Manchester University



Jim I am a family memberAlthough I don’t have a degree in education, it is clear that I am—and will always be—a teacher for my 20-year-old son with autism. Class is in session during all waking hours when we are together.If we are watching sports together, I like to ask him “Do you know what the announcer means when he says (fill in the blank)?” This type of question helps me know what part of the language Michael understands or doesn’t understand. We know that he passed a recent “quiz” when he reported during a basketball game that “There is a 10 second difference between the shot clock and the game clock.” A more important class is social skills: “Remember to look at the person you are talking to” or “Wait for your turn in conversation” are examples of lessons that must be taught and re-taught with some frequency. Other skills, like saying hello and being polite, have been mastered.On Father’s Day, Michael and I went to the golf course together. As we talked about the safe driving of a golf cart or how to “mark” your ball with a coin on the putting green or how to rake a sand trap, I realized that these ongoing life lessons are a huge part of our relationship. All parents teach and model behavior, but the parents of children on the spectrum have the added challenge of not letting a teachable moment go by. The rewards of that extra “class time” are well worth the effort. Rory I'm on the spectrumI’m 21, have absolute pitch, was born without eyes and have Asperger’s Syndrome. I remember hearing the carousel music in a San Francisco theme park back when I was four years old. It was in the key of F sharp, which is my favorite key to play in.My family moved to Australia in 1996, and my life has accelerated since I started performing with my band, Rudely Interrupted. We all have a disability, and we write and perform original music. I’m very excited because the band is making a little bit of history this December—we’re the first ever indie-band to be invited to play at the United Nations in New York to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities.I named the band Rudely Interrupted because it feels like my life is consistently being interrupted, but being in the band also helps me deal with emotional situations in my life. For example, when I lost a dear friend of mine to cancer, we wrote a song called “Can you really die from a broken heart?” The band helps me put everything into perspective and allows me to use what other people consider to be my weakness as my strength. I'm here to show people what I can do, and just because I have disability it doesn't mean I can't ROCK.Jim I'm a professionalI am truly blessed to work in the field of autism. If you would have asked me 20 years ago what I would be doing now, autism would have never entered into the equation, but I am sure glad that it did. I hear people say all the time “I learn something new everyday,” but I can honestly say that I do because of knowing and working with people on the autism spectrum and their families. Everyday, I learn about myself and my relationships, and how easy it is to take for granted the simplest tasks and skills. I’ve learned about diversity and found that it’s “okay” to be different because, in our own special ways, we all are. I even take great pride in how different I am. I would have never learned these things if it were not for the work I do. I go to work everyday looking forward to the things I am going to learn and the new people I am going to meet. Not many people can say this, but I can: I love my job and now could not imagine doing anything else.Important Points to RememberPeople with autism have deficits in communication, social interaction, and cognition, as well as repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, and some have abnormal sensory perceptions. People with autism spectrum disorder need a daily routine that rarely changes. If it will change, provide students with an advanced notice. Autism Spectrum Disorder may have a neurological and hereditary cause, though there is no single cause for all cases. IDEA definition: A developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that affects a child’s performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual response to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has serious emotional disturbance. Some major characteristics distinguishing children: (1) an inability to relate to others in an ordinary manner (2) an extreme autistic aloneness that seemingly isolated the child from the outside world (3)an apparent resistance to being picked up or held by the parents (4) deficits in language including echolalia-the repetition of words or phrases (5) extreme fear reactions to loud noises (6) obsessive desire for repetition and maintenance of sameness (7) few spontaneous activities such as typical play behavior (8) bizarre and repetitive physical movement such as spinning or perpetual rocking. Educational ConsiderationsSix areas given priorityCommunication skillsSocial skills that are age-appropriatePlay skillsCognitive skillsAppropriate behavior to replace problem behaviorFunctional academic skillsOther important considerationsDirect instruction of skills-structured, teacher-led lessons; small groups or one-on-one instruction; lessons presented in small steps; frequent use of teacher questions; extensive opportunities for practice; frequent feedback, reinforcement, and correctionBehavior Management-support positive behaviors rather than punishing negative behaviors. Determine purpose of behavior, triggers of behavior, and the setting in which the behavior occurs. Instruction in Natural Settings-Least Restrictive Environment, General Education ClassroomSocial Interpreting-turn a confusing event into a meaningful interaction, through explanationCoaching-prepare a student for social interaction ahead of time, particularly with children with Asperger syndrome->difficulty initiating conversations.Early InterventionHighly structured, intensive, involve familiesMostly focused on severe degrees of autism spectrum disorders, like autism, rather than milder degrees, like Asperger Syndrome. Asperger is not usually diagnosed until child is beyond preschool years. Family involvement is absolutely essential. Not likely that there is an “autism epidemic” and the evidence does not show a relationship in which the MMR vaccine causes Autism. Autistic Savant: A person with severe autism whose social and language skills are markedly delayed but who also has advanced skills in a particular area, such as calculation or drawing. This is not common, but they are featured in the media. Jason McElwain –High School Basketball PlayerHeather Kuzmich –America’s Next Top Model competitorTips of the Day - DisciplineDo not make your child look at you when you are angry. Say “no” firmly but not loudly. Have your child pick up his toys and put them away in the toy box. Have your child correct his mistakes, clean up his own messes, and apologize to others as needed. Ignore your child if he throws a temper tantrum in public; when he gets it out of his system, continue with what you were going to do. Send your child to his room if he throws a temper tantrum at home. Time-out minutes should correspond to the age of the child, usually lasting one minute per year of age. Give a child who bites himself a chewy tube. Remove objects of obsession from sight if they are inappropriate or affecting the quality of life. Write out rules for a child who can read or use pictures if he cannot. Tell your child often how good she is. Find things your child is doing right or well and praise him. Calm yourself if your child is upset. Hug and kiss your child often; happy children do not act out as much as unhappy children. Give attention to appropriate behavior and ignore inappropriate behavior. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download