Last chance

Taking a baby to the beach isn't the worst idea, but it's not exactly easy. I've been dying to go, though, and with the the tyranny of the nap schedule, ABA appointments, school, speech, and so forth, it's not easy to just run away for a day...but I've never needed it more.

The Oregon coast is so beautiful, it was hard for me to leave it, and every time I go, I never want to leave. No matter how cold/windy/stormy it gets, it sucks me in. It's my spiritual home, I suppose. When I die, I want someone to give me a Viking funeral.

As much as I wish I still lived in Waldport at times, the pragmatist in me knows that the drives to Corvallis for EVERYTHING would have sucked, so we must love each other from a distance, I guess.

So once in awhile, schedules and routines be damned. I'm gonna have to blow an afternoon and listen to cranky children in the car, put up with traffic, and just drive. If you can't get a wild hair once in awhile, what's the point of living?

How children learn

“We have missed many children because reading pedagogy has been driven by systems of belief in how reading should be taught rather than by how children learn. The importance of variation in this process will be a surprise to many educators and a help to many children.” -Carolyn Brown

One of the things I’ve often thought is that it’s more important to figure out how your students learn, than to worry about learning how to teach them something. Enlightenment happens when you are paying attention. Rather than being a student of pedagogy, one is far better off observing students. A good teacher should be a student of life. A great teacher should do as much watching and listening as talking. Understanding what works for any given student requires knowing a great deal about their motivations, preferences, and aptitudes. If you understand how students learn, figuring out how to teach them something basically takes care of itself.

http://iowacity.patch.com/articles/university-of-iowa-study-breaks-new-ground-in-reading-development-research

Ugggh--the sinus crud attacks!

It's official--I've missed an entire week of work due to the sinus crud. And sadly, for much of it, I couldn't get my favorite sub...so who knows what happened while I was out...

It's been quite awhile since I've been this sick--I don't think I've been knocked out this bad since my first year here in Portland. Cedar brought home some awful thing from daycare that I thought was just another "congregate situation" cold--but it took him a week to recover from it, which I thought was rather odd (he usually bounces back after a couple of days, but not this time). Then after staying home with him for about a week, and being coughed on enough, I caught it too.

It turns out that what he had was really the flu. Poor thing--no wonder he was so miserable. I haven't been knocked flat like that in quite awhile. I had a raging fever, the aches, migraines, super-sore throat--the whole nine yards. I even lost hearing in my left ear, which is now just doing a dull tinnitus ring. Then the sinus crud set in...I finally broke down and went to the doctor last night. I would have probably gone earlier but I've been stuck at home with no car and no phone. Now I have a bunch of exciting drugs to throw at the raging torrent of yellow-green snot that JUST WON'T QUIT.

I'm sad that I've totally missed out on the last full week with the seniors. If I go back, I'll only get a day or two before they're off doing whatever it is that they do when they're not at school with us. Our little classroom is gonna be real lonely after we lose 60% of our students...and since *Bob is also a senior, he's gonna pass out of my life pretty soon. I'm kind of sad about that because he's a pretty likable guy and I've grown rather fond of working with him over the course of the year.

The end of the year is a time for educators to get nostalgic anyway, but especially so when you're teaching seniors. It's kind of bittersweet though when you work in Special Ed because graduation is often "the end-of-the-line" in a very real sense. On one hand, you are very proud of your students for how far they've come and how much progress they've made, but on the other hand, it also means for many that life is about to change profoundly--and not always for the best.

Thankfully it looks like most of our seniors are going to be participating in the adult transition program, so they'll get a few more years of predictable routines, structured environments, community outings, vocational training, and structured non-threatening social opportunities...things that people with autism tend to really like in their world.

After that, though, who knows. The world of adult services can be rather grim because the entitlement factor is gone (if you want it, you gotta be willing to pay), the options are pretty limited, and there's a great mismatch between demand and supply...

Tough Transitions

Transitions are always a tough spot for kids on the Autism spectrum. And let’s face it, no matter how hard we attempt to slow down those busy school days, they are fast paced, and there's lots to get done. There’s simply a lot going on, during a typical day at school, whether you're in kindergarten or the tenth grade. It’s normal for students to protest a fast pace, but I’m sure we all can think of a student in our midst who really struggles with transitions.

Transitions occur several times a day during a typical school day. Anytime you move students from one place to another, or change the activity – like if they've been working on math, but suddenly it's time to go to lunch, that can be startling.

Your students' brain don’t process information in the same way that you do, so when you are moving through the day, and expecting your students to keep up with you, they are experiencing a bombardment of sensory input, and may become disoriented.

What you may not realize is that if the pace is fast for us…it is light speed for a kiddo on the spectrum. And that transitioning from one activity or location to another can be really upsetting for them.

Think of it this way…lets say you are in a foreign country, and don’t understand the customs or language at all. You know your friend you are visiting, but most other people are strangers. Let’s say your friend, either says something super fast in this foreign language, or doesn’t say anything at all, suddenly takes you by the arm, and gently ushers you into the downtown streets and goes about her errands with you in tow – but with no explanation or time for you to “catch up” with what’s happening. You go from place to place, and as time goes on, you probably become more and more resistant and try to get her to slow down…but what if she doesn’t?

A little overwhelming? Welcome to your student's world.

For some students, transitions are bigger than the event itself. Next time you have a student transition from one thing to another, go more slowly and talk to your student about it…be aware that it might be a bigger deal for them than it is to you, and see if you can be present for that with empathy.

(adapted from Is Your Life Too Fast For Your Baby? August 22, 2009 by Dylan Emrys)

Day of Silence Follow-up

Day of Silence--How it went

This year, the day of silence happened to coincide with a field trip--which made for a rather interesting experience.

I warned the kids the day before that I wasn't going to be talking on Friday, but beyond that I didn't prep them much. I made some cue cards (kind of like the PECs cards I use with *Bob, with a combination of words and icons, to cover some of my more common and necessary utterances (Yes, No, Can't Talk, Okay, etc). Since Bob is non-verbal, I thought it would be a fun solidarity experience.

The student's reactions were interesting, but one totally unanticipated consequence is that the most talkative student in the classroom decided to join me, and spent the whole day more or less "speaking" in gestures only. I think he thought it was some kind of really fun game, so he totally got into it. Nobody else took it that far, but it did encourage less talking overall, which is always nice.

For the most part, I was able to not talk for most of the day. I had to do a "time out" a couple of times, but really it wasn't too hard. Body language and gesturing took care of a lot of my communication needs, and the cue cards were helpful. Ultimately it was kind of fun for me to take a day off from talking, and I'm inclined to try it again next year.

holiday madness special edition

The last week of school before winter break (or any break, really) is always a tough time for us teacherly folk, but it's equally hard on the kids. Here's the issues that I've faced in the last week.

First of all, almost everything can be blamed on the fact that there's the vast alterations to the schedule that occur during the month of December. We try to minimize the impact of schedule deviations on our students to the extent that we can (the nice thing about a self-contained classroom is that to some extent bell schedules can be ignored), but any change is always difficult. Kids don't do well with change adjustments in general, and kids in Special Ed, do even less well. When you add Autism to the mix, that just makes for a lot of discontent when the school day doesn't flow in its usual predictable way. Our students do not do well when the schedule gets all wonky before winter break. Most get unsettled or anxious about it, and ask repeatedly when things are going to happen. Many get cranky and aren't shy about letting you know how they feel about having the rug pulled out from under them. Others totally flip out and have meltdowns. Why? The weekly schedule is the master of all routines, and provides a soothing backdrop of stability and security which many students grow to rely on to provide some sense of meaning and structure to their lives at school. Many of our students couldn't tell you the time, or day of the week, but they can follow the schedule like pros--provided that it stays the same. So when you start tinkering with the timing of the periods, or changing lunch times, they show their displeasure by acting out. That's about as fun as it sounds.

Another source of drama is the whole excitement of the upcoming holidays. On one hand, it's exciting and fun, but on the other, it creates some anxiety for some of our kids. Many enjoy the rituals; others find them stressful or overstimulating. Since home situations also vary widely, holidays can either be joyous or miserable for our kids. Some can look forward to family trips and parties and gifts. Others will experience domestic violence or will be lucky if their nutritional needs are met.

Another issue is school parties and functions. In December, people tend to throw parties. Don't get me wrong. I love a party as much as the next person, but there's some issues to consider as well. From a staff perspective, it's kind of annoying that you can't attend any of the staff events--because invariably most take place during the school day. If you're lucky enough not to be completely ignored (a common problem in Special Ed), you'll get invited to potlucks and such, which sounds great, but it's nearly impossible to attend these kinds of things if they fall during the school day. For most of the rest of the building, you have either common planning periods or lunches that you can use for these kinds of functions. But in self-contained Special Ed, there's the need for almost constant supervision...so only a portion of the staff is ever free at the same time. After all, someone ALWAYS has to be with the kids...so inevitably, only some people get to attend. The best solution, really is to have these things before or after school when there aren't kids in the building.

But in spite of all the madness, we do have manage to have fun in our own little world. People do stop by and visit and bring us treats. We take care of each other, and have fun planning stuff to do with our students. We have our own parties, and involve our students in school happenings to the extent that we can. And even though it's crazy and stressful sometimes, December can be a really fun time to be working in a school setting.

Music Therapy and Autism

As previously mentioned, this year, I am working in a Life Skills classroom where there are an unusually high number of students on the autism spectrum (including a statistically higher than average number of girls). I've noticed that many (although not all) of my students enjoy listening to music. We use music in the classroom in a variety of contexts--mostly therapeutic (to reduce anxiety/promote relaxation: we have daily yoga and a post-lunch relaxation routine). For some students though, like Bob*, music is also a motivator.

Today I found a really interesting article on the use of Music Therapy: Autism Spectrum Disorders: Music Therapy and Autism.

Managing tough transitions

Mastering transitions is hard for most students, but especially so for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). For many, getting good at (or at least better at) transitions is an instructional goal in and of itself, and a major step towards the more independent functioning you're trying to encourage.

Transitions, like most processes, get smoother the more you practice and fine-tune them. And like almost everything related to classroom management, the more proactive and prepared you are (as the teacher), the easier they tend to go for students.

1. Prepare for transitions ahead of time. Before involving the student/s, have everything you need for the next activity arranged and ready to go so you won't have to waste time searching for needed items, which would disrupt the continuity of your time together. You don't want to "lose the class" while you're looking for missing items.

2. A few minutes before transitioning, observe what the students are doing. Are they still working on the previous task? Or are they ready to move on? Hopefully you are not in a rush, and have a few minutes to "get them ready" for the next activity. If your time is flexible and they are still absorbed in the previous activity, prompt them that you will be moving on soon (and give them a time limit or a visual cue such as a timer), but give them a chance to "finish" on their own. This, of course, encourages independence (always a good thing).

3. When it's time for a transition, clearly explain to students what you will be doing next. It's important to use both verbal and visual cues with students with ASDs. Using gestures and actions along with your words helps students grasp your verbal message. Through repetition of a familiar sequence of events, students will begin to associate your verbal instructions with a predictable recurring routine, and be better able to follow instructions without excessive re-prompting. When students with ASDs know what's expected and what will happen next, they are less anxious and will become more independent and proactive in managing their own transitions. That means less work for you.

4. Help students move on, if needed. If you need to "disrupt" a student who is off-task, gently remove any distracting objects or materials, while explaining what you are doing and why, and tell them you want to put things away and get ready to move on to the next thing.

5. For students who really really struggle with transitions, you may need to explain and show your student/s what you are doing, step by step. Some students need this level of assistance, but the good news is with time and practice the student WILL become more independent during transitions, and you can fade a lot of the prompting.

(For example, if you are going to the cafeteria, a verbal script might look something like this (note that it's also a good idea to have visual cues or icons to use as well if you are still in the process of teaching transitions):

"Okay Jason, now we are getting ready for lunch." (you show the student a visual schedule and the student stops working)

"Now we're going to line up." (wait for student to stand up and move towards the line)

"We're going to go to the cafeteria now." (student was "stuck" in the hallway, but continues walking in the right direction--towards the cafeteria)

"You need to stay in line". (student briefly wandered off, but returns to the line)

"What would you like for lunch?" (student is taking a long time to choose an item, the student chooses an item and moves on)...and so forth.

It sounds overly structured, but "talking students" through their tough transitions helps them cognitively "frame" what's going on and internalize the process. Eventually this leads to the student becoming able to do the transitions more independently, and you can fade the level of prompting. How long this will take depends entirely on the student...

Why I decided NOT to become a licensed SPED teacher...

Due to the lack of jobs in my field, I've been working in SPED for the past couple of years (as a para, not as a licensed teacher). That means a 50% pay-cut every time I work, but I like it well enough that I often choose to do it anyway. Consequently, people are always asking me when I didn't become a SPED teacher ("You're so good at working with these kids, why don't you become a SPED teacher"). The answer, of course, is all the paperwork you have to do as a SPED teacher. I SUCK at paperwork, why on earth would I choose a job that requires more time with paperwork than any other job in the whole entire world? I'd be setting myself up for failure if I did that. Besides, doing paperwork all the time (all those IEPs) would mean I wouldn't have much time to do the thing that I actually enjoy about working in SPED: Working directly with the kids. So, no way! Not doing it! I'd rather just work with the kids and have a blast.

But don't take my word for it. Synthia McBride explains the SPED paperwork phenomenon far better than I ever could.

"Most of the paperwork I have to do as a speech-language pathologist is the result of some federal, state or local lawsuit. There can be 8 pages of documentation to justify summer school, 20 pages of documentation to develop a behavior plan, 15 pages of documentation to complete response to intervention data, then another 10 pages of documentation to open the student for a complete evaluation, 10 pages of documentation to dismiss a child from speech therapy. IEPs have gone from 2 pages to 13 pages. Upon completion of an average, non-complicated IEP review there can be a stack of over 40 pieces of paper. Completing the paperwork can involve getting dozens of people to provide data, including every 6-7 classroom teachers, the counselor, the co-ordinator, the regular education school nurse, the special education nurse, the speech-language pathologist, the O.T., the P.T, the regular education P.E. teacher, the special education P.E teacher, the school psychologist, the reading specialist, the education diagnostician,the principal, the child's physician and the parents..."

I'm sure you get the idea...even if you got lost back at the 2nd or 3rd sentence of the paragraph. SPED=Paperwork. Ick. No thank you.

downtime

Today's a federal holiday (Veteran's Day), so school's out, and I have a day off to re-group. Yesterday, I had all-day CPI training, so I was out of school all day, except very briefly in the morning. This past Friday, was also a day off, so that's a lot of "breaks" in the regular schedule. As a result, my students have been a bit restless and squirrely, and a lot harder to manage.

Most high school students (if not their parents) love a break from school, but in Special Education, this is often not the case. Breaks for kids on the spectrum are tough (and we have a lot of students on the Autism spectrum in our room). Students with special needs tend to get a bit out of whack if you shake up their routine too much, and they're not shy about letting you know. For others, not only is school a place where predictable things happen, but also a place where basic needs get met--there are always some students don't really get fed or experience an atmosphere of safety unless they come to school. Most of our kids, even the ones who profess to dislike school, enjoy the structure and predictability that they can count on. Students with Autism tend to lack the ability to self-regulate, so they do very poorly without structure and routine (which for many is only something that happens in school).

Students in Special Ed often react to extended breaks by "punishing" us for not having school. You get a lot of regression/skills loss/acting out/sulking/etc. It's not pretty. The next few days are probably going to be a bit hairy.

Low-Functioning Autism

Working with Students (with Low-Functioning Autism)

These are some tips (principles) for working with students who are on the low-functioning end of the Autism spectrum. I pretty much had to learn this stuff by trial and error, since most of the readily available information on teaching students with Autism is geared towards the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. These are some basic principles that I had to arrive at on my own, so I can confirm that they are effective, but just the other day, I came across an article "Teaching Students Who Are Low-Functioning: Who Are They and What Should We Teach?" on Indiana University's Resource Center for Autism.

I've taken the liberty of adapting this material to the particulars of my own situation--working with Bob* (for instance, there's more info in the original about "behaviors", but Bob doesn't really have a lot of issues around behavior.:


1. Take lots of time to introduce and teach each new skill. Learning a new skill will take a lot of time and practice. Depending on the difficultly of the skill it may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for the student to learn the skill and apply it consistently. Even when a skill seems mastered, the student will need to review and practice previously learned skills from time to time to ensure retention (use it or lose it).

When I'm introducing a new DT Lesson or a functional skill with Bob, I usually treat the first several sessions as "introductory" in nature. Depending on how abstract or difficult the task is, the introductory period may be a few days or a whole week. One thing I do is keep the initial introductions short. In DT, the new lesson usually comes after a review of a familiar topic (so that Bob has already had a "warm up").

Another key difference is that I use reinforcers more for "effort" at this time, not necessarily accuracy of response. When starting something new and difficult, motivation is more important than accuracy (you'll get there sooner or later). Once it becomes clear that Bob is starting to "get it", then I switch to using reinforcers for accuracy only.


2. Do not remove "supports" (particularly visual or environmental supports) when a task is mastered by the student. The student may always need certain supports to be successful at a given task. This is especially true if the support compensates for a student's motor or communication difficulties.

One of the hardest parts of working with Bob in the beginning was that I had no idea what his skill levels were, and what supports had been used in the past. Once his files turned up and I had his assessment information, I had a better idea of what he had done in the past, and what supports were being used before I arrived. Based on that information, I quickly realized for example that he would benefit from more visual supports (to facilitate transitions), and have been able to design and implement additional supports that have really helped him function more independently (fading much of the physical prompting).

3. Do not require the student to work on a single task for prolonged periods of time (a simple rule of thumb is 20-30 minutes max for the same task/sequence). It is wise to plan for small breaks throughout the day to give the student a chance to recharge between difficult tasks. Be prepared to shift activities when the student seems to be losing interest or focus (end a session while the student is still successful), and be sure to provide both easy and difficult tasks so that the student will experience both challenges and success during the sessions. A typical day should include significantly more opportunities to perform familiar tasks which promote security and positive/successful experiences, than to engage in new and challenging tasks all of the time.

I'm lucky that I work with a student who is surprisingly good at staying focused. Bob has an amazing ability to stay focused on instructional sequences for a non-verbal student with severe autism! This is good for me because we can really get a lot done during instructional episodes. But even he has his limits. Most days, I can count on anywhere between 20-30 minutes for DT. With pre-vocational skills, it varies, but sometimes he'll stay on task and focused for very long periods, on other days, 15 minutes is about the limit before he starts getting distractible.

Keep in mind that Bob is a high school student--younger children, I've noticed, do better with 5-10 minute instructional episodes, and need more frequent breaks. (I would never dream of asking a 6-year old kid in a CB classroom to do DT for 20 minutes!) For some students, just sitting still in a chair for a minute or so is an instructional goal. You have to start where your student IS. Once you have the sense for how long they can stay focused, you can gradually increase your instructional times. During instruction, it's a good idea to keep things focused on success--learning should be "fun" after all, and because it's so important, it's better to have lots of highly-successful but short session, than one long frustrating one. After all, you will be doing this EVERY DAY. If one day is a bit "off", you can always try again later.

4. Provide the student with clear information about the beginning and ending times of an activity sequence (this can be verbal/visual or both), and about the expectations and requirements of the task. To promote initiative/independence, avoid taking apart and/or redoing a task that the student perceives as "finished" (even the results are not perfect by your standards--this reduces student motivation). If additional practice is needed, intersperse it throughout the day rather than requiring sequential trial repetitions. (This is a good idea anyway, as it reduces fatigue.)

This is a very task-specific principle, and the way you apply it will look different for every student/every task. A lot of the information/cueing will be environmental in nature--that is events that occur naturally will determine what the student's response is (When X happens, you do Y).

Since I am working with a student who happens to have good receptive verbal skills, I "talk" my way through the things we are working on, using very consistent language.

Because Bob* has some fine motor skills deficits, I've had to determine what are realistic standards for "finished tasks", and how much "help" to offer. In general, I use the "close enough" principle, where consistency of effort is more important than absolute perfection. For instance, one of Bob's school jobs is to stack milk cartons on a tray in the cafeteria. Is he able to line them up correctly in neat orderly rows on the trays without assistance? Not at the present time. So instead of insisting on that, the current expectation is that the milk cartons make it onto the tray and in an upright position. Occasionally he'll make attempts to correct their position himself, so I would imagine that one day that will be something he'll be able to do himself. Do we need to get there by tomorrow? Not really, but I will certainly praise him every time he tries to do so. (Only once I take them out of sight to put them away in cold storage, do I turn them around so they all face the same direction...)

And speaking of standards, I've noticed that if a student is NOT being successful at something you KNOW they know they are able to do, there's often something going on at that moment that is interfering with their ability to perform the task (a distraction or physical discomfort). Often in this case, instead of insisting that the student "push on through" or "stay with it until they get it right", it's better to come back to the task later--even if it's just ten minutes later. Or if the problem is consistent, consider moving the instructional sequence to another time of day (the source of distraction could be related to the timing of meals or the effect of certain medications).

5. Embed communication into all aspects of the school day, and teach communication skills in their natural contexts whenever possible.

This is especially important for non-verbal students who rely on AAC systems to communicate. In order to encourage vocabulary development, you need to have "real things to talk about". Naturally this effort will begin in a clinical or classroom setting, but it should expand as soon as possible into other environments. In order to encourage the student to use their AAC system, they need communication partners and real topics. The most logical place to encourage both vocabulary development and desire to communicate is often right out there in the real world.

Practice communicating outside of the classroom when possible, and involve others (the family, the student's peers, other school personnel, people outside of school) whenever possible. The benefit is that you'll have a wider range of real communication topics, and give the student the idea that communication is not just something they do with their teacher at school!

6. Take time to teach essential skills in places and at times when skills are needed. For example, take time to teach students to put their coats on when it is time to go outside. Avoid the tendency to do essential life tasks for students while rushing to "get things done". While there are many time-based-expectations in the school setting, most are somewhat flexible and the student should be encouraged to accomplish tasks and transitions independently at his or her own pace. If time is of the essence, plan to begin transitions as early as needed, for the student to do them independently. Generally, avoid doing anything for the student what he/she can do for him/herself.

When you're working with students on the lower end of functioning, life skills or functional skills make up the bulk of the student's IEP goals and curriculum. They ARE important. Rather than view them as afterthoughts, these kinds of tasks should be viewed as the student's daily "performance-based assessments".

For these kinds of skills, mastery is critical, and accuracy is far more important than speed and efficiency. For example, would Bob get from point A to point B faster if I set the pace, held his hand, and guided him the whole way? Sure he would, but that's not in either of our bests interests. So even if it takes twice as long, I always insist that he walk on his own, at his own pace, and if he gets stuck, I wait to see if he'll get going again on his own before I do *any* prompting. The idea is to ALWAYS give the student the opportunity to do things on their own to encourage maximum independence (and reduce reliance on others).

For some tasks, the student may always need some assistance, but the level of assistance offered should be tailored to the student's strengths (and future potential to do the task independently). Maybe at this point in time, the student needs you to "start" the task, but they can finish it (or vice versa). This may eventually lead into the student gradually taking on more and more responsibility for completion of the task sequence, so you have to be on the lookout for those subtle signs of readiness.

The take home message, ultimately, is that the vast majority of students with Low-Functioning Autism should be viewed by educators as capable learners (who will make progress over time), so long as each student's individual characteristics (motivation and readiness) are taken into consideration during instructional episodes.

What progress looks like will vary considerably from student to student, but in my experience the teacher's attitude has a great deal of impact on how much progress a student will make. While there are many factors outside of teacher control, teachers DO have control over how they view and work with low-functioning students. Perception is everything here, and the teacher's attitude tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy: if a student is viewed as incapable and helpless, then the student's outcomes will almost certainly reflect this. If the teacher encourages and models initiative, persistence, patience, and above all believes that the student is a capable learner who will make progress over time (at his or her own pace), one can expect to see those outcomes.

When in doubt, err on the side of believing in the student's abilities (it certainly won't hurt them any).

(adapted from: Pratt, C. & Stuart, R. (1997). Teaching students who are low functioning: Who are they and what should we teach. The Reporter, 2(3), 6-9.)

Working with students with Autism

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings is often portrayed as difficult and challenging. There are moments when this is definitely the case, but overall I don't find it necessarily any harder than working with other kinds of students (including the so-called "normal" kids that we herd together in mainstream classes). Like most things in life, it's a subjective experience, and something you find that you either enjoy doing, or don't. Personally it's something that works just fine for me. I didn't have any direct experience whatsoever with kids on the spectrum, until I started subbing in Special Education, but as it turns out, all the experience in the world only serves to show that whatever knowledge you happen to have about a particular student really only applies to THAT individual.

Autism is a very individual experience. Many kids on the Autism spectrum have some sort of vague similarities (that express themselves under the umbrella of Autism), but each student has his or her own particular blend of behaviors and quirks, so you are doing some *very* individualized instruction when you are teaching students with ASDs. This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all group.

Overall, I don't find working with students with ASDs to be terribly difficult. It does require certain personal characteristics (that I just happen to have in abundance).

For one, working with students who have Autism is an exercise in learning to NOT take things personally. A particular student's behavior may or may not be within your--or their--control. Unless you know a particular student VERY well, you may have no idea what has set them off. If you're going to work with this population, you have to be very flexible and patient--because quite frankly nothing else works. There's no sense in you both being frustrated. No matter how inconveniently-timed, the storms will always pass, and the student will get back on track eventually. Then when the student is calm, you can try again. You'll have good days, and bad days. You just have to be ready to roll with it.

Another key requirement in working with students with ASDs is persistence. You have to really persevere to introduce novelty, teach new habits/routines, and introduce unfamiliar procedures into the life of a student who would naturally prefer sameness, predictability, and familiarity. You may have to repeat things a hundred times, introduce and reintroduce a topic, and be willing to persevere when the student's desire for "business as usual" is holding them back from making progress. You also have to be able to do this in a way that is gentle yet firm, respectful of the student's abilities and readiness, and in a way that the student will eventually come to accept. No matter how slow progress may seem at times, you have to be willing to keep trucking on because if you stay with it, there IS always progress.

Another useful trait is the ability to observe students closely. Observation will tell you a great deal about a student's preferences, strengths, and motivations. Once you know what these are, you can use your insights to better reach (and teach) the student/s you are working with. This is true for all kinds of students, but students with ASDs, in particular, respond especially well to instructors who have reached a certain level of attunement with them. Once you figure out your student/s, a lot of things just fall right into place.

Another requirement for working with students with ASDs is behavioral and emotional consistency (yours). It's no surprise that the same kids who thrive on structure and predictability, would also need this from their instructors. The key thing here is being able to suspend your emotional reactions to student behavior (frustration/annoyance/anger) so you can respond neutrally during frustrating episodes. In other words, if the student is having a meltdown, you should be available, but calm and decisive. Another thing you should be able to do is communicate behavioral expectations logically (preferably in advance if you anticipate a challenging event is on the horizon), and being able to respond to students' behaviors consistently. In other words, if a student is frustrated, let them calm down, but then insist they get back to the business at hand once they've recovered. (You don't want students developing a pattern of getting their way through negative behaviors).

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in a school setting is usually fairly straightforward, as school is a very structured setting, and there are tons of useful instructional strategies and methods that have been developed for this population. The trick is figuring out which ones work best with your particular student/s. The good news is that many of these are effective with with a wide variety of students with ASDs, even though a student's specific symptoms tend to be highly individual in nature.

Based on my own experience working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings (from low to high functioning), here's the strategies and techniques I have found useful across a broad range of abilities and needs:

* Using pictures in place of verbiage, or as an organizational tool. With most students on the spectrum, seeing is believing. Visual prompts often achieve what words will not. Visual schedules, labeling, color coding, and other types of visual cues will help students adjust to and organize their environment more efficiently and function much more independently in school (and other) settings. For higher functioning students, lists (charts, or checklists) works wonders. A lot of mainstream teachers who have students with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism in their classrooms don't realize how much these students are missing because they use far too much verbiage when delivering instruction/directions/feedback. When it comes to talking, less is definitely more.

* Providing environmental consistency. Routines are a big part of this. Having a predictable instructional sequence gives students with ASDs the predictability they crave in a school setting. When students with ASDs know what is going to happen and when, they are much more successful and independent. Another suggestion is to use clearly defined working environments for each instructional activity or episode. Needless to say, disorganized or chaotic environments make it much harder for a student with Autism to be successful in a school setting. You can eliminate a great deal of behaviors (frustration/acting out) simply by adding more structure and predictability to the student's school experience. At times when that isn't possible (assemblies, fieldtrips, parties, and other non-structured school activities), it's a good idea to forewarn the student and give him or her the chance to opt out, or provide the tools for the student to participate more successfully.

* Reducing or eliminating extraneous environmental stimuli. This can be done in a variety of ways: lower lighting levels, use of some incandescent lighting in the classroom, noise reduction measures, noise-cancelling headphones, visual screens/partitions, etc. These fairly simple strategies can go a long way towards increasing attention/concentration.

* Adding sensory stimuli. Some kids actually perform better and focus on tasks longer if their need for additional sensory stimulus is considered and planned for. There are many ways to provide non-distracting or relatively unobtrusive outlets for students to meet their need for additional sensory stimulation while at school. This tends to be a highly individual preference, but I have found there are a wide range of "fidgets" that many children enjoy. Other possibilities include lap weights or comfort objects. These can be used as an incentive or motivation tool as well.

* Providing a flexible learning environment to meet individual needs: in other words, not expecting the student with Autism to have the same needs/motivations as other students. As long as the task is getting done, it's a good idea to let go of the need for the student to behave/perform like other students. My policy is if it's not harming anyone, or interfering with the educational process, I'm not going to make a big deal out of a particular student's quirks or work habits. If a student insists on standing at the back counter while taking tests, turns around twice before leaving the room, does all written work in colored pen, or likes to read sitting on the floor, I'm fine with that. As long as it doesn't affect classroom performance, or create a safety hazard, it's not worth fighting over.

Basically put, working with students with Autism isn't especially difficult or complicated, it just requires a lot of patience and flexibility. I personally find it rewarding because I enjoy the eccentricities of my students, enjoy their unique perspectives and observations about the world, and don't get bent out of shape if someone's having an off day.

Encounters with Autism

Yet another reflection on what I do, why I'm doing it, and what I think about it.


In any given year, what is the average number of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in your classroom?

It totally depends on the setting. If I'm working in mainstream classes, 0-1. If I'm working in Special Ed, it can be anywhere from a single student to the entire classroom (especially when I'm working for the district that has highly specialized programs for Autism). Over time, I've observed that often, there's at least one student in at least one of my classes that is somewhere on the spectrum.

For the current academic year, please indicate the total number of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in your classroom:

The vast majority of students in my classroom have ASDs.

What is the typical setting in which students with Autism Spectrum Disorders reside in your school?

It depends on the severity of the impact. Kids who are high-functioning (or Asperger's) mostly attend mainstream classes with some pull-out time to work with specialists. Moderate to severe kids tend to be in self-contained classrooms with partial mainstreaming where appropriate. The most profoundly affected students spend their entire day in self-contained classrooms.

Please indicate the frequency with which you consult with the following professionals in reference to your students with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

I mainly work with the speech & language pathologist, and occasionally the
occupational/physical therapist. Occasionally there's consulting visits with other personnel like social workers/case managers, or autism specialists from regional service providers.

Do you feel that you have the KNOWLEDGE BASE required to effectively teach a student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

For the most part, and I'm mainly referring to the higher end of the spectrum. I've got a lot of general experience working with students with ASDs which comes in handy much of the time. I would like more training in some of the specific interventions that are commonly used. The main thing about working with individuals with ASDs that I've learned is that there's a basic set of moves that works well with most kids, but a huge area where individual differences require a bit more "self-study" to figure out what will work best with a particular individual.

Do you feel that you have the TECHNICAL SKILLS required to effectively teach a student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Not necessarily. I'd love more training in ABA methodologies and in the area of AACs.

OUTSIDE OF YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION, do you have any personal experiences with autism, including previous employment, current part-time employment, or personal relationships?

Surprisingly I didn't have any personal experiences with Autism before I got into teaching, but I have worked with a couple of students on the spectrum before I completed my licensure program.


Have you received any FORMAL autism-specific education or training?

I've attended some trainings/seminars. Most of what I know is the result of self-study (when I'm searching for the answer to a specific problem or need).

Please indicate the instructional priorities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders currently in your classroom:

It's totally driven by the student's IEP (his or her particular needs). Most of our students are working on a mix of academics, language/communication goals, social skills, functional/adaptive skills, behavioral interventions, and vocational skills. The student I work with most intensively has pre-vocational, functional living, and communications goals.

What are your TOP FIVE recommended treatments for students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

1. Communication options for minimally verbal or non-verbal students: Sign language, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Augmentative communication, etc. (the inability to communicate drives a lot of the most difficult behaviors you see with ASDs).

2. Social skills: Video modeling, Social Stories (good for both social skills and literacy), Social skills groups (a way to "practice" learning and using new behaviors in a safe space).

3. Speech & language therapy: most kids with ASDs need this to some extent

4. Vocational training: even most higher functioning individuals will need help in this area.

5. The selection of a specific instructional program/method that is geared towards the needs of students with Autism (Intensive Behavioral Intervention, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial Training (DTT)).

24. In terms of CLASSROOM SUPPORT, specific to your students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, what is your greatest need?

The two things I often want more of for myself is additional training (preferably offered outside of the regular school day so I don't have to take time off), and a bit of quality time with the autism specialist. Another item for my wish list is greater parent support of the strategies we teach and use at school. If the students were using the strategies at home or in community settings (as well as at school), the rate of progress would probably be unbelievable!

In terms of autism-specific EDUCATION AND TRAINING, which topic areas are of greatest interest?

1. Recommended educational treatments for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2. Hands-on behavior intervention techniques, management strategies for dealing with disruptive or maladaptive behaviors
3. Communicating more effectively with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
4. Social skills - joint attention, imitation, initiation, self-management, perspective taking...

In some of these areas, I would prefer actual hands-on training. In others, access to high-quality reading material would probably suffice.

Please indicate the greatest difficulties in terms of the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the mainstream/general education classroom:

1. The need for one-to-one instruction or management for certain students, and not really having the staffing levels to do this.

2. A mainstream classroom environment that accepts and facilitates the proactive management of disruptive or maladaptive behaviors (in other words, a room with a plan).

3. The students' cognitive issues/the degree of severity of the children’s Autism Spectrum Disorder, which can make it difficult for inclusion in a mainstream classroom.

4. A total lack of autism-specific knowledge and teaching strategies by the majority of mainstream educators. The biggest sin here is that most teachers talk way too much... Most students with ASDs can't take in tons of verbal information, but most teachers deliver their instruction this way, making it less likely that students with ASDs will be successful in the classroom.

The Absence Relapse Phenomenon

I love my job (working with a Non-Verbal student) but there is one serious downside to doing this kind of work--those inevitable absences (and their impact). Not his--mine.

Hardly a school year has ever gone by when somewhere around October, I come down with whatever crud the kids seem to have. You'd think by now I'd have some immunity built up to this sort of thing--but no. I get it every time. I'm also supposed to be doing some trainings (which of course only tend to happen during the regular school day). Lovely.

Last week, I was out for two days (with the plague), and boy the aftermath that was waiting wasn't pretty. As you might suspect, what I'm dealing with is one of the inevitable traits of Autism--severe dislike of any changes in a routine. Two days of subs is definitely a change in routine...and as a sub, I know full well how kids normally act in this situation (even neurotypical kids have a hard time coping with changes like having a sub for a few days, much less our students with ASDs for whom any change in the "way things are" is devastating). As a sub, I often saw kids who weren't at their best, and knew not to take things personally when they weren't optimal. What I'm talking about here, though, isn't just some off-behavior, but rather an almost total regression.

When I left, school had been on for about a month and Bob* was making tons of progress, and I was very pleased how well he was going through the day and transitioning a lot more independently, and I felt really good about where we were going with things. Now a lot of that progress will have to built back up--it's almost back to square one in many respects. We're going to have to go back a few steps...

The teacher's absence may or may not make the heart grow fonder, but it sure shakes up the world of students with ASDs. These guys need continuity like the rest of us need air to keep on breathing. It's a funny thing--a lot of kids on the spectrum appear very detached/uninterested in the people around them (to the casual observer), but if you pay attention and know what you're looking for, it's pretty obvious that your students miss you when you're gone.

More fun with PECs

As mentioned in previous posts, I'm working with a non-verbal student named Bob* who seems to be showing some readiness for using PECs to make requests and indicate choices. This is such an exciting development that I've been practicing with him a bit during lunch (and occasionally at other times, as "teachable moments" reveal themselves).

Lunch, of course, is an ideal time to practice using PECs to initiate requests and indicate choices. I've made it part of my routine to carry my PECs stash with me to the cafeteria (I've got one of those coupon organizers stuffed full of food-related items) and it goes with me when we take everyone down to the cafeteria for lunch. We're not to the point where he can use them to indicate choices while we're actually going through the line (at this point, I still have to use my best judgment and pick out something for him to eat), but when we hit the salad bar, I have a whole range of items that we can practice requests with.

Once Bob eats the main course, I whip out the cards. For example, I've got one with a picture of a milk carton (so he can ask me to open his milk carton for him--something he needs help with). I've got several pictures of common salad bar items. I arrange them off to the side, and will hand him something if he points at the picture of it. He's starting to figure this out how this works. The other day, he was really hungry, and very receptive, and I happened to have several types of fruit and vegetables to practice with. For example, he really likes cherry tomatoes, so I got him a few. When he ate those, I asked him if he wanted more. He pointed at the card, so I went back and got him some more. When he ate those, he pointed at the card again, so I got him some more (I'd say he's getting the hang of it). Then he pointed at another item, and I handed it to him, and the second verse is the same as the first.

It seems like such a small thing, probably, to ask for something and get it...this has been very eye-opening for me. (I've never had a student at the very beginning stages of communication, so every little sign of progress is very encouraging).

Working with Low-Functioning Students: Believing Students are Capable

When you're a teacher or an assistant working with students who are on the lower-functioning end of the Autism spectrum, it's important not to get caught up in all the things the students can't do (a better way of putting this, really, is "currently can't do" because even the lowest-functioning students almost always make some progress over time). When you believe lower-functioning students are helpless, you can easily fall into a pattern of doing too much for them. This sets up a cycle of dependency that is hard to break. When students are given the time and space to use and develop their capabilities, they are much more likely to make progress (this is especially true of functional living skills, but holds true for everything else). Learning to observe and appreciate a student's abilities tends to have a profound effect on what you believe about a student and what he or she can do. Your understanding of your students' abilities has a profound impact on how you work with them, the choices you make as an instructor, and ultimately, the rate of progress that they will make during your time together.

As an instructor, you make a difference in the life of each student you work with. What you do in the classroom each day sets the student up for his or her future. Your choices will have a huge impact on the student's life far down the road, so it pays to make sure all of your interactions support the student in becoming more independent and capable. Knowing that the stakes are high, having a strong belief in your work, your students, and in yourself means that you will be in the best position to advocate for the goals, experiences, and opportunities that are in the best interest of your students.

Many people believe that lower-functioning students (or students with profound disabilities) are totally helpless, and are incapable of learning. This can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you show students through your actions and words that you believe they are incapable of doing things for themselves, you will do too much for them, and they will become more dependent on you. This sets up the cycle of dependence that is hard to break once established. If

In order to support your students, not only do you need to form a good working relationship, but also an understanding of what each is capable of now--with one eye always aimed towards the future. When you "pay attention" to students on a daily basis, you will often see little clues or signs that the student is ready to increase his or her independence. It's really important to slow down and be alert for these small windows of opportunity, because if missed, they may not come again for a long time. When given the opportunity to try a new skill at just the right moment, students will discover they are capable, and experience the motivation to use that skill again in the future. If the effort is overlooked or rebuffed, it increases the student's passivity and decrease his or her motivation to try again in the future. Students need opportunities to demonstrate that they can be successful and participate, so it's important to seize these moments when they arise.

Putting it into practice:

1. Talk to the student often about what is happening (forecasting) as you go through the routines of the day, especially during transitions. Use clear and consistent language that supports student's participation.

2. Give the student a chance to respond or participate in daily routines or instructional sequences--watch for signs of initiation. Praise any signs of effort you observe at these times.

3. Slow down--the key is to give students time and space to develop and use their abilities. Give lots of wait time to give students a chance to do things independently. Avoid the temptation to hurry the student along or do things for them until they've had ample opportunities to try the task or skill on their own first. If it's clear to you that the student needs help, still take the time to ask them if they need help before providing assistance.

4. Be mindful about opportunities where existing capabilities may potentially lead to new skills...or new settings where existing skills can be brought in and practiced (to increased generalization).

Helping lower-functioning students develop increasing independence is an enormously complex undertaking that requires years of effort. In most instances, the students come in and out of your life before you can see the payoff of your efforts, so much of the time, you are making an investment in an unknown future. While you can't control the future, you can do things today that will make a huge difference in the present and future lives of the students you work with. If your work with students is done with the mindset of increasing their independence and honoring their abilities, you will have a positive impact on their future.

quote of the day

"In order to effectively teach a non-verbal child with autism, the teacher must trust that the non-verbal autistic can: hear, see, smell, taste, feel, think, formulate ideas, communicate with himself, understand what he hears, understand what he sees (including reading), question that which he doesn't understand, achieve intellectual superiority as compared to his age group, and deal with reality an age appropriate manner. The teacher must do all this in the midst of not having any reliable way of knowing what the autistic person is taking in or understanding anything that takes place around him..."

(from Teaching the Non-verbal Autistic Student by Wally Wojtowicz, Jr.)

More work with PECs

I'm writing more about PECs today, since that's something I've been working on with Bob. Since I've never worked with anyone at the beginning stages of learning expressive communication, this has been an interesting journey for both of us.

Bob was introduced to PECs during speech about a week ago, but since he only has speech once a week, it's something I've been practicing with him whenever I can (since it'll never work out if it's just a once-a-week kind of thing). Currently, I've been incorporating some work with PECs into our DT sessions (as kind of a wrap-up activity).

I'm only working briefly with PECs right now (to maintain interest and not wear out the reinforcers too rapidly). At this stage, I'm only using a few items (3 reinforcers that we've identified). I also have been taking my stash of food-related items down to lunch so we can practice a little bit in there (but I keep it really light, since it's not intended to be a form of torture). It's recommended to practice in different settings, so for now, these are the two easiest. I might do some practice on the bus too--that's something we do a few times a week.

Introducing PECs

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was primarily working with a non-verbal student named Bob* this year. A big goal, with any student, but especially a non-verbal one, is increasing expressive communication.

Currently we're working on introducing PECs. PECs (a picture exchange communication system from Pyramid Educational Consultants) is a visual system of communication. PECs is a widely used system to teach functional communication skills to individuals with Autism.

Currently, as far as I'm aware, there does not appear to be a functional communication system currently in place for Bob (in other words, he has no way to make his wants or needs known to others). Right now, I'm attempting to ascertain what motivates Bob, and having some success there, but it would be nice to expand on this.

I feel that Bob is capable of initiating some spontaneous communication in specific settings or situations, and if taught to do so, would be able to function more independently than he does now. Since his visual tracking is pretty good, and his attentiveness is fairly high, I think this is the best possible option for a communication system. Although his motor skills are a bit inconsistent, I think they're sufficiently developed to enable him to exchange pictures to initiate communication.

Right now we're working on reinforcers, which is step 1. Fortunately, it's pretty easy because we have already identified several good reinforcers--things that are not too freely available in the classroom that can be rationed out during training sessions only. Symbols seem to be a bit too abstract for Bob right now, so we're starting with actual pictures and working towards introducing symbols. Since Bob knows shapes, I think eventually we could transition to using more symbols.

Right now my focus is on making sure he understands the cause-and-effect relationship between handing me a card, and getting a reinforcer. I've practiced this a few times, and he seems willing to do it with me. I've also introduced (briefly) the idea of making choices this way (during lunch), but it's not something I expect Bob to fully master for awhile yet.

working with a non-verbal student

Now that I've had time to collect my head and figure out which end is up, I figured I'd talk a little bit about exactly what it is that I'm doing this year. I'm not subbing...I managed to ease out of that into a full-time gig.

This year, I'm working in a high school life skills classroom (our particular school has two life skills classrooms, and I'm in the more academic of the two). I mainly work one-on-one with a non-verbal student (on the Autism spectrum). In honor of three of my favorite musicians (Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and Robert Johnson), we'll call him "Bob".

Non-verbal students tend to be rather interesting (and challenging) to work with, and Bob is no exception. Amazingly, Bob doesn't have any "difficult" behaviors (no hitting or grabbing), and is amazingly easy-going (not usually the case with kids who are non-verbal). For about the first week of school, I spent a lot of time just trying to assess where he was at (skills, interests, abilities), and learning how to "read" him. Now we're getting the hang of the new school schedule, and working with each other, we're starting to make some definitely progress.

Bob is by no means the first non-verbal student I've worked with, but he's one of the few that I've encountered who hasn't been successfully taught how to use any of the commonly used communication systems (ASL, AAC devices, communication boards, or PECs). This makes communication a challenge, and currently it's very one-sided. Because he's completely non-verbal, and doesn't use any gestures, increasing his communication options is one of my big goals for him this year.

In my zeal to educate myself (in order to be more effective when working with Bob), I discovered that there's not a whole lot of freely available information out there about working with non-verbal (autistic) students, especially older students. Because I'll be learning this as I go, I'm going to make an effort to write about what I'm learning here in this blog, so that maybe someone else who's in the same boat can make use of my insights.