Photo is from a great show called Atypical available on Netflix. Check it out!
For a few years now I have been working with students on the Autism spectrum and these students have become near and dear to my heart. I have learned so much from working with them and though it is difficult at times, they can be as cognitively rich as a typical student. The wealth of potential inside of them is incredible, but it is up to us as educators to commit to finding ways to let this potential shine just like we would for all our other students. One way in which we can support them and help them grow is through expansion of their literacy skills.
According to the Autism Speaks organization (2018), approximately 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism and those numbers are growing. General education inclusion for those affected by Autism is becoming increasingly more popular, therefore it is highly likely that over the course of your career as an educator you will have the pleasure of teaching a student on the spectrum. There are many academic and social goals that can be implemented for these students, but literacy is highly important. Autism greatly affects a child’s social interactions and awareness. They often don’t pick up on social cues, rules or the emotions of those around them. Communication can be very difficult resulting in outbursts and frustration which makes working with these students challenging. How can we help these students to shine? How do you teach literacy to students who often can’t communicate properly? Why is this important? How can we find ways to break through the communication barrier to get to know them and learn their literacy identity? I don’t believe there is an easy answer to any of these questions, but I do know that with carefully implemented tools and strategies we can help make literacy a possibility for those affected by Autism.
Many people think that students on the spectrum can’t write, read, create stories or take part in what the other students are doing, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. We as educators need to use creative resources and lots of patience to expand the range of literacy for these students. One way in which we can support them socially and academically is through the expansive technological resources that are being developed every day. Advancements in technology, especially with iPad applications have been incredibly helpful in working on language skills, as well as making reading, writing, creativity and communication accessible to these students. For example, one of my students uses an iPad application called Proloquo to communicate and express wants and needs. Most students are quick to become very literate in the use of technology and these devices can be used in the classroom and at home to expand learning. They can now participate in literacy processes in ways they may not have been able to in the past. Expanding literacy in the realm of reading can positively impact language development, social skills and life skills for these students. As educators we have to be open to new ways of communicating and working with our students in some non-traditional ways. The use of photos, pictures or symbols have been proven to be effective in managing behavior, expression and to help grow understanding. Or perhaps consider using written text to give instruction to a student who has a hard time keeping up with verbal instruction. Of course any strategies used are dependent on the specific needs of your student which you should be keenly aware of.
Below you will find a great talk on technological developments and the importance of reading literacy with students on the spectrum, as well as another piece on a school that is using a robot to teach socialization skills:
According to the Autism Speaks organization (2018), approximately 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism and those numbers are growing. General education inclusion for those affected by Autism is becoming increasingly more popular, therefore it is highly likely that over the course of your career as an educator you will have the pleasure of teaching a student on the spectrum. There are many academic and social goals that can be implemented for these students, but literacy is highly important. Autism greatly affects a child’s social interactions and awareness. They often don’t pick up on social cues, rules or the emotions of those around them. Communication can be very difficult resulting in outbursts and frustration which makes working with these students challenging. How can we help these students to shine? How do you teach literacy to students who often can’t communicate properly? Why is this important? How can we find ways to break through the communication barrier to get to know them and learn their literacy identity? I don’t believe there is an easy answer to any of these questions, but I do know that with carefully implemented tools and strategies we can help make literacy a possibility for those affected by Autism.
Below you will find a great talk on technological developments and the importance of reading literacy with students on the spectrum, as well as another piece on a school that is using a robot to teach socialization skills:
https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/classroom-robot-helps-children-with-autism/287-8129608
For additional reading here is a resource on how technology can help students with Autism and an article outlining strategies for supporting their literacy learning:
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/04/11/tech-holds-great-promise-students-autism/?ps=fournierd11%40mail.sacredheart.edu-0010c00001y1py8-0030c00002d6XVk
http://www.paulakluth.com/readings/literacy/supporting-the-literacy-learning-of-students-with-autism/
Sources:
Autism Speaks (2018, April 26). CDC increases estimate of autism’s prevalence by 15 percent, to 1
in 59 children. Retrieved from: https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/cdc-increases-estimate-autism%E2%80%99s-prevalence-15-percent-1-59-children
Kluth, P. (2007). Supporting the literacy learning of students with autism. Retrieved from:
Kluth, P. (2007). Supporting the literacy learning of students with autism. Retrieved from:
Ottesen, J. (2018, April 11). Tech holds great promise for students with autism. Retrieved from:
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/04/11/tech-holds-great-promise-students-autism/?ps=fournierd11%40mail.sacredheart.edu-0010c00001y1py8-0030c00002d6XVk
[TAMU College of Education & Human Development]. (2017, February 24). Engaging Children
with Autism in Reading. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocOqddQOdkQ
[WFAA-TV]. (2018, May 15). Classroom robot helps children with autism. Retrieved from:
[WFAA-TV]. (2018, May 15). Classroom robot helps children with autism. Retrieved from:
Deanna, it is amazing that you work with students on the Autism spectrum. I am sure that is very rewarding work. It is great that technology has helped students with autism improve and practice their language skills. Can you suggest any specific apps on the iPad that you have found to be especially beneficial or do you tend to use the ones listed on the website you included?
ReplyDeleteThere are so many out there, but Proloquo is great for communication or visual prompting and Clicker Sentences is really good as well. It allows them to build simple sentences: http://www.cricksoft.com/us/clicker/ipad/clicker-sentences . These types of students also benefit from the use of a visual schedule to prepare them for what they should be doing next and when. There is a app called Choiceworks that allows you create a schedule specific to your students needs.
DeleteI love the title of your post. Just as literacy has many different components on a spectrum, so are our students' needs. Technology has created so many wonderful ways to assist students with Autism and given them ways to communicate and create. I worked with a child as he transitioned from communicating with pictures in a book with velcro to communicating using an app on an iPad. I saw so much less frustration in his communication and an ability for him to communicate more frequently. Just as you said, you need to know the child, you can open up a whole new world for them with technology and literacy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for shining a light on such an important topic in education, as well as dispelling some of the myths about these wonderful students. Anyone one enters the field of teaching today will no doubt encounter students who fall somewhere on the spectrum, and it's so important that we have a variety of tools and strategies to help them achieve. Technology has been such a valuable tool for all teachers and students, but I think for these student it has shown perhaps the greatest impact.
ReplyDeleteDeanna, I really enjoyed your post! As someone who has not yet had much experience in working with students who have autism, I will definitely make note of some of the resources you provided. Also, after recently taking a course on exceptionalities, I found it heartbreaking learning about the stigma attached to students with autism, and how many don't realize how capable, and often advanced, most of these students are. I think you made a great point that teachers must find a way for ALL student's potential to shine!
ReplyDeleteHi Deanna, I love your post! I was lucky enough to nanny for a little boy who is on the spectrum and I have watched him grow and learn from a baby. He is so amazing and I can relate to the love you have for amazing kids like them. Literacy is very hard for him, at the age of 4.5 he still cannot hold a pencil to write and he has little to no speech. Technology is a big component in his learning and with iPad applications like you have mentioned, he is able to have a voice. We are hoping that with practice and hard work he will make small steps everyday to be able to read and write on his own.
ReplyDeleteDeanna, I really enjoyed reading your blog and watching the videos! In the video at the bottom, the woman talks about how strong reading at home plus strong reading instruction at school = better communication and more success.
ReplyDeleteThis is huge!! I can usually tell which students are getting that support at home and which ones never even take their books out of their backpacks. :(
Deanna - such a beautiful post! During student teaching, I had the pleasure of working with a student on the spectrum. He was amazing and I learned so much from him. I too believe children on the spectrum are completely capable of achieving that of their peers, but we, as teachers, need to make sure we find ways to let their potential shine. I'm glad you mentioned the Proloquo app.. such a useful resource that I will keep in mind for the future!
ReplyDeleteThis is so inspiring. I know several students at my old school who used an iPad (or similar device) to communicate. I'm so glad that you are helping others find their voice.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Deanna! It is so true that students both learn from their teacher and teach their teacher. I believe this especially holds true for you and in your example. You are completely right that teachers should be open to hearing the thoughts and opinions all students bring to the table because sometimes a small change of perspective can make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteDeanna, I loved reading your post! For the past 3 years, I have been working with a boy on the Autism Spectrum. Technology is a huge aid and is so helpful! Because communication is not always easy, these technologies allow these individuals to communication, which is so amazing. I love how technology can be such a fantastic aid for some individuals.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree, many people think that students with autism are not capable of doing what students in the general education can do. But they're wrong, students with autism are extremely intelligent young individuals that have an imagination that is so vivid. I work with students with autism as well and found that different technology using specific apps helps them dramatically. They look forward to using these devices, we use them as educational purposes and also their breaks.
ReplyDeleteI love your post!! For one of my classes last semester I was required to look up apps that could be used for children with autism and it was so interesting to see all of the resources available that I never knew existed. The ones that you provided were so interesting!
ReplyDeleteI love that you work with Autism students. These students have always had a special place in my heart. Even before I was at my internship I babysat a young boy with autism and I really got first-hand experience about what to do. These kids are so brilliant in their own ways we just have to figure out what works for them and what does not. I was able to learn so many skill and techniques by being with him that I have been able to incorporate into my teaching career.
ReplyDelete