Let’s change the way of teaching!

SANDRA VEGA CARRERO

A world inside of a world

Introduction

“In our society everything seems to be in phases. We go through phases at school, phases at work and even phases in our homes. The phases we encounter in life and our interaction with other human beings is what shapes us into the individuals that we are”.

Dr. Christopher E. Cunningham

People with autism live in a world inside of a world. They do not process thing the same that neurotypical individuals do. Their interaction with others and the environment are distinctly unique. If these interactions are what will mold us into who we are, then much emphasis must be place on the people who interact with children with autism, during their development, on a constant and daily basis. This is why I decided to write about it. Let’s take a closer look at what is autism, their learning process, and what you as a teacher should do while working in an inclusive classroom.

Sandra Vega Carrero

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Chapter 1

General knowledge

Since 1940s when the American psychiatrist Leo Kanner described and defined autism, many things have been told. There are several studies, researches, books, documental, and videos created by professionals, parents, and adults with autism or anybody interested in this spectrum disorder. But still there are many things undiscovered, and several questions without an answer.

There are some statistics that affirm that nowadays the number of children with autism has been increased significantly. One in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and it is four times more present in boys than in girls according to a new report released on March 2014 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although I believe it is not just the

number people with autism that is being increased, it is the number of children that had received a diagnosis.

Therefore, this can also be an indicator of a significantly grow of awareness about the characteristics of the spectrum. Parents, teachers, and citizens have become more awarded and educated about the development of the kids. They understand that there are some stages that each child must go through, they trust their gut instincts and recognize that something is not going properly in their kids growing process; consequently they are looking for help trying to understand what is going on with their kids. Doctors are getting better trained about autism; they understand that this is not just a medical issue, which can be solved with medicaments. Instead, many out there comprehend that autism is a brain-based disorder that impacts the normal development of the child, affects his/her abilities in areas of social interaction, communication skills and behavior.

While growing it is expected for a child to pick up instinctively some social clues, and learning basic social rules like saying “please” and “thank you” people expect that everybody learn how to communicate and “use their words” to express their

Section 1

General knowledge about autism

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Movie 1.1 General Knowledge about autism

needs and wants. This process seems to be very easy for a neurotypical individual, but in a child with autism, seems to be very difficult to learn by them.

It is very important to keep in mind that every child with autism is probably very different to another. Each child development is totally different, that is why it is impossible to apply the same learning strategies to every single individual. It is essential that parents and instructors learn to identify their strength and needs in order to implement a teaching method.

When does autism usually start?

There isn’t professional agreement about this aspect, although research has shown that autism can be developing from birth or a very early age (classic autism). The kid’s language never progress, they seem to be disconnected from the world, they avoid eye contact and she or he don’t respond to their parents’ smiles or coos.

Some other children with autism go back, hence they stop communicating verbal and non verbally, playing, sharing smiles or using the social skills that they have already learned (Regressive autism).

In general, there are some similar characteristics that can be notice between 12 – 18 months, but most children are not formally diagnosed until they are 2 – 3 years old. It is essential that parents be ever vigilant trying to follow the growing process of their child, and look for help if they are concerned. If the child presents any of the early signs, it doesn’t necessary mean that he or she has autism, but you should have him/her evaluated to determine if there is any necessitate for alarm.

Social Skills

Communication

Behavior

1 2 3

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Gallery 1.1 Early signs of autism

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Review 1.1 General Knowledge about autism

Check Answer

Question 1 of 3According to CDC, nowadays

A. The number of children with ASD has decreased.

B. ASD it is four times more present in girls than in boys

C. One in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder

D. Researchers have found the reason why does autism appear.

Chapter 2

Thinking and learning Process

It is crucial to understand and accept that people with Autism have a unique way of thinking. Their brain and information process occur differently than in neurotypical individuals

For individuals with autism, generalization is very difficult to understand; their thinking process goes from specific to general. This has an effect on their ability to create groups of items or link ideas into categories. Categories are the opening of concept development. Nancy Minshew a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, found that people with autism can easily sort object into categories such as red or blue, but they have difficulty creating new categories for groups of common objects.

“Teachers should work on teaching flexibility of thinking by playing a game where the autistic individual is asked to make up new categories for the objects like objects containing metal, or objects used in sports. Then the teacher should get the person to explain the reason for putting an object in a specific category” (Grandin, 2006, p. 30)

Dr. Ball, J. (2008) says: “it affects their ability to notice similarities and differences. For example, no one specifically taught you the concept “dog” did they? You saw all different types of dogs and your brain group them into a broad classification based on common characteristics. Not so for most

kids with ASD. A black dog is different from a white dog, and a Terrier is different from a Great Dane. Without categories, these observations sit in the child’s brain as unrelated pieces that do not connect in logical ways to each other. It makes learning very difficult” p.19.

Section 1

Thinking Process

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Movie 2.1 Common Characteristics of individuals with autism

Because of their specific thinking process, a child with autism thinks concretely, he or she will respond better to what is tangible than what is abstract. “Tangible objects are more meaningful to children on the spectrum than are photographs or line drawings of the same objects- especially when the children are very young” (Ball, 2008, p. 21). It is very difficult for him/her to naturally understand that one knowledge gain in a particular situation can

be applied in other contexts. For example, if a mother teach a kid to knock on his/her sister closed door and wait to see if she responds before entering, probably when the kid goes to other people’s house and see the door closed, he/she may enter in without knocking or waiting. Therefore, it is very important to teach repeatedly the same concept in different environments until, he/ she learns it successfully.

Another aspect to keep in mind, is the tendency in their thinking process to the inflexibility, some of them can’t live without specific and unchangeable routines, and patterns. If for any reason their schedule mess up, this can generate them anxiety and they may feel their world is falling apart. It is a need to teach them that change is part of the life, but of course this can take a while until they accept interruptions in their routines.

Kids with autism do not learn trough imitation. A neurotypical child may learn how to play with the cars while watching other kids. But a child with ASD probably won’t even pay attention to

the kid to learn how to play cars. They don’t see others as a source of information for learning. Skills that involve sequence of movements such as telling a story without words by using body movements and facial expressions are often impacted. This has a large repercussion for the kid’s capability to learn about others’ moods, speech, body language, and social skills.

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Concrete

Semi-concrete

Semi -abstract

Abstract

1 2 3 4

Many Individuals with ASD process visual information better than auditory information. It is very difficult for them to retain or remember verbal instructions. Hearing and responding is a complicated mental duty, and for many children their processing speed is delayed.

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Review 2.1 Thinking process

Check Answer

Question 1 of 3According to Ball (2008) we can conclude that:

A. The thinking process of a child with ASD is abstract.

B. Kids with ASD process better the tangible information.

C. One of the major characteristic of children with ASD is their flexibility.

It is important to keep in mind that learning is not a linear process for a child with autism. His or her aptitudes may change from day to day maybe because of anxiety, difficulties in concentration, or variation while processing information. Teachers should understand that those changes are present there in their learning processes, it is very difficult to eliminate them, but they don’t mean that the kid is disobedient, spoil, uneducated, or maybe it is not trying enough. Although each behavior is a way of communication, parents and teachers should learn to interpret the kid’s inappropriate behavior, maybe something from the environment in the classroom is bothering him/her. Changing this environment condition may help them to calm their anxiety. Of course not all the environmental conditions can be adapted for each single kid, so maybe therapy would be required it in order to help the child to overcome this difficulty.

It was very popular to believe that all the kids with autism were only visual thinkers. Nowadays, there is a tendency to believe that each child on the spectrum develops a specialized brain. According to their specialization, the information process will be so much better if appropriated resources and methods are

implement while teaching a determinate subject. Dr. Temple, G. (2006) considered that there are 3 basic categories of specialized brain: Visual thinkers, Music and math thinkers and verbal logic thinkers.

1. Visual Thinking:

It is the common experience of thinking through visual processing using the part of the brain that is emotional and creative to organize information in an instinctive and instantaneous way. Images and spatial relations seem to dominate thinking process.

2. Music and math thinking:

Patterns as a replacement for pictures rule the thinking processes of these kids. Children who think this mode can have strong associative skills. Grandin (2006) “They like finding relationships between numbers or musical notes; some children may have savant-type calculation skills or be able to play a piece of music after hearing it just once. Musical talent often emerges without formal instruction. Many of these children can teach themselves if keyboards and other instruments are available”.

Section 2

Learning Process

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3. Verbal Logic Thinking: Children who think this way like words and speech. They enjoy making lists and will often memorize things such as stories in alphabetical order train timetables and routes, and even ordinary things like software product codes. There doesn't need to be a pattern, there just needs to be words.

I like to capitalize that kids with autism have many strengths and it is important to support them in the learning process at home and school. Every body involved in their life should find the way to improve their abilities to learn. After recognizing their particular specialized brain, changes and adjusts can be made in the environment and methodologies with the main goal of enhancing their capabilities. We have to change the way we teach when there is an autistic kid in the classroom, helping them work through their weaknesses and offering an appropriate communication system for the child, capitalizing on the child’s interests, and generally structuring the child’s interaction and learning contexts to meet the child’s individual needs.

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Visual Thinking

Gallery 2.1 Categories of specialized brain

Review 2.2 Learning Process

Check Answer

Question 1 of 3The learning process for a child with autism must be:

A. Academic

B. Linear

C. Sequential

D. None of the above

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Chapter 3

Educating children with autism

“Each child will progress based on their own strengths and weaknesses. Learning will occur, but as a process. Capitalize on his strengths and help him overcome his

challenges”

Ball, J. 2008

How can a teacher be an educational leader and a change agent in an inclusive classroom with ASD students?

The first thing a teacher needs to keep in mind is that students with autism are individuals first. Their autism is part of their functioning but it is not all of who they are. Each child with ASD has his / her own personality, just as neurotypicals are all different. Understanding and accepting those differences help teachers to better know and help each individual student. They should create an environment where differences are exposed and accepted.

Second, kids with autism constantly have stressful moments and anxiety due diverse circumstances. Some behaviors are extreme and challenging. They can even disturb their ability to learn. Teachers should spend a period of time observing the child to ensure that they understand the conditions in the environment, or momentous that may influence those behaviors. Lesson plans should contain strategies and varying activities to make sure that classroom conditions help the child.

Third, an instructor should be aware of the sensory and perceptual abnormalities that a child with autism may present, including over/under sensitivity to noise, smell, taste, light, touch or movement. The teacher should consider the noise level, the materials in use during lessons and make any adjustments in order to help them to focus while learning.

Section 1

Educating children with autism

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Movie 3.1 Developing talents in Specialized Brains

Fourth, a teacher should keep in mind the concrete way as kids with autism process information, by knowing this, he/she should try to keep the instructions clear, simple and direct, the instructor must avoid sarcastic language and metaphors. And tell the kid what should be done instead of saying what should not be done. Maybe the instructor can use visual support to gain better understanding. In addition it is important to give the child time for understanding the instruction and to respond.

Fifth, a teacher should remember that children with ASD have difficulties while recognizing that others have viewpoints. Specially for teenagers, teachers need to comprehend that a child with autism will not learn social skills instinctively therefore, it will be necessary to incorporate specific strategies in the teaching lessons to offer opportunities for the child to use his or her abilities in different circumstances.

Finally, the infant with an ASD doesn’t always respond to the typical methods of discipline. The instructor may create a systematic plan to develop their behavior. The department of Education of UK suggests some strategies and schedules that may help teachers to improve these behaviors.

I. Use schedules, timetables or calendars that help to show when something will happen.

II. Use accessible pictorial or written rules to remind a child what he/she should do.

III. Physically arrange the classroom to show where something should happen.

IV. Provide a checklist using objects of reference, photographs or a written list to help the pupil follow directions independently.

V. Replace inappropriate with appropriate behaviors:

★ Teach the child to communicate; in difficult situations, for example, the child needs to be able to ask for help, to take a break, to express emotions such as fear or anger.

★ Teach social skills, which will help the child initiate, sustain or escape anxious social situations, such as going to a quiet place, completing a calming activity or using relaxation techniques.

★ Teach specific play and leisure skills which might occupy his interest.

★ Develop behavior targets, which shape the child’s behavior toward more appropriate behavior

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Review 3.1 Educating Children with Autism

Check Answer

Question 1 of 3Choose the correct answer

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Conclusion

“Teach the autistic child positive religious values. Instruct the child to live a good life where others are treated with kindness and respect... They must be taught that they should do things to make the community a better place”.

Dr. Temple Grandin

Conclusion

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Nowadays, there are many researchers, parents, and instructors not just trying to characterize the Autism Spectrum Disorder, but instead looking forward to find and implement successful learning strategies that support the child’s learning process. Activist are calling on the whole world to be aware of the importance of accepting difference/diversity, and showing how being tolerant of each other will enrich our society.

As I said before, there are still many questions to be answered, but I can’t help but feel hope when I see that there is such a numerous amount of people interested in this disorder. I feel hope when I see teachers getting trained to provide better educational services to children with ASD. Lastly, of course I feel hope when I see a parent accepting his/her child’s condition, and ready to love a child that lives in this world and their own.

Sandra Vega Carrero

References

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1. Ball, J. (2008) Early Intervention and Autism, Future Horizons, Inc, Arlington, Texas

2. Grandin, T. (2006) Thinking in Pictures, My life with Autism, Vintage Book, New York,

3. Grandin, T. (2012 ) Different... Not Less, Future Horizons, Inc, Arlington, Texas

4. Kluth, P. (2003) You’re going to love this Kid! Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom, Paul, H Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, Maryland.

5. Melmed, R. (2007) Autism Early Intervention Fast Facts, Future Horizons, Inc, Arlington, Texas