Positively Autism June 2013 Newsletter: Autism and Inclusion, Part 2

June Newsletter Topic: Autism and Inclusion, Part 2
This month, Positively Autism continues our blog post series on inclusion. If you're new to our blog, here's a brief overview of inclusion that we shared last month.
 
Future blog posts will feature articles, books, videos, and resources about including students with autism in general education classrooms and community activities.


Inclusion means that children with disabilities participate in the general education classroom or other activities with children without disabilities. Inclusion has also been called "mainstreaming."

Advantages of inclusive school classrooms for students with autism include participation in a natural environment, exposure to the general curriculum, peer models for language and communication, and potential for acceptance and friendship among the broader community.

Classmates without disabilities may also benefit from having a student with autism in their class by learning about the differences among people and developing compassion and understanding. Some of the strategies that benefit students with autism in an inclusive classroom, such as structure and visual supports, may also be helpful for all students.


Reference: "What Are the Pros and Cons of Including Children with Special Needs in Regular Classrooms?" by Alan Harchik, Ph.D., BCBA-D  http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/learning/inclusion.php
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/june-newsletter-topic-autism-and.html


Here are the rest of this month's articles/resources:

"The Importance of Including Youth with Autism in Community Programs" Video with Dr. Lynn Koegel -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-importance-of-including-youth-with.html

"Supporting Students with Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms" by Dr. Paula Kluth -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/supporting-students-with-autism-10.html

Children’s Books About Autism -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/childrens-books-about-autism.html

Great Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/great-ideas-for-inclusive-classrooms.html

"Can Inclusion Work for my Child in High School?" Video with Dr. Paula Kluth -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/can-inclusion-work-for-my-child-in-high.html

You're Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Children with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/youre-going-to-love-this-kid-teaching.html

June Positive Autism News -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/june-positive-autism-news.html

Fourth of July Social Story and Activities -
http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/06/fourth-of-july-social-story-and.html

Fourth of July Social Story and Activities

Here are some freebies for those celebrating the Fourth of July!

Fourth of July Vocabulary Flashcards: http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/4thofJuly_vocabulary.pdf

Fourth of July Social Story: http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/4thofJulysocialskillstory.pdf

 

 

"Red, White, and Blue" Sight Word Matching Game: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Matching-Game-Red-White-and-Blue-722902

Firework-Theme Articulation Game /K, G, F/ - http://daily-autism-freebie.blogspot.com/2013/06/firework-theme-articulation-game-k-g-f.html

 

Fourth of July Books and Songs: http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/unit_fourthofjuly.html

 

June Positive Autism News

Harnessing the Skills of People with Autism (Video)
June 10, 2013
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52162262#52162262

Neighbors Respond with Kindness After Teen with Autism Has Bike Stolen
June 21, 2013
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25695472&fm=most_popular

Changing Attitudes about Autism, one Job at a Time
June 22, 2013
http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/impact-journalism-day/story/changing-attitudes-about-autism-one-job-time-20130622

Autistic Student will be Class Salutatorian in Rhode Island High School
Eric Duquette didn’t utter a word until he was 5 years old, getting through his early years with a combination of picture cards and sign language. Eric, now a softspoken young man of 18, can’t remember why he didn’t speak early on. For him, the past doesn’t matter so much as the future. Read more: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autistic-student-will-be-class-salutatorian-rhode-island-high-school-22837283

You're Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Children with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom

You're Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Children with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom

by Paula Kluth

Book Description:

Thousands of educators have turned to this book for fresh ways to welcome and teach students with autism- and now the book teachers trust is fully revised and more practical than ever. Gathering feedback from teachers across the country during her popular workshops, autism expert Paula Kluth targeted this second edition to the specific needs of today's primary- and secondary- school educators. Still packed with the ready- to-use tips and strategies that teachers are looking for.

"Can Inclusion Work for my Child in High School?" Video

Great Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms

From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks: 100 Ways to Differentiate Instruction in K - 12 Classrooms

Differentiated instruction engages students of all abilities as active learners, decision-makers, and problem solvers making educational experiences more meaningful for all. This one-of-a-kind book proves that designing differentiated instruction can be simple and fun! Packed with creative adaptation ideas like fidget bags, doodle notes, and choice boards, this book gives K 12 educators 100 teacher-designed, kid-tested strategies they can use to meet the needs of all students in inclusive classrooms. Ideal for helping students who need extra support, scaffolding, reminders, organization, or enrichment, this book gives general and special educators easy adaptations in 10 key areas. These areas are; organization, environment and sensory, technology, communication and participation, behavior and motivation, teaching and learning, literacy, math, study and review, and assessment. This book has a user-friendly layout with a description, materials list, directions, an example, references, and vendors for every entry. All illustrations of each strategy are in full-color. You will get practical advice from expert educators, along with lists of resources and references to back up every entry. These ready-to-use, research-based adaptations enhance motivation and improve achievement for all children including English-language learners and students with autism, emotional disabilities, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities and other special needs. Everyone in the classroom will benefit from this timely, ultra-practical guidebook the go-to resource for any teacher who has ever had a doubt that differentiated instruction can be simple and fun!

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You're Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for the Inclusive Classroom

Book Description:

Three handbooks; 30 key ideas presented in small, smart packages; all the information necessary to start making inclusion work effectively. Whether you're a general educator, a special educator, an administrator, a therapist, or a family team member, You're Welcome presents the thinking you'll need to open your classrooms to all students.

 

You're Welcome is divided into three handbooks that address the most important educational frameworks at the heart of inclusive schooling:

• Differentiating Instruction
• Collaboration and Teaming
• Positive and Peaceful Behavior Supports

 

Each book contains ten big ideas that provide the most pertinent information for understanding and supporting diverse learners. Schwarz and Kluth distill the research and best practices behind inclusion into concise, actionable nuggets for professional learning that include:

• classroom structures
• instructional strategies
• organizational principles and activities
• lesson ideas
• examples from real schools
• recommended print and Web resources.

Get answers to frequently asked questions about crucial topics such as coteaching, team building, collaborating with students, integrating the IEP into the general education curriculum, creating personalized learning agendas, and writing sensitive and responsive behavior plans. Read You're Welcome and discover a powerful tool for implementing educational practices that provide meaningful help for students with a range of diverse abilities, needs, gifts, and struggles as they achieve effective educational gains. 

Children’s Books About Autism

These books can be read to a class of children to help them better understand a classmate with autism.

Trevor Trevor by Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D.

Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes by by Jennifer Elder

My Friend with Autism: Enhanced Edition with FREE CD of Coloring Pages! by Beverly Bishop

I Am Utterly Unique: Celebrating the Strengths of Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism by Elaine Marie Larson

What It Is to Be Me!: An Asperger Kid Book by by Angela Wine

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann

Inside Asperger's Looking Out by Kathy Hoopmann

Supporting Students with Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms

This article is from the website of Dr. Paula Kluth. It, along with many others on inclusive schooling, differentiated instruction, and literacy can be found at http://www.paulakluth.com/. Visit now to read her Tip of the Day, read dozens of free articles, and learn more about supporting diverse learners in K-12 classrooms.

Adapted from: P. Kluth (2010). “You’re Going to Love This Kid!”: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom (Rev. ed.). Baltimore: Brookes.

While most educators agree that no recipe exists for teaching any individual student or group of students, there are certainly some guidelines that can be helpful for supporting students with certain labels. Students with autism may have unique needs with learning, social skills, and communication, therefore, teachers will need strategies to address each one of these areas. These ten simple ideas will help teachers address some of the aforementioned needs and provide guidance for bringing out the best in learners with autism labels.

1) Learn About the Learner From the Learner

Oftentimes, educators needing information about a student will study the individual’s educational records. While these documents are certainly one source of information, they are seldom the most helpful source of information. Teachers wanting to know more about a student with autism should ask that student to provide information. Some students will be quite wiling and able to share information while others may need coaxing or support from family members. Teachers might ask for this information in a myriad of ways. For instance, they might ask the student to take a short survey or sit for an informal interview. One teacher asked his student with autism, to create a list of teaching tips that might help kids with learning differences. The teacher then published the guide and gave it out to all educators in the school.

If the student with autism is unable to communicate in a reliable way, teachers can go to families for help. Parents can share the teaching tips they have found most useful in the home or provide video of the learner engaged in different family and community activities. These types of materials tend to give educators ideas that are more useful and concrete than do traditional educational reports and assessments.

2) Teach to Fascinations

Whenever possible, educators should use interests, strengths, skills, areas of expertise, and gifts as tools for teaching. Can a passion for GPS be used to inspire more reading (operations manuals), new math skills (be a “human GPS”-calculate shortest route between two places), or fun social studies questions (“How would the world be different today if Christopher Columbus had GPS?”) . [For more on using fascinations to support students with autism see Just Give Him the Whale, a book I wrote on this topic with my colleague, Patrick Schwarz.]

3) Get Them Talking

In some classrooms, a handful of students dominate small-group conversations and whole-class discussions. While it is important for these verbal and outgoing students to have a voice in the classroom, it is equally important for other students—including shy and quiet students, students using English as a second language, and students with disabilities—to have opportunities to share and challenge ideas, ask and answer questions, and exchange thoughts. To ensure that all students have opportunities to communicate, teachers need to put structures and activities in place that allow for interaction.

In one classroom, students were asked to “turn and talk” to each other at various points in the day. A high school history teacher used this strategy throughout the year to break up his lectures and to give students time to teach the material to each other. After giving mini-lectures of fifteen minutes, he asked students to turn to a partner and answer a specific question or re-explain a concept he had taught. For instance, after giving a short lecture on the Presidency, he asked students to discuss, “What qualities do Americans seem to want in a President?; and “How has this list of desired qualities changed over time?” A student with Asperger’s syndrome who needed practice with skills such as staying on topic and turn taking was able to practice them daily.

Teachers can also provide opportunities for communication by giving all students “airtime” during whole-class discussion. One way to do this is to ask for physical whole-class responses to certain prompts. For instance, instead of asking, “Who can tell me a fraction that equals one half?”, the teacher might say, “Stand up if you think you can name a fraction that equals one half”. This strategy not only gives all learners a chance to give an answer, but it allows for some teacher-sanctioned movement, something often welcomed by students with autism. Whole-class physical responses are also appropriate for students who are non-verbal, making it a perfect choice for the diverse, inclusive classroom.

4) Give Choices

Choice may not only give students a feeling of control in their lives, but an opportunity to learn about themselves as workers and learners. Choice may be especially helpful for students with autism who have special needs when it comes to learning environment, lesson materials, and communication. Choice can be built into almost any part of the school day. Students can choose which assessments to complete, which role to take in a cooperative group, and how to receive personal assistance and supports. Examples of choices that can be offered in classrooms include:

• Solve five of the ten problems assigned
• Work alone or with a small group
• Read quietly or with a friend
• Use a pencil, pen, or the computer
• Conduct your research in the library or in the resource room
• Take notes using words or pictures

5) Consider Handwriting Alternatives

Writing can be a major source of tension and struggle for students with autism. Some students cannot write at all and others who can write, may have a difficult time doing so. In order to support a student struggling with writing, a teacher may try to give the child gentle encouragement as he or she attempts to do some writing- a word, a sentence, or a few lines. Teachers might also allow the student to use a computer, word processor, or even an old typewriter for some or for all lessons. For some learners, being able to use a word processor when writing helps them focus on the task at hand (content) instead of on their motor skills (process).
 

6) Help with Organizing

While some students with autism are ultra-organized, others need support to find materials, keep their locker and desk areas neat, and remember to bring their assignments home at the end of the day. Consider implementing support strategies that all students might find useful. For instance, teachers can have all students copy down assignments, pack book bags, put materials away, and clean work spaces together. Structuring this time daily will give all learners the opportunity to be organized and thoughtful about how they prepare to transition from school to home. Specific skills can even be taught during this time (e.g., creating to-do lists, prioritizing tasks).

7) Support Transitions

Some students with autism struggle with transitions. Some are uncomfortable changing from environment to environment, while others have problems moving from activity to activity. Individuals with autism report that changes can be extremely difficult causing stress and feelings of disorientation. Teachers can minimize the discomfort students may feel when transitioning by:

• Giving reminders to the whole class before any transition.
Use a visual timer so students can manage time on their own throughout an activity.
• Providing the student or entire class with a transitional activity such as writing in a homework notebook or for younger students, singing a short song about “cleaning up”.
• Asking peers to help in supporting transition time. In elementary classrooms, teachers can ask all students to move from place to place with a partner. In middle and high school classrooms, students might choose a peer to walk with during passing time.
• Provide a transition aid (a toy, object, or picture).

8) Create a Comfortable Classroom

Sometimes students are unsuccessful because they are uncomfortable or feel unsafe or even afraid in their educational environment. Providing an appropriate learning environment can be as central to a student’s success as any teaching strategy or educational tool. Students with autism will be the most prepared to learn in places where they can relax and feel secure. Ideas for making the classroom more comfortable include providing seating options (e.g., beanbag chairs, rocking chairs); reducing direct light when possible (e.g., using upward projecting light, providing a visor to a student who is especially sensitive); and minimizing distracting noises (e.g., providing earplugs or headphones during certain activities).

9) Take a Break

Some students work best when they can pause between tasks and take a break of some kind (walk around, stretch, or simply stop working). Some learners will need walking breaks – these breaks can last anywhere from a few seconds to fifteen or twenty minutes. Some students will need to walk up and down a hallway once or twice, others will be fine if allowed to wander around in the classroom.
A teacher who realized the importance of these instructional pauses decided to offer them to all learners. He regularly gave students a prompt to discuss (e.g., What do you know about probability?) and then directed them to “talk and walk” with a partner.

10) Include

If students are to learn appropriate behaviors, they will need to be in the inclusive environment to see and hear how their peers talk and act. If students are to learn social skills, they will need to be in a space where they can listen to and learn from others who are socializing. If students will need specialized supports to succeed academically, then teachers need to see the learner functioning in the inclusive classroom to know what types of supports will be needed.

If it is true that we learn by doing, then the best way to learn about supporting students with autism in inclusive schools is to include them.

The Importance of Including Youth with Autism in Community Programs

June Newsletter Topic: Autism and Inclusion, Part 2

This month, Positively Autism continues our blog post series on inclusion. If you're new to our blog, here's a brief overview of inclusion that we shared last month.
 
Future blog posts will feature articles, books, videos, and resources about including students with autism in general education classrooms and community activities.


Inclusion means that children with disabilities participate in the general education classroom or other activities with children without disabilities. Inclusion has also been called "mainstreaming."

Advantages of inclusive school classrooms for students with autism include participation in a natural environment, exposure to the general curriculum, peer models for language and communication, and potential for acceptance and friendship among the broader community.

Classmates without disabilities may also benefit from having a student with autism in their class by learning about the differences among people and developing compassion and understanding. Some of the strategies that benefit students with autism in an inclusive classroom, such as structure and visual supports, may also be helpful for all students.


Reference: "What Are the Pros and Cons of Including Children with Special Needs in Regular Classrooms?" by Alan Harchik, Ph.D., BCBA-D  http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/learning/inclusion.php