Running head: AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 1

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1 Running head: AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 1 Understanding and Teaching Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Reducing the Problems in the Classroom Terry R. McCauley Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

2 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 2 Abstract This paper explores research on how teachers can better understand and teach children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). A brief discussion of the causes of autism is a good jumping off point. One of the most important parts that follow is the behaviors or symptoms exhibited by a person with ASD. By having a better understanding of the symptoms and behaviors exhibited by students with autism, the research also explores methods used by teachers to reduce problems in the classroom and build a better learning environment for all children. Since this is the main focus of the paper, diagnosis and early intervention before education begins will not be covered. Once we begin the move into the classroom, the behaviors and symptoms of ASD will become autistic learning disabilities (ALD). Research has shown that the following methods can reduce behavioral problems caused by autism. Autism cannot be cured in the classroom and there is not enough research to suggest that it does. The idea of inclusion will be discussed briefly as this relates to the debate of classroom instruction methods that reduce behavioral problems. Keywords: autism, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), autistic learning disabilities (ALD), and inclusion

3 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 3 Teaching Autistic Students and the Reducing the Problems Education is the single most important thing in society and everyone has the right of access to one including people with disabilities, especially people with autistic spectrum disorders. Scientists are not entirely sure what causes the development of ASD, but one thing is certain. Autism cannot be cured and there is not enough research to support this idea. But there are theories as to what may cause it. After discussing those potential causes it is important to address behaviors that are typical in people with ASD. Moving on from the symptoms and behaviors we move into the field of education as children with ASD join their peers in the classroom. The focus will primarily involve cases where children with mild to moderate ASD can join the mainstream schools and regular classrooms. Research suggests that through specific teaching methods and practices, teachers can reduce the symptoms of ASD, allowing the student to succeed not only in the classroom, but in life as well. By reducing the symptoms we simply mean understanding the specific needs of the child and focusing on teaching practices that help meet the needs of that child and help create a better learning environment for them in the regular classroom setting. By meeting those needs through creative practices you may avoid the frustration and anxiety the child may feel when faced with challenging situations. The behaviors associated with autism may be reduced and become less apparent, thus producing more positive outcomes. This not only builds a better learning environment for the autistic child, but it also builds a better learning environment for all students involved and allows the teacher to focus more on teaching the class instead of putting too much of their focus on one student. Creating a more stable learning environment for the child with ASD in the regular classroom brings the debate of inclusion to the frontline. While it may not be possible for

4 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 4 children with more severe cases of ASD to spend time in a regular classroom, the autistic children with more mild cases could be more fully included in regular classroom instruction if certain methods are explored by the teacher as to what helps that child learn best. More inclusion could lead to a better understanding of ASD by other students and parents. People fear what they don t understand, but hopefully this research will lead to a greater understanding and tolerance of people with not only ASD, but other disabilities as well. As expressed earlier, the causes of autism are not fully certain or understood. Many theories exist but some hold more weight than others. Every child is born with a different potential for development (Siegel, 2003). Just as people are unique and different from one another, so are our brains. All of our brains develop, grow, and mature differently. Research suggests that specific genes can cause autism, but some of these genes do not always cause it. They sometimes need to be activated by other things. This can include events during the pregnancy, the birth, and other environmental factors that could make ASD more likely. It does not seem likely that autism is caused by any traumas, illnesses, injuries, or accidents (Siegel, 2003). The strongest case for the causes of autism appears to be a combination of genetics and other outside factors that seem to activate it. People are products of their environments. We are molded and shaped by our experiences in life. So too are our brains. Our brains possess the potential to be molded and reshaped from experiences. Transfer of function is an important part of this process. Transfer of function is the idea that certain parts of the brain perform certain functions. With ASD, some parts of the brain are at a disadvantage. Transfer of function means early intervention to provide stimulation to transfer those functions in the disadvantaged region to another region of the brain (Siegel, 2003). This is the beginning of developing instructional

5 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 5 methods to suit the needs of the child. Autistic children may have difficulty with auditoryprocessing (hearing), so the teacher may include images or objects in the lesson. Not all children with autism experience auditory issues, however, as the symptoms and behaviors vary widely across the spectrum. With the title autistic spectrum disorders the key word is spectrum. Every individual is unique as is every case of autism. Children with autism fall all over the spectrum and just as individual people have specific needs, so each individual with ASD has individual needs to be met. Those individual needs also vary depending on the severity of the autism. There are of course mild, moderate, and severe cases, and everything in between those three categories. Kate Wall groups the behaviors of autism into three broad categories: social interaction, social communication, and imagination (2004). Bryna Siegel highlights some general characteristics and behaviors of people with ASD (once we move into the classroom these characteristics will be referred to as autistic learning disabilities): lack of awareness of others, lack of social and emotional reciprocity, lack of social imitation, difficulty in understanding body language and facial expression, difficulty in expressive body language and facial expressiveness, understanding spoken language, using spoken language, lack of imagination in play, and finally stereotyped and repetitive interests (2003). Before moving into the classroom we must understand and expand those behaviors and symptoms of children with ASD highlighted by Wall and Siegel. Of course each of these behaviors and the degree to which they occur vary from child to child. The characteristics when discussing social interaction include but are not limited to avoiding eye contact, lack of desire to play with others, lack of desire to establish relationships or friendships, and being unable to interpret people s feelings and emotions. Social communication involves but is not limited to

6 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 6 lack of useful language, lack of desire to communicate with others, inability to understand nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, inability to process conversations, and delayed or unusual patterns of speech. Imagination behaviors may include lack of imaginative play, stereotypical and repetitive play, resistance to play in imaginative scenarios, repetitive or obsessive behaviors, and difficulties in dealing with routine changes (Wall, 2004). In addition to these behaviors a child with ASD may also exhibit other behaviors such as repetitive movements of the body, non-typical responses to stimuli, unusual responses in normal situations, selfharming or inappropriate behavior, or the child may excel at a specific skill. These children are called autistic savants (Wall, 2004). Once we begin to understand the causes and the behaviors and symptoms of ASD, we can begin to explore the topic of education. Mainstreaming is the main focus of this paper. By mainstreaming I mean placing the student with ALD in a regular school with children that do not have disabilities and having them participate in some regular education classes. According to Berkell, the ultimate goal of education is to prepare individuals to become participating members of society (1999). When discussing education and autism, that goal should not change. Education can be used to develop or correct to a certain degree the negative behaviors associated with autism to the point where the individual can become a fully participating and integrated member of society. There are four general goals outlined by Christy Magnusen when dealing with autism and education. These goals are: (1) to reach a state of independence (2) to develop spontaneous communication in social situations (3) to be capable of self-advocacy and decision making and (4) to apply academic knowledge in a functional way (Magnusen, 2005). A large part of autism involves the idea that they don t perceive the world as we do. They do not understand social interaction and communication the way we do. They are unable to communicate effectively and

7 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 7 understand the feelings, emotions, and expressions of normal people. It is their lack of understanding of social rules and expectations (Magnusen, 2005). When it comes to educating children with ALD, the earlier you start the better and specialist input is an essential part of the process. A special pre-school is an excellent start to help the child cope with the adjustment to a mainstream school setting. One simple benefit includes identifying and developing the basic social and communication skills that will help the child in the future (Jordan and Powell, 1995). You should identify the objectives beforehand and they should be measurable and observable skills and behaviors that affect a child s behavior in the education setting (Brock, 2006). The discussion of educating children with ALD must start with the teacher. The teacher is the authority figure, the facilitator of learning, the leader in the classroom, and the role model. It is not necessarily the methods, practices, and strategies that will help the child with ALD succeed. They play an important role but more importantly it is how the teacher creatively uses them (Magnusen, 2005). Rita Jordan and Stuart Powell argue that for progress to be made and as a necessary prerequisite, the teacher needs to make him or herself as knowledgeable as possible about autism (1995). Not understanding autism could be detrimental to all those involved and may cause feelings of anxiety and frustration in the classroom for the teacher, the autistic child, the parents, and the rest of the students. It could lead to miscommunication and a misunderstanding of the child s behavior. Teachers can start with the physical structure of their classroom. Physically arranging the classroom in a specific manner to suit individual needs includes arranging the classroom in a way that is conducive to the learning styles and needs of the child with ALD. Setting aside quiet areas where they may go from time to time when the classroom can become overbearing is an important step. Another method the teacher can use is

8 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 8 clearly marking and arranging the materials in the classroom. (Mesibov and Howley, 2003). Children with ALD are interested in pleasing themselves more than others and it does not mean they are disobeying any instructions given to them. Mesibov and Howley also claim a student with ALD can become easily distracted so the teacher should place them in the least stimulating section of the classroom (2003). The success or failure of the child can depend on this factor. Another important factor in building a more stable classroom environment involves schedules. Children with ALD enjoy predictability, organization, clarity, and routines. A sudden change in routine without the knowledge of the child could result in a meltdown. By offering students with autism a schedule, teachers can ensure calmer and more cooperative behavior because the student understands exactly what they need to do. When they do not understand something is when they can experience feelings of frustration and anxiety which results in resistance to the curriculum. Scheduling reduces this feeling of anxiety by allowing the child to organize and anticipate their activities (Mesibov & Howley, 2003). Stacey and Dion Betts and Lisa Gerber-Eckard recently published a book in 2007 about strategies teachers can use when dealing with a student who has Asperger Syndrome. Asperger syndrome is a highly functioning form of autism and the reason I include some of their strategies here is because they also prove useful in reducing the symptoms of autism in the inclusive classroom. An important strategy worth mentioning is peer helping. Teachers may choose to pick one or a few students from the class, give them some informal training and facts about people with autism, and assign those students to help their classmate. Transition periods can be difficult for children with ALD. The peer helper may do things like walk their fellow classmate to their next class or help them get to lunch. Traveling through the chaos of hallways can cause confusion for the student with ALD and the peer helper can be particularly useful there. The peer

9 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 9 helper can also help the student organize their materials and write down important assignments. This is a wonderful idea in creating respect, understanding, and tolerance of people with ALD not only for the classroom and the other students, but also for the community as a whole. (Betts, Betts, & Gerber-Eckard, 2007). There are many important factors that teachers should consider before employing the strategy of peer helpers however. Here are some basic tips or questions you should ask according to Betts, Betts, and Gerber-Eckard. Waiting a few weeks to see if your student with ALD forms a natural relationship with a fellow student is a good idea, choose a responsible and mature student that will not view their role as babysitting, ask the peer helper and their parents for permission, ask the permission of the parents of the child with ALD and make sure they are comfortable with it, and of course provide some training to the peer helper so they may better understand their peer with ALD (Betts et al., 2007). Other strategies teachers can employ involve allowing time before and after instruction for the student to organize their materials and write down any assignments, write the assignments in a similar section of the board every day, give plenty of verbal and written notice of any special events taking place, give the student a tour of the school and important places they will need to know, take pictures of those places to give to the student, and give the student a written schedule of the day and let them practice if needed (Betts et. al., 2007). Effective educational programs for students with autism involve six major components: (1) time given to complete a task is maximized (2) the student is programmed for success (3) educators are involved in the teaching and learning process (4) teaching is based on direct instruction (5) educators listen and respond to students, and (6) teachers establish and maintain high expectations for their students (Berkell, 1999). It is important to note, however, that

10 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 10 students with autism still from time to time do require individual attention (Berkell, 1999). Having high expectations for all your students is an important part of being a teacher. You do not necessarily want to treat an individual student in your regular class different from all the others. The strategies and practices outlined above should not be viewed as treating your student with autism differently from everyone else. It should be viewed as specific ways you as the teacher can build a more effective learning environment for everyone involved and make it an enjoyable place to be to facilitate learning. These tasks are designed to enhance the educational experience of the student with autism, making their path through life smoother with clarity, organization, and routine. Education can provide them with and enhance the skills they may be lacking. Teachers can also apply what is known as antecedent strategies in the classroom to help their student with autism. A large part of the difficulties people experience with autism is with language and communication. Speaking slowly and clearly will help eliminate some of the language confusion an autistic student might experience. Eliminate extra language and avoid multiple commands. When given multiple commands the student might miss what he or she was supposed to do for the assignment and not completing the task might appear to be laziness or outright disobedience of instruction by the inexperienced teacher. Since students with autism experience difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, pictures are an excellent asset. You may use pictures to supplement the material. When going over class rules and expectations you might ask the students to act out the behavior while you take pictures and post them in a clearly labeled area where everyone can see them. Allow the student an appropriate amount of time, around 10 seconds for example, to respond to your question. Ask the child to repeat back to you the instructions you have given them. Children with autism have the tendency to take things literal so you may also want to avoid sarcasm, figures of speech, and idioms (Moyes, 2002).

11 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 11 Students with autism as previously discussed enjoy structure, routine, and sameness. Consistency is very important when dealing with behavior. Teamwork between teachers and teachers and parents is very important. If certain behaviors are handled differently at home than at school, the autistic child will experience a lot of stress (Moyes, 2002). The student must be taught in a way they understand what will happen if they misbehave. Punishments do not work as well because they do not teach the child, or any child for that matter, what the accepted behavior is. Rewards and motivators can also be useful tools, but the rewards must be something that is important and pleasurable to the child (Moyes, 2002). A few strategies that may work include having the student write an apology and an explanation of what he or she did wrong, making the student explain what they did wrong or drawing a picture of it, and have them review the rules again so they understand what they did (Moyes, 2002). The topics of mainstreaming students with ALD, placing them in regular classrooms, and developing creative techniques, practices, and strategies to reduce behavior problems associated with autism and help that child become a more important, understood, and participating member of the classroom and society, brings into discussion the idea of inclusion. Inclusion is not for everyone. But those with only mild or moderate cases of autism that are deemed able to be in a regular classroom for at least part of the day should be. One theory is that since some autistic children learn behaviors by imitating others, they will imitate and learn the more appropriate behaviors from their peers. Also, these types of students typically have professional teaching aids in the classroom that help them in their daily activities. This frees the teacher from focusing too much of their attention on one individual, but at the same time allows them to alter their methods and delivery of instruction to suit the needs of the student with ALD to build a better learning environment for all. Another part of inclusion is providing a resource room. This is a place

12 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 12 students with ALD can go which serves as a homeroom for those that can t handle a group setting for those six to seven hours of the day (Siegel, 2003). Another component of inclusion is adapting the curriculum to fit the needs of the student with ALD. A study done by Wang and Birch showed that students with disabilities who are fully mainstreamed in regular education classes demonstrated increased academic skills, improved classroom behavior, and better generalization of classroom behavior compared to their partially mainstreamed peers (Kellegrew, 1995). Inclusion as stated above is not for everyone, but for those students with mild enough forms of autism that can handle the environment should be included as much as possible. People with disabilities are often feared and ignored by society because they are misunderstood. It is often said that they do not have the mental capacity to learn and therefore cannot join mainstream society as an active participating member. We need to change these false attitudes about people with disabilities, especially autism. The way we do that is through education. The research and material presented has shown that if we take the time and patience to understand autism and include those who are able to join a mainstream school and a regular education classroom, then we can more fully accept them by employing specific strategies and practices that help reduce the common behavioral problems associated with autism. These teaching methods also might provide students without disabilities with the idea of tolerance. Education, understanding, and the building of tolerance and acceptance will hopefully help create a happier and brighter future for everyone.

13 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 13 References Berkell, Z. D. (1999). Autism: Identification, education, and treatment. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Betts, S. W., Betts, D. E., & Gerber-Eckard, L. N. (2007). Asperger syndrome in the inclusive classroom: Advice and strategies for teachers. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Brock, S. E., Jimerson, S. R., & Hansen, R. L. (2006). Identifying, assessing, and treating autism at school. New York, NY: Springer. Jordan, R., & Powell, S. (1995). Understanding and teaching children with autism. Chichester: J. Wiley. Koegel, R. L., & Koegel, L. K. (1995). Teaching children with autism: Strategies for initiating positive interactions and improving learning opportunities. Baltimore: P.H. Brookes Pub. Co. Magnusen, C. (2005). Teaching children with autism and related spectrum disorders: An art and a science. London: Jessica Kingsley. Mesibov, G. B., & Howley, M. (2003). Accessing the curriculum for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders: Using the TEACCH programme to help inclusion. London: David Fulton Publishers. Moyes, R. A. (2002). Addressing the challenging behavior of children with high functioning autism/asperger syndrome in the classroom: A guide for teachers and parents. London: Jessica Kingsley. Siegel, B. (2003). Helping children with autism learn: Treatment approaches for parents and professionals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

14 AUTISM AND TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM 14 Wall, K. (2004). Autism and early years practice: A guide for early years professionals, teachers and parents. London: Paul Chapman.