Autistic spectrum disorders
Students with autism may be intellectually delayed or gifted.
Students catergorised as having high functioning autism or Asperger
Syndrome (AS) often have special abilities. These abilities may
be difficult to nurture because of the disabling aspects of autistic
disorders. The difficulties students suffer can dramatically impact
on their ability to learn or even function within a school environment.
Identification of giftedness is complicated by the traits of AS.
Students with AS may be able to speak clearly yet have considerable
difficulty with reciprocal communication and social skills. They
may interrupt conversations to talk about their special interest,
with no awareness of the listener's focus. Once interrupted, students
will often start the dialogue again from the beginning. Students
with AS take language very literally and lack the ability to comprehend
implied meaning. Everyday comments, idioms, rhetorical questions,
and sarcasm cause huge confusion. The student's response may seem
cheeky but often indicates a lack of understanding. For example,
a student told sternly to "Cut it out" replied, "Cut what out. I
don't have any scissors." Misunderstandings may cause considerable
distress.
Students with AS frequently have difficulty observing nonverbal
language. An inability to read facial expressions means they are
unable to identify whether someone is angry or sad, etc. When strong
feelings are obvious, even to a student with AS, they lack the ability
to empathise or understand another's point of view. Whereas other
students will comply with a teacher's nonverbal signs, a student
with AS will not comprehend the message. A classroom can be confusing
and frightening for students struggling to understand, what seems
like, a foreign language. Teachers having an awareness of the communication
difficulties can ensure their instructions are clear and without
any ambiguity.
Sensory difficulties can be present in many forms. Students with
AS can have an exaggerated response in all five sensors. They may
react explosively to gentle touch, because it hurt them. The taste
or texture of food can cause them to spit food out unceremoniously
and they often have a highly restricted diet. Smells unnoticeable
to others may cause loud complaints and nausea. Senses can become
confused. Noise causes particular concern in the school environment.
Students may not cope with loud, crowded, or confusing places. This
may be assemblies, buses, or even the regular classroom. Students
may become overwhelmed and unable to cope. This may result in an
unexpected outburst or the student shutting down and becoming withdrawn.
Having a designated place available for students to use before they
become overwhelmed is a useful strategy to prevent problems (Attwood,
2000).
Students with AS need regular routines. Attwood (2000) suggests
an unpredictable environment increases stress and anxiety, often
resulting in anger and confusion. Ritualistic/repetitive behaviour
can escalate as the student attempts to bring some order into their
life. Routines become more dominant and elaborate when there have
been unexpected changes. To cope effectively, students need preparation
for even minor changes.
To function effectively, students with AS require a social skills
programme and help adjusting to unexpected changes. Social stories
(Gray, 2000) help students learn to cope in various situations by
breaking down the social situation into recognisable steps for learning.
These steps involve: recognising the social cues (descriptive sentences),
understanding what the situation means (perspective sentences),
and learning appropriate responses (directive sentences). Social
stories are also effective in reducing anxiety and preparing for
change.
The following social story (adapted from Jenison, 1993), was written
to assist a student who became excessively anxious and had panic
attacks each time his class teacher was away.
Having a relief teacher
Sometimes my teacher is away. She may be sick or she may be
at a meeting.
When my regular teacher is away, a relief teacher will look after
my class.
We will probably line up outside the classroom as usual.
The relief teacher may call the roll. I will try to answer the
same as I do for my regular teacher.
I may be a little nervous! My relief teacher will probably be
as nice as my regular teacher.
If I don't know what to do, I can put my hand up. The relief teacher
will try to help me.
When I have a relief teacher it gives me a chance to learn something
from a new person.
A social story explains the situation and gives information for
the student to use.
Whereas verbal communication is transitory, visual communication
allows the message to remain and be processed (Hodgdon, 2002). The
majority of students with AS are visual learners and benefit from
visual cues. These can be adapted to give information, remind about
rules, and teach self-regulation. They can include timers, charts,
calendars, sequencing cards, photographs, line drawings, diagrams,
or symbolic representations, etc. Visual timetables help students
adjust to transitions between subjects and activities. Changes can
be visually demonstrated to reduce anxiety.
An example of a visual timetable is:
Students with AS develop special interests or fixations, often
reciting factual information and technical terms beyond the comprehension
of others (Attwood, 2000). The student will display amazing motivation
when focusing on their special interest, usually to the exclusion
of all else. Incorporating the student's interest into other activities
can provide necessary motivation. Grandin (1986, 1995) states childhood
obsessions often lead to a lifetime pursuit and may be the beginnings
of future career choices.
People with AS are usually very observant and may become absorbed
in small details overlooked by others. This can be either an advantage
or disadvantage. Chris's class was asked to draw a "bird's eye view"
of his classroom. Other students proceeded without difficulty. Chris
interpreted the instructions as requiring him to produce a drawing
of every item in his class, an accurate view of each book on the
bookcase, the correct number of pencils shown in the pencil jar.
Chris was paralysed as he took in the details of each individual
item in his environment. Other students had finished while Chris
was overwhelmed with the task. Chris did not realise other students
had a different interpretation and had drawn only a quick sketch
of the class layout. Chris perceived himself as "dumb" for being
unable to complete the task. His teacher did not understand why
he made no effort.
Case story
Chris
Chris found the noise and bustle of the regular classroom overwhelming.
He didn't have friends and often withdrew, sitting in a world
of his own. He perceived himself as "dumb". After school, Chris
would become aggressive and destructive, lashing out at family
members to release his frustration. As Chris was not making
academic progress, his teacher suggested he was slow to learn.
An educational assessment completed when Chris was aged 7 years
identified him as gifted, with a range of abilities and difficulties.
A pediatric assessment when Chris was aged 9 resulted in a diagnosis
of Asperger's Syndrome. Chris received very little understanding
of how his AS affected his ability to cope at school and his
gifts were not nurtured. A school production meant his class
had regular changes. This included relief teachers, schedule
changes and moving to different classes. The school did not
recognise the distress this caused him. Chris suffered headaches,
stomachaches, nightmares, panic-attacks, and became increasingly
compulsive. He began talking of wanting to die. A psychological
assessment indicated he was potentially very much at risk. Chris
developed a school phobia and was removed from school. He is
currently receiving his education through The Correspondence
School. |
Students with AS have unusual abilities and disabilities. Their
social and communicative ineptness make it difficult to form and
maintain friendships, they often become isolated at school. Students
can suffer disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive
disorders. Teaching strategies need to focus on overcoming the disabling
effects of autism. Capitalising on special interests and gifts can
motivate students.
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