how to problem solve on their own when they have an issue. This leads to minimal tattle-taling and more autonomy in and out of the classroom. Play develops language and thinking abilities, learns how to work through problems, adapts to new situations, learn how to explain what they're doing, listen to other students, and coping with not only their own feelings, but others', too. This can also prepare students for new situations and practicing how others might react before it happens.
Students go through the Solitary/Spectator Stage (watching others play, play by themselves), then Parallel Associative (card games and other games with a partner), and then eventually develop into the Co-operative Pretend (roleplaying, game with several players). This transition does not have a time schedule or specified time frames because each student with ASD develops at their own pace. In order to help this development, using the student's special interest (maps, trucks, Star Wars) can be extremely helpful when attempting to integrate other students into the play.
Modeling
Social stories, scripts, instructions and video modeling are a few of the most successful strategies toward helping students discover the hidden social rules. If a student with ASD punches another student because they're angry, the student might not understand why it is unacceptable because they can punch pillows when they're angry. Therefore, creating a script or social story of what "Tommy" does when he's mad can help lead the student into a safer coping strategy when angry. Taking turns and playing team sports can make students with ASD very anxious because they don't want to be picked last or first, might not know what they're being picked for, don't know the other students on the team, and forgot what they're suppose to be doing on the court. Therefore, a student might break the bat or run away because this environment overwhelms them and they're unsure what else to do to cope. Creating a social story with pictures and diagrams could help demonstrate other ways to cope or alternative options when things don't go as planned.
Whakatauki (Māori proverb)
(at the end of each day, the facilitators read a Māori proverb to let us reflect on before we leave)
"He ika kai ake i raro, he rāpaki ake i raro"
"Developing a skill requires much practice"
Day 2 - Communication & Thinking
Communication
The most important thing I learned during this session was that communication is much more than language. Communication is a two way process including a sender and receiver. Students with ASD are often delayed in developing communication and/or language. Most have difficulty understanding others and being understood because of their unique ways of expressing their thoughts, and literal interpretations.
Speech is the making of sounds to form words;
Language is the rule-based code which can be spoken, written, or signed; and
Communication is any form of sending a message.
People without ASD are use to looking where the teacher is pointing, making eye contact to relay a message, and raising our arm to be called on. However, students with ASD don't understand or pick up these social cues. A student might be yelling 'food please' at the fridge because he's use to getting food when he uses manners and asks for food by the fridge. But when mom is outside, the student might not realize he needs his mom to be by the fridge when he's asking with manners. It's the little things we don't think about that help students with ASD the most.
Expressive v. Receptive
Individuals without ASD are more receptive before developing expressive communication skills. On the other hand, students with ASD are more expressive before they can understand what their receiving. A student might repeat "apple" because he heard the word on tv but also saw a sandwich. Therefore, when he yells "Apple! Apple! Apple!" and he gets an apple from his mom, he might be frustrated because he really just wanted a sandwich. Parents can help this by preparing visuals or social stories modeling other students eating food after school or needing help brushing their hair. The course emphasized the importance of keeping these tasks FUN because they can make students anxious and overwhelmed. But the factor of fun can override some of those feelings and allow students to feel safe and calm. And just like anything else, practice makes progress!
Thinking
Prefacing this next session, the facilitators made it clear our children with ASD think differently and we cannot, nor should we, change that. Specifically in Big Picture thinking (classification, comparison, application), Planning and Organizing (attention, planning and memory), and Social Understanding (perspective-taking). Most students with ASD focus on the details rather than the bigger picture. They will focus on the single Californian flower on Meghan Markle's dress instead of how simple the rest of it was. They may focus on the height of the beanstalk when reading the Jack and the Beanstalk. By focusing on their strengths and trails of thinking, we can help the students be successful in their own way. We can't convince Selena Gomez to sing country, but we can help provide more homegrown-blue grass lyrics. Not completely changing the way of thinking but the process or order might be a good start when working with these unique students.
Special Interest Kit
My favorite part of the whole course, was the implementation of a Special Interest Kit. I think I liked this part the most because I can implement this in my future class for students not just with ASD, but hesitant to learning. A lack of motivation, engagement or interest in the classroom makes learning harder for both the teacher and student. That being said, I learned the importance of balancing their interest with fun and the classroom. Too much implementation of their interest could damage the relationship with their hobby or passion because it is overused in the classroom. For our student, his special interest is traveling. He loves planes, routes, buses, maps, America, New Zealand transportation, and planning. Therefore, our team decided to create a few engaging activities helping show forth his strengths through his interest:
Planning our route to the Body World's Tour; then reflecting if the bus driver decided to take that route.
Plan my itinerary for Queenstown and Sydney because he's traveled to both places and can brainstorm what would be good for me, a 20-something's young female, to do.
Create a map that demonstrates how the weather is changing or has changed over the years.
Act as a jeopardy host quizzing the students for Wednesdays' current events quizzes.
Map out his paper route and figure out the most effective route to deliver them and how fast he can do it in one day.
While these are a few tasks acceptable for an older, higher-functioning student, many games and volunteer experiences were also recommended for the youngsters. Throughout the creation of the Special Interest Kit, it is important to factor in 1) what the student can do, 2) what the student is interested in, 3) how this interest developed, 4) games or activities that could be done at home and/or school to engage the student in learning. Together, this collaborative Special Interest Kit can effectively change the student's engagement in the classroom and home.
Whakatauki
"Ko te kai rapu, ko ia te kite"
"Don't sit back, have a go and experience it"
Day 3 - Behavior & Teamwork
Behavior
Behavior is simply our response. It is a neutral word no matter the connotation in school or at home. Teachers and parents struggle revert to using 'behavior' as a negative term instead of focusing specifically on the positive. Behavior is used to communicate, act or react to the environment, signal needs and wants, or used to become calm and regulate peace. They can become anxious and sensitive to new environments and interactions where they might be under or over reactive depending on the student. This might seem obvious, but it is so important to step back and realize what could be the bigger function for the behavior. Recognizing patterns can help adults track this behavior and identify common factors.
Another student at my school with ASD was suspended for threatening a teacher and, essentially, not turning the clock back after he played with it. He was in class and experimenting with the clock. When the teacher asked him to stop and return it to the proper time, he simply said "no." Aggravating the teacher, this escalated the conversation where both sides began yelling. The teacher did not approve of the student's disrespect of 1) talking back, 2) not changing the clock back, and 3) holding up a sharp material in the classroom while raising his voice. On the other hand, the student did not approve of the teacher 1) not letting him have fun, 2) making him change the clock back, and 3) yelling at him in front of the class. Once the student returned from his suspension, we learned why he was triggered and enraged. He said "no" to the teacher because he didn't know how to change the clock back, not because he wanted to be defiant.
Hiding under a desk could mean the child needs a break, not because he wants to be funny or ignore the teacher. Running out of the classroom could mean the student has an idea and doesn't know how to share it so he wants to run and tell the world. There are endless possibilities students behave the way they do other than the ones teachers, students, and parents may assume. So, before assuming a student is just being defiant, think about if there could possibly be another alternative motive for the behavior. This is known as action v. function. Was the student's action the true function or reasoning for their behavior?
Giving students various ways to communicate their thoughts is crucial when working with students with ASD. But, that being said, just like most people, you can't (usually) teach an old dog new trick. Students with ASD are less likely to be open to changing behaviors that work for them, so finding an alternative behavior can be more effective than trying to get rid of the bad one. For example, we find a student who likes to tap his hands on the table might just like the noise; providing him with headphones playing tapping noises can satisfy his needs while not disrupting others.
Emotional Regulation
In order to regulate these emotions, teachers and parents can create emotion regulation charts or tables to help the students with ASD express their emotions and feelings if they cannot express them through words. Additionally, adults can model this thinking and communicating process by talking out loud. Simply voicing how
running late to school and traffic can bother the parent, but reassuring everything is going to be okay (whether taking a new route or talking about how you will still get to school) is important to helping students understand how to regulate their emotions, too.
Here, I learned how to identify situations where students can be over or under aroused where adults need to redirect them back into the "zone." Post-meltdown or disengaging from an iPad can be extremely difficult to bounce back with students. Therefore, preventing this with charts and tables to regulate their emotions can be mutual beneficial. Instead of saying "you can't" or "don't do this", teachers can model how to show why handling a situation a certain way can be more fun and less seen as a punishment.
Setting Goals
The key to all these goals is baby steps. By setting measurable and reachable goals for our students, they can celebrate the success! It is more often than not that we dwell on what we don't accomplish than what we do. Developing realistic short and long term goals for students with ASD can benefit students toward developing confidence and furthering their success.
Whakatauki
"He iti, he iti kahikatoo"
"Although little, it is still a manuka tree" ; although our kids may be different and not like the other trees in the forest, they are still important and valuable and capable of producing wonderful things
Walking out of the building the last day, I turned to my host teacher and stated "I've been to a lot of PDs and conferences, but this was by far the best course I've attended." Traveling Tip #9: Take advantage of the opportunities, both social and professional, you can't back home!
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