Transcript Slide 1
The Education of Students with Autism: lessons from research Professor Rita Jordan Autism Centre for Education & Research University of Birmingham, UK A Developmental Disorder Behaviour alone is misleading in ASD. Teachers need to be aware of the developmental differences, leading to: – compensation – secondary 'handicaps' – a transactional process What’s Special about ASD? • Need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively or through social tutoring: – identity of self/ other – saliency of social signals – agency and intention – relevance and priority – social/cultural meaning – nature of communication – emotional consciousness Move away from ‘deficit’ model • SEN from • Difference and transactional nature – condition – work to strengths – strengths – match to style – interests – respect for compensation – environment – teach for meaning / relevance Learning Style • Visual rather than verbal • Memory – cued – rote • ‘Social’ a dimension of difficulty • Emotions and cognition – use interests for engagement • At sensory stage of meaning – presentation --> reference • Repetition & consolidation • Explicit strategies for problem solving Autism Friendly Environments • Respect and dignity • Life-long education not conformity • Reduce stress to allow flexibility • Allow right to be different • Build on strengths & compensate for weaknesses • Build protection against anxiety/ depression • Trained staff for inclusion Child factors: Sociability • Wing’s classification – withdrawn/ solitary -> passive/ responds -> ‘active but odd’ -> eccentric & sensitive • Varies with conditions & with teaching • Level suggests optimum form of approach – withdrawn - 1:1 directive & desensitisation – passive - interest & structured play experience – active but odd - social rules & experience (context) – eccentric - social skills in context e.g. buddy Teaching Play & Making Friends • Essence of play is: – spontaneity – emotional engagement • Need informed choice about ‘friends’ – fear of loss of control – no experience • 2 strands to play teaching – cognitive • sensori-motor -> relational -> functional -> symbolic – social • alongside -> imitative-> ‘join in’ -> co-operate - collaborate Process for social engagement • No fixed assumptions • Enabling structures for participation (including repetition) • Supporting the supporters - paired schemes • Allowing risk -> excitement • Supported peers better that trained ones Teaching Social Interaction • Videos / instant photographs for social cues • Innovatory aspects of ICT • Range of techniques based on mutual enjoyment of interaction: – Intensive Interaction –Sherborne movement – Option/Son Rise –Hanen/ Child Talk/ PACT – Frameworks for communication –DIR/ RDI/SCERTS – Music therapy –SMILE Teaching Social Understanding • Cognitive aspects of early interaction • Social Stories • Comic Book Conversations • SULP • SEAL? • P4C • TEACCH & explicit labels What did she say? What did she mean? • Video analysis Teaching about emotions • Self then others • External cueing - teach to connect • Language / symbols assist generalisation • Give panic reactions • Teach cause & effect for own anxiety • Stress reductions • Allow for uniprocessing Communication and ASDs • Language and communication separate • Often associated language problems • Prognosis • All aspects: – gesture – posture – facial expression – emotion – pragmatics Communication teaching in ASD • Communication & language – use of music and visual structure – COMFOR (Noens & Berckalaer-Onnes, 2004), PECS & TEACCH – comprehension of educational language • Inner language – language needs to be contextualised – associate with meaning / action ‘Educational’ Language • Model of conversation – contributions, topic maintenance • Assumption of joint attention – holding up, eye/finger pointing • Sarcasm & metaphor • Literal understanding – jokes, idioms, pragmatic context, • Model of questions – display, probe Tensions in Education for ASD • Entitlement vs. specialism – access or meeting SEN? • Optimum for learning vs. optimum for social integration – specialised or peer engagement • ‘Readiness’ for inclusion vs. learning without experience – how to achieve ‘readiness’ without experience? Processes for Inclusion • Support – trained - ASDs – enabling - Observe/ Wait/ Listen • Staged – special -> reverse ->integrated • Resource base • ‘Free time’ – use of buddies / circles of friends Curriculum Issues • Individual - no subject exclusions • Foreign language teaching a good model for social & linguistic understanding • Use interests where feasible or ‘work then play’ • Aspects of some subjects a problem - teach specifically or by-pass Remember ..calling it so does not make it so ……. • ‘Inclusive’ settings may be socially isolating • ‘Specialist’ settings may be narrow & of poor quality An ASD Curriculum? • No ‘autism’ curriculum or single approach • Needs to fit: – individual – family – practitioner – context – current goals – prognosis 24 hour Needs? • Need to teach: – regularisation of daily living – functional contexts for social skills & communication – leisure opportunities • Severe problems in sleeping/ feeding/ toileting/ behaviour management • Need for structure not always compatible with family life • Home not able to cooperate in needed consistency in environment • Leisure & life opportunities restricted through geography, behaviour or lack of support Single vs Eclectic Curricula Single Eclectic • Enables staff expertise • Can match to goal • Better monitoring & easier evaluation • All needs can be addressed • Builds staff & parent confidence • Needs compatibility checks & child perspective • Enables positive views • Take strengths from each Evidence • No single approach • Evidence for: – structure – behavioural methods – training parents in social interaction & communication techniques • In all studies some do well and some do not • In all studies children tend to learn only what are explicitly taught Judging Research • Does it relate to children with this child’s characteristics? • Is implementation the same as the original study? • Does research presented represent a fair sample & is reference made to systematic review findings? • Where there is a comparison group are comparisons fair? – are the goals the same? – do assessments favour one group? • What are time-lines & criteria for assessment & return to mainstream? Building on specific approaches • Choose on basis of principles - not chance • Understand the principles of each approach adopted • Individualise • Take perspective of child and examine interaction - i.e. the effect of the whole • Use professional judgment • Treat each situation as a single study to assess Teaching for Purpose Different approach needed to suit • Individual characteristics – – – – – sociability language cognitive level sensory issues age • Goal • Practitioner comfort/ ability/ knowledge Conclusion Treating people equally does not mean treating people in the same way but treating them differently to provide equal access To do otherwise is to discriminate