“Forget the label, address the need”
During our inset day on
Friday 26th of January, several departments of Crofton School
participated in some Autism training. Lucy Manger, an Educational Psychologist,
gave an insightful and engaging introductory lecture. The focus of the
discussion was to provide an overview of recognising characteristics of
students on the Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), and most importantly, identify
strategies that can be used to enable all students with potential difficulties
to perform to their optimum ability.
When we began the
lecture, we were asked to think of a particular student who was an ASC or SEN
student, and take a moment to reflect on them as an individual. We were advised
to think about them within the school environment, including their
characteristics and potential academic needs. Throughout this ‘blog’ it may be
beneficial for you to also have a particular student in mind.
A key highlight
throughout this discussion was an idea of thought called The Triad Impairment.
It contains three important elements – Social understanding, Flexibility of Thought
and Language and Communication.
The three principals of
The Triad Impairment make teaching and social aspects of life very difficult
for ASC and SEN students. From this idea we can recognise potential challenges
to student's learning and their engagement within lessons.
Social Understanding
·
Difficulty
making and maintaining social relationships
·
Lack of empathy/inability
to see others point of view
·
Making
inappropriate comments/appearing rude.
Flexibility of Thought
·
Rigid patterns
of behaviour and thought
·
Need for
routine/fear of change
·
Fear of failure
Language and Communication
·
Processing and
retaining verbal information
·
Literal interpretation
of language
·
Poor
understanding of metaphors/idioms/sarcasm
All of these aspects
can make it very difficult for any student to perform to their optimum ability,
this is why it is very important to recognise these challenges and the severity
of their requirements within the classroom. We have devised several strategies
from the presentation that can be implemented within certain lessons you may
feel require more attention and support for the child of need.
Strategies
Social stories
Example below:
Running
I like to run. It is fun to go fast.
I like to run. It is fun to go fast.
It’s okay to run when I
am playing outside.
I can run when I am on the playground.
Sometimes I feel like running, but it is dangerous to run when I am inside.
I can run when I am on the playground.
Sometimes I feel like running, but it is dangerous to run when I am inside.
Running inside could
hurt me or other people.
When people are inside, they walk.
Walking inside is safe.
I will try to walk inside and only run when I am outside on the playground.
When people are inside, they walk.
Walking inside is safe.
I will try to walk inside and only run when I am outside on the playground.
My teachers and parents
like it when I remember to walk inside.
If you feel there is a
particular student that would benefit from a having social story, please feel
free to contact Learning Support and we can investigate whether the student
will benefit from this strategy.
Oops Cards
A lot of ASC students
base their life on a rigid routine and find it very difficult when this routine
is interrupted/changed. A common example of this change is when lessons do not
follow the set plan or the original direction. This change in routine can be
very detrimental and cause frustration and agitation to particular students.
The “Oops card” is a
physical representation to convey to ASC students that a mistake has happened
and is only a minor deviation from the class schedule. The “Oops card” can be
used as a means to express that a mistake has taken place but the student can
be reassured that it is not a dramatic change and is a temporary measure to the
lesson plan. It is a comforting tool to students that have been already
prepared for an “Oops card” scenario.
If there is a
significant change to lesson plan such as a change in environment, assessments
and new seating plans, please pre-emptively inform a member of Learning Support.
If you have any
questions or advice, please feel free to contact a member of Learning Support.
For further reading or extended research click link below to PowerPoint
entitled “Introduction to Autism”. A big thank you to Lucy Manger for an
informative training session and providing useful materials to further our
schools understanding and develop our skills.
Authors BSY and JHL
Learning Support Department
Learning Support Department
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