Transcript IDP Autism Presentation For Schools August 2009

Inclusion Development
Programme
Supporting pupils on the
autism spectrum
1
What is the Inclusion
Development
Programme?
Aims
• To improve outcomes for all pupils by helping schools
and settings to develop more inclusive practices
• To promote the early recognition of signs of difficulties
• To increase the confidence and knowledge of all
practitioners and teachers so they can narrow the gap
between pupils with different types of SEN and their
peers
• To support schools and settings to become more
effective at strategic approaches and responses to the
diverse needs of individual pupils
2
Aims and Objectives of
Session
• To talk about what autism is and the
differences learners with autism
experience
• To share some practical strategies
• To point you to other useful, practical
resources
3
IDP Autism Units
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unit 1 What is the autism spectrum?
Unit 2 Social and emotional understanding
Unit 3 Communication and language
Unit 4 Flexibility of thought and behaviour
Unit 5 Sensory perception and responses
Unit 6 Know the pupil
Unit 7 Curriculum priorities and inclusive
practice
• Unit 8 Sources of support
4
What Is The Autism
Spectrum?
Unit 1
5
Kanner
• Small scale study of a group of boys resulting in research paper of 1943
• Presented new diagnostic criteria for
Autism (we now know this as “classic”
autism)
6
Asperger
• Working also in 1940s, with a small group
of boys
• His research identified a new medical
condition called Asperger Syndrome
7
The Triad of
Impairments
Social and
Emotional
Difficulties
Communication
Difficulties
Difficulties with flexible
thought and behaviour
Also – Sensory Issues and Motor Difficulties
See Appendix 1 for detailed descriptions
8
Asperger Syndrome
• not usually any delay in language
development but it may be “odd”
• difficulty understanding non-literal
meaning
• narrow or special interests
• may have obsessions about particular
things
• may show differences in social
development
9
Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder
A developmental language disorder affecting two areas of
communication: ‘semantics’ (the meaning in language) and
‘pragmatics’ (social use of language). See Appendix 2.
Semantic Pragmatic
Disorder
Autism
Asperger
Syndrome
Relationship between Autism, Asperger syndrome and Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder.
(Bishop, D. et al. 1994).
10
What makes Asperger
Syndrome (AS) different
from Classic Autism?
• Speech less commonly delayed in AS
• Onset of AS usually detected somewhat
later than Autism (Gillberg, 1989)
• Social and Communication Difficulties less
severe in AS
• Verbal IQ usually higher than performance
IQ for AS
11
• Autism with other neurological disorders is
less common in AS e.g. autism and
epilepsy
• AS child tends to have specific interest in
objects whereas Autism child tends to have
interest in parts of object (Edelson, 1996)
• Autism can occur at all levels of ability,
whereas AS tends to occur with average or
above average ability
12
The ASD “lens”
The philosophy is that the person with ASD sees
the world differently to a non-ASD person,
therefore for us to understand how the world
presents to a person with ASD we need to see
through the “ASD lens” (Cumine, Leach &
Stevenson, 2000)
13
• It is one thing to know about autism, another to
understand it.
• Until a person has understanding of autism they
will not be able to see the world through the
autism lens.
14
Social and Emotional
Understanding
Unit 2
15
Social skills
• May be socially withdrawn and isolated
• May struggle to understand social
conventions – as a result may make
inappropriate comments and actions
• Some children may be passive or
dependent on familiar adults and siblings
• May appear to dominate social situations
16
• Sociable but may be ‘different’ or odd
• May struggle to empathise with others
• May have difficulty initiating social contact,
making and sustaining friendships
• Could lack precision in expression of
emotions
• May be indifferent to peer pressure
17
Communication and
Language
Unit 3
18
Communication skills
• Communication may be
different - verbal or nonverbal
• May appear uninterested in
your side of the
conversation
• Interpretation of language
may be literal
19
• May use different intonation and expression –
may lack inflection and appear monotonous in
their verbal communication
• Child may experience problems in repairing
conversation or not know that it needs to be
repaired
• Speech may be overly precise or pedantic
20
Flexibility of Thought and
Behaviour
Unit 4
21
Rigidity
• Learning is specific to the situation –
tend to find it hard to generalise what
they have learned
• May not understand the underlying
purpose of rules
• May view things in “black and white”
and not understand about flexibility of
rules and routines
22
• Simple self directed repetitive behaviour
(rocking, flapping arms, flicking fingers) – this
can act as a comforting and calming
behaviour
• May have routines involving
objects/space/time
• Verbal routines – may have to say the same
short phrase in response to “trigger” word or
scenario
23
Sensory Perception and
Responses
Unit 5
24
25
Sensory Perceptual
Differences
• Hyper or hypo sensitive responses can
occur in any of the sensory systems (see
Appendix 3):
– Visual
– Auditory
– Smell
– Taste
– Touch
– Vestibular (sense of balance)
– Proprioception (body awareness)
26
• The child’s perception of the world around
them can also be different.
• Their perception may be fragmented,
delayed or distorted
27
Know The Pupil – Unit 6
Implications of Autism Spectrum
for the child in school
28
Difficulties in Class
• Understanding rules/ reactions
• Taking in verbal information quickly enough
– filtering out unimportant information or
misunderstanding what has been said
• Saying it like it is!
• Coping with anger
• Sharing focus of attention
29
Difficulties in Class (2)
•
•
•
•
•
Maintaining focus
Sensory issues
Lack of organisational skills
Quest for perfection
Need to maintain control, collecting in or
giving out. Keeping control of group
equipment
30
Motor difficulties
• May find gross and fine motor skills
difficult
• May walk with an awkward gait
• Resulting difficulties with handwriting,
PE and the use of tools and equipment
31
Curriculum Priorities and
Inclusive Practice – Unit 7
Strategies for Staff
32
Teaching
Also see Appendix 4 for further suggestions
•
•
•
•
•
More formal teaching often works best
Provide structure and routine
The use of visual systems
Allow for some independent work
Be specific where they should sit and
keep this constant
• Define the child’s role in group work
33
Communication
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•
•
•
•
Communication system
Visual learning
Monitor your speech
Learning style
Allow extra time
34
Strategies to use:
Delayed processing
• Give pupils time to take in information and
process it
• Do not interrupt
• Be aware that autistic pupils need time to
shift attention or modality
• Rapidly changing social interactions very
hard to follow
35
Social Interaction
•
•
•
•
•
Safety area
Co-operative learning strategies
Control exposure to groups
Structure, patience, direction
Create a code for ‘help’
36
Strategies to use to
defuse a behavioural
problem
• Remove student from the environment in a
non-punitive way
• Use proximity control
• Use visual signals and timetable
• Have a safe base
• Walk with the student without talking and
never be confrontational
37
Rigidity
•
•
•
•
•
Decide on rules
Be flexible
Decide on where and how
Use special interests
Visual timetable
38
Strategies to use:
Gestalt
• Need sameness and predictability
• Communicate changes first – by
visual/tactile means
• Take steps to reduce sensory overload
39
Strategies to use:
Fragmented perception
• Rules and rituals to facilitate
understanding of what is going on and
what is to happen
• Introduce change slowly
• Explain beforehand why and what is
happening
• Make environment predictable
40
Strategies to use:
Hyper/hypo sensitivities
• Assess each sense
• Try to desensitise – help pupil to tolerate
stimuli
• Provide aids to cope with stimuli
• Change environment
41
Sources of Support
Unit 8
42
How could you build on
this training session?
• Review the questionnaires to identify areas in
which staff feel they lack knowledge and
confidence
• Include time for staff training in the next school
improvement plan
• Identify a core group of staff to plan a
programme of training
• The possibilities are endless and need to suit
your situation and needs!!
43
IDP Autism Materials
• Web-based resource
• http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.go
v.uk/node/165037
• Also available as a dvd resource ref.
00041-2009DVD-EN from DCSF
Publications
44
Web-based IDP
resource
• Provides dvd-based scenarios of different
professionals
• Useful advice on home-school links
• Suggestions for reflections on your own
practice
• Whole-school practice suggestions
• Myth-busters questions
45
Resources Section
• Resources based on each Unit
– Good Practice Guidance
– Initial Sensory Checklist
– Transition Support
– Issues about giving the diagnosis discussion
– Pupil Passports
– SEAL materials
46
Local Support
• LEIS 01772 532478
• For Nursery / Reception children some may be
on the LUFAP programme 01257 517208
• Educational Psychology 01772 531661
• Hillside School Outreach Team 01772 782205
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Suggested Further
Training
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Social stories
TEACCH introduction
Sensory perceptions
10 minute motor skills
Emotional development and the brain
Managing behaviour in the child with autism
• Available via Service Level Agreement
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