Your Classroom

As a starting point - I think it’s important to note that children are not fruit – by that I mean you can’t bunch them together into different varieties. There’s the bananas over there and the apples over there – and don’t go near the kiwi fruit, they’re a little sour. Children are all different, they can’t be categorised or labeled by a disorder or social status.

Asperger’s syndrome (AS) is one of the autism spectrum disorders that is too often misunderstood upon young ones. Often students whom have been diagnosed with AS get labeled as a social loner or unable to relate to others. The syndrome is much more in-depth then that, and like all children – each child is different.

It’s also helpful, I feel, to constantly come back to the statement – “what really is normal’”? By this statement, I’m asking the question who really dictates what is normal and what is considered abnormal? Sometimes we can over analysis a child’s behavior and often just stepping back and looking at the problem/issue with a fresh approach can resolve a lot of anguish.

Its part of our role as teacher’s to not just to respond to the needs of the child with AS, but also to work to change the general perception about the condition. We should be educating others as well as ourselves.

The CEO of Gateway Support Services in Geelong claimed in 2000 that their organisation had identified 69 children between the ages of 2–6 years out of a total regional population of 12,800 (2–6 years) children. This means that AS could have been as high as 1:200 10 years ago. (The Melbourne Age, 27 October 2002)

Evidence elsewhere suggests that AS is on the rise. In an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey conducted every five years AS more than doubled from 1998 to 2003. Numbers rose from 13,200 to 30,400 over the period. In addition, two of every three people reported as having an AS diagnosis in 2003 were under 15 years of age. (The Melbourne Age, 16 November 2002).

With these statistics we can see AS is a disorder that needs to be understood by all teachers, both primary and secondary across Australia. Schools also have a duty of care to educate and inform their teachers about how to correctly manage the disorder in the classroom.

Here are 10 helpful hints to get you started with dealing with children with autism.

1. Timing / Order and Balance

Students with autism flourish in a controlled setting. You should aim to set up a structured routine in your classroom and keep it as consistent as possible. Today, our world is forever changing, so taking time to slow things down and create a well ordered and run classroom will provide security to a child with AS.

In a practical task be sure to go through the individual steps of the task. For example, if the students were making a craft object, clearly explain when it’s time to cut, paste and colour. Make sure children know what to do if they finish ahead of time.

Changing an activity also provides a fear of the unknown. While many children move with ease from sitting in a circle on the floor to their work station, it can be a very big deal to a child with AS. Reduce the stress of transitions by giving plenty of prior warning. For example “In 5 minutes, we will return to our workstations” and then repeat the information over the next few minutes until the transition takes place.

Another suggestion is to use a timer - when the timer sounds, it’s time to start a new activity. Every so often, let students know roughly how much time is remaining.

Often students with autism do not use free time productively – try to have as little gap as possible in between class work as possible.

When you ask a child to transition from a preferred activity, they might be very resistant if they are unaware when they will be allowed to start again. If a child is not coping with a transition, it often helps to allow them to hold onto a transitional object – like a toy or keepsake. This way, the child will have something to look forward too.

Using schedules & routines also helps with these tough transitions as students have time to prepare themselves for the change ahead.

2. Remove distractions

Because students with Asperger’s Syndrome often pay attention to details, they can find it difficult to filter out background noise. Even visual information on the walls such as wall charts or colourful posters can be very distracting. While most students can tune out to the posters, children on the spectrum find it a little more complicated. Noise and smells can be very disturbing to people with autism. Try to keep the door closed if possible. If your classroom is in a high traffic area – you may need to ask to change rooms if the child is unsettled.

3. Use ‘real’ language

Always keep your language straightforward and tangible. Explain things in the least amount of words as possible. Asking a student to repeat what you said is also a way to help clarify the statement. Don’t use any sarcasm, as students with AS will often take it literally. For example if a student accidentally knocks all your papers on the floor and you say “good one!” you will be taken literally and this action might be repeated on a regular basis.

Idioms like "Put your thinking caps on”, “Open your ears” and “Zip your lips” will leave a student completely bamboozled and wondering how on earth they are going to do that.

4. Use visual aids

Visual aids in teaching can be a real lifesaver. It’s not just children with AS which respond well to visuals – it’s everyone, so try to use them whenever you can. When oral instructions require too much attention, children will tune you out. Visual supports maintain a child’s focus and concentration. Visual aids can be used with just about anything.

For example - you are explaining an activity like an upcoming excursion to Sovereign Hill?

Show visuals of what to expect on the excursion such as getting on the bus, arriving at the destination, planned activities, eating a snack and returning to school. Remember to keep explanations simple and short about each picture or their attention will wane.

5. It’s not about you

Students with AS are not necessarily rude, sometimes they are just don’t understand simple social etiquette or good manners. It can feel insulting when you excitedly give a reward or eagerly try to share information and get little response.

You can reverse the situation by turning these incidents into learning experiences. For example: if you eagerly greet a child with AS and you get the snub, create a “how to greet lesson”. Remember to commend the child highly after a response and be prepared to repeat lessons. You can also ask the parents to follow through with this activity for homework.

6. Establish independence

Educating students with AS to be independent is fundamental to their security. While it’s hard not to help someone that’s struggling with a maths problem, it’s a much greater benefit to teach that person how to do it themselves. The saying goes “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. This same saying applies to students with AS.

7. Help them to work with others

Once you have established a reputation with your students to take direction from you, it’s just as important you help them to with work with others. If a student asks for a scissors, tell him to ask a fellow student. Persuade your students to ask each other for help and information. By doing so, students learn there are many people they can seek out for help and companionship. Self help skills are essential to learning. AS students may want to make friends so badly, but have no idea how to go about it. You could ask a few students who could ‘buddy up’ with the student so they feel a little more comfortable.

Avoid the temptation of throwing the towel in, and make sure you allow ample time before you abandon a new teaching strategy. Remember that consistency is a key component of success. If you’re teaching a student to control violent behavior, the same strategy should be put into practice in all settings, both at school and at home.

Students with AS are often targets for bullies. There is a great likelihood that the reponses that the "bully" gets from the AS student spurs this kind of behavior on. Sometimes AS students want to be included and/or liked so badly that they are reluctant to "tell" on the bully, fearing rejection.

8. Rewards before consequences

All students enjoy a reward and positive reinforcement is a great way to increase preferred behavior. When used correctly, rewards are very powerful and irresistible. You can help your students clearly understand which behaviors and actions lead to rewards. Quite often focusing on negative aspects can often lead to poor results and a de-motivated student.

9. Creative teaching

Students with AS will often think outside of the box and if you follow suit then great results will be obtained. Throw all your old ideas and notions about classroom situations out of the window and get a new perspective. Often, people with AS have very specific interests. Use these interests as motivators. Act things out as often as you can. Another great strategy to use is teaching with questions. This method keeps students involved, focused and ensures understanding.

10. Don’t worry – everything is going to be alright!

Always keep this in mind and pick your battles wisely. Don’t insist on eye contact with a student if they have trouble processing visual and auditory information simultaneously. What about if a student is more comfortable sitting on his knees than flat on the floor? It’s just as important to teach correct behavior as it is self-confidence. By correcting every action a person does, you’re sending a message that they’re not good enough the way they are. Foster a classroom atmosphere that supports the acceptance of differences and diversity.