The
Susan H. Kenney
EDUC 800
Anastasia
P. Samaras, Ph.D.
PURPOSED/ RATIONAL:
Students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD)
have difficulty communicating and understanding ideas.
This paper will review literature,
information from experts in the field, and observations of students
with ASD to
try to determine if they have a unique way of knowing?
Understanding how students with
learning
differences “know” about their world is important
because I am seeking to
propose that using Assistive Technology is a viable, valid way of
learning. Recently
through workshops I
have been learning that students with ASD have specific behaviors and
learning
needs that are often misunderstood.
Understanding these students will be very beneficial as I
seek ways to
help them know about the world so they can become active, contented,
contributing adults who feel comfortable in their community.
QUESTIONS:
LITERATURE
REVIEW
This literature review began with an introduction
to three
courageous people. Thanks
to Luke
Jackson,
In describing autism Paula Kluth (2003) used
marvelous quotes
from professionals and from people with autism.
She mentions that autistic commonalities are difficult to
define! Although Autism
Speaks website (2006)
describes autism as “… a
complex neurobiological disorder…”, and according to Mayo Clinic website (2006),
“Autism is a
brain disorder…”, the
main similarity in quotes from individuals
with autism included in Kluth
(2003) was the acknowledgement that a person with autism has incredible
gifts
and differences!
Kluth (2003) mentions that the reference book
Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision
(DSM-IV-TR)
(American Psychological Association, 2000) names three areas of delays
in
people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The three areas have to do with interacting and
communicating with other
people as well as behavior patterns.
Asperger’s syndrome is described as being within
the spectrum of
autism. Difficulties
with communication,
transitions, and areas of fixated interests are often associated with
Asperger's syndrome. Some
of the gifts
include high-level skills in math or science and a photographic memory.
According to Mayo Clinic website (2006), “Autism is a brain
disorder that is
associated with a range of developmental problems, mainly in
communication and
social interaction.” The
Mayo Clinic
site also mentions that causes of autism have not been verified and
there is no
known cure. Much of
the literature
including, Mayo Clinic website (2006), and Autism Speaks website
(2006), did
emphasize that early diagnosis and treatment is vital for a person with
autism.
“A child won't "outgrow" autism. But he or she can learn to
function
within the confines of the disorder…” Mayo Clinic
website (2006).
Joanne Cafiero (2005) describes the communication
problems
that can sometimes accompany autism.
In
order to interact effectively with peers, a common language, both
expressive
than receptive, must be found. Without
communication skills, frustration can often result which can become a
seed to
inappropriate behaviors which often alienates these children from others and inhibits learning. Beza
(2006) related
an incident that illustrates some of the misunderstandings that can
happen with
students with autism. Ms.
Beza had been explaining
the meaning of sarcasm to a student. The
student finally grasped sarcasm was tricky.
When working on a difficult math problem a week later the
student
exclaimed that the problem was sarcastic!
It was only after delving into the autobiographies
of people
with autism that I read the challenge from Kluth, P. (2003) that
emphasizes the
importance of Local
Understanding, which
is actually getting an
intimate knowledge about a person, as an individual, and learn about
his/her
own perspectives directly from that person rather than relying solely
on
experts and/or relatives.
Luke Jackson (2002) taught me the power of insights
that can
be gleaned from listening to a young person’s perspective. This thirteen year old gifted youth
describes Asperger's syndrome
from the inside. Comparing
communication
of people with Asperger's syndrome with electricity and crossed wires
his
visual description gives us a good idea of the way messages get
distorted. His term
“Specialist Subjects”
(p. 43) is a positive
interpretation of
the passionate fixations that can be a part of Asperger's syndrome. The powerful focus can
lead to intense
observations and research in a very narrow topic. Grandin
(1995), Willey (1999), and Jackson
(2002) all mentioned that their specific areas of interest were
important doors
to learning about many other things. Beza (2006), a teacher of students
with
autism, mentioned the importance of using the student’s areas
of interest as
launching pads for teaching academic concepts and/or rewards for
extending time
remaining on task or completing tasks. Kluth (2003) mentioned the
importance of
allowing time for the student’s fascinations as stress
releasers and/or points
of connecting and remembering new information unless it is dangerous or
embarrassing.
Repetitive themes in all three autobiographies
Grandin
(1995), Willey (1999), and Jackson (2002) were those of the importance
of
structure, predictability, areas of intense interest, hiding places,
and images
in the ways each learned about the world.
Organization is another important aspect of learning that
can be seen in
the lining up of toys and items and as
Willey (1999), and Jackson (2002) also mentioned
the
inability to understand speech that was not literal such as idioms and
colloquial expression. They
also
acknowledged that visual cues and symbols can help these children
communicate
with others and reduce frustration. On the other hand too much visual
stimulation can cause distress and stop the learning process.
While senses are a very important part of the learning
process for most
children, children with Asperger's syndrome can be hypersensitive to
some textures
and smells around them. Pain
or disgust can cause the child to
recoil, hide, or scream rather than explore.
Their senses can be jumbled and give them inaccurate
information.
Liane Willey
also described her childhood with many similar memories of arranging
materials
rather than playing with toys, a preference for the familiar,
difficulty with
peer relations, troubles in school, and difficulties with noisy
environments.
She mentioned that, “Until I was somewhere around 10 years
old, I held myself
separate from others. I
never really
compared who I was it who they were.
It
didn't dawn on me to see myself as a fellow third-grader or as a member
of the
team. I felt almost
like I was
invisible.” (Willey, 1999,
p. 27). When she needed a respite she
would squeeze into a small place under her bed to escape noise and
distractions. But
at school her
overloaded sensory system would often result with fits of rage and
destruction.
Liane recounted the importance that rules played in her
life. “Rules are
maps that lead us to know how to behave and what to expect. When they are broken, the
whole world turns
upside down.” (Willey, 1999,
p. 43).
After reviewing literature, parents were asked
about their experiences. Many
of the
reports were similar.
“…her social skills were
virtually non-existent, she hated loud noises, she
‘stemmed’ very, very often,
if we tried to take her to a movie, she would start kicking and
screaming and
doing the ‘dying cockroach’ rather than be dragged
into the theater even though
she desperately wanted to see the movie..
She perseverated on topics.
She
would line her dolls and toys up in formations rather than play with
them. She also
appeared to be in another time and
dimension when we told her to do things or helped her study.”
(
After preschool therapies that seemed to help very little, searching for answers, this parent found a program of daily exercises through the National Association for Child Development. www.nacd.org. “That produced BIG changes to her sensory problems and coordination as well as her ability to look you in the face when talking to her. Because of it, she was now able to go to a movie theater…”(Clark , Personal communication, 11-11-2006)
The NACD program consisted of multiple short therapies every few hours. It was very time consuming and after a year his daughter resisted the exercises. When the child was 10 years old, her parents found the Sensory Learning Program. http://www.sensorylearning.com/
After a thirty day treatment program the parents reported more and continual advances in vocabulary development, communication, perseveration, and interpersonal relationships. Clark (11/13/2006 )
“The Sensory LearningSM Program is a supra-modal approach to developmental learning that unites three modalities (auditory, visual and vestibular) into one 30-day drug-free intervention to improve perception, understanding, and the ability to learn.” Sensory Learning (2006)
REFLECTION
As a professional with a Masters in Special
Education, ten
years experience working with student in Special Education, and being a
parent
of 2 sons with special needs, my personal history is filled with a
desire to
see people with special needs as individuals.
Seeking the key to unlock the strategies and skills needed
to help a
person learn how to become an accepted contributing member of society
has been
a constant mission filled with rewards, yet, I have avoided
the ominous arena of autism. Autism is shrouded in stories of mysterious loners with
bizarre and
frightening reactions to seemingly innocent stimuli.
This was not a world I dared tread until the
clash between my familiar, comfortable knowledge, and an
internal drive to embrace
the quest for
challenging, new knowledge in the PhD
program.
Reading these incredible biographies and other
literature,
and speaking with parents and professionals who work with students with
autism,
has been an awakening for me. Rather
than feeling that those with autism are aliens, I am realizing that
their behaviors
are misunderstood. Having
a more
positive perspective on autism and
appropriate strategies will
help me work more effectively with many students.
Helping those with autism learn how to
maximize their gifts, deal with their difficulties, and minimize their
differences is attainable! Yet,
there is
so much more to learn!
IMPLICATIONS
Finding
student’s interests is very important
whether using assistive technology or not.
Using topics of interest will help the students focus on a
concept or
skill. For students
with computer
fascinations, assistive technology may be a natural way to help if they
have
difficulty with fine motor control, organization of thoughts, the
editing
process and/or revision of written assignments.
Understanding
the student’s need
for certain things such as routine, advanced notice of change, quiet
environment, body pressure, visual cues, reaction to certain textures
or
smells, communication difficulties, and other needs is very important
when
working with persons with autism.
Built
in predictability, routine, rules, repetition, visual cues, stress
relief, and
other comforting factors are easily incorporated with Assistive
Technology. Technology
can also provide
a means of communication that is a necessity.
REFERENCES:
Autism Speaks.(n.d.).
"What is
autism? An overview."
Retrieved
Beza, J. (2006, November 20).
Personal communication [Interview]
Cafiero, J. (2005). Meaningful exchanges for people
with autism.
Clark, R. (2006, November).
Personal communication.
Grandin, T, & Scariano, M.
(1986). A true
story emergence labeled autistic.
Grandin, T. (1995). Thinking in pictures: and other
reports from my life with autism.
Jackson, L. (2002). Freaks, geeks and Asperger
Syndrome: A user guide to adolescence.
Kluth, P. (2003). "You're going to love this
kid!" Teaching students with autism in the inclusive classroom.
MayoClinic.(n.d.).
“Autism.” Retrieved October 28, 2006, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348
Sensory Learning.(n.d.). “The
Sensory Learning Program.” Retrieved
Willey, L. H. (1999). Pretending to be normal: Living
with Asperger's Syndrome.