Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Which social skills are needed
Teaching a child with autism
Teaching a child with autism
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Teaching Children with Autism There has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism or other autism spectrum disorders. It is likely as an educator that you will have at least one child with this diagnosis in your classroom. This paper explores some of the methods used to teach autistic children. Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to high-functioning (some communication and inappropriate but existent social skills.) One of the most difficult things teachers will face when dealing with Autistic children is their lack of communication skills and inappropriate or nonexistent social skills. In addition to academic instruction children with Autism require instruction in communication techniques and social skills. Kamps et.al. says “A key to accommodating students with autism in public school settings is the provision of social and behavioral programming to develop meaningful participation with nondisabled persons” (p.174). There are many techniques that are useful in teaching children with autism communication and social skills. One method is the Responsive Classroom, an instructional approach that integrates the teaching of academic and social skills as an aspect of everyday classroom life (Sapona & Winterman, 2002, p. 30). According to Sapona and Winterman (2002) teachers implementing this model in their classroom include six comp... ... middle of paper ... ...avioral Skills to Children with Autism. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 10 (1), 1-9. Dempsey, I. & Foreman, P. ( 2001). A Review of Educational Approaches for Individuals with Autism. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 48 (1), 105-116. Kamps, D. et.al. (2002). Peer Training to Facilitate Social Interaction for Elementary Students with Autism and Their Peers. Exceptional Children, 68 (2), 173-187. Marks, S. et. al. (2003). Instructional Management Tips for Teahers of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Teaching Exceptional Children, 35 (4), 50-55. Dunlap, G. & Fox, L. Teaching Students with Autism. ERIC Digest, E582. Winterman, K. & Sapona, R. (2002). Everyone’s Included: Supporting Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Responsive Classroom Learning Environment. Teaching Exceptional Children, 35 (1), 30-35.
Autistic children are isolated from most schools, socially and within the classroom. Although most children with auti...
“Your child has autism spectrum disorder” are words no parent wants to hear. They are words that will instill fear, worry, and sadness. When parents hear this for the first time, they will have many questions. “Is there anything I can do to help my child? If so, what can be done?” Early intervention services; such as applied behavior analysis therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, and speech therapy before the age of three; can help improve the development of children with autism spectrum disorder. As an educator, early intervention is a subject teachers should be well educated in. It would be beneficial to the educator and the student, for a teacher to know and understand early intervention strategies.
Development of social skills is very important for children that are diagnosed with autism because of ...
Children with autism have multiple characteristic impairments in their social interaction skills. This results from the lack of “Theory of Mind” in autistic individuals. Autistic children have difficulty interpreting what another person may be thinking or feeling. Social impairments may cause the child to act inappropriately in social interactions and prevent the children from truly taking part in interactions. The children have difficulty recognizing social cues and responding to cues. Autistic children have a hard time forming relationships as a result of these impairments. Social stories, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Pivotal Response Training are three therapy techniques that help children with autism learn appropriate social behavior. Social stories allow the children to practice the situation in a lower stress environment. Applied Behavior Analysis utilizes positive reinforce to teach desired skills. Pivotal Response Training allows the child to learn social skills while in a natural play environment. Learning social skills through these techniques enable the children to have more meaningful relationships and engage more in their community.
Autism is a form of neurodevelopment disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by impaired development in social interactions and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. There is an observed lack of spontaneous acts of communication; both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A person diagnosed with Autism will also show a limited range of activities and interests, as well as forming and maintain peer relationships. The individuals will display limited interests, which are often very focused and repetitive. He or she is likely to be very routine oriented and may show behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.
Snell, M. E. (2003). Autism, Education of Individuals with. In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Education (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 161-162). New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
2. People with autism have problems with abstract and conceptual thinking. Some may eventually acquire abstract skills, but others never will. When abstract concepts must be used, use visual cues, such as drawings or written words, to augment the abstract idea. Avoid asking vague questions such as, "Why did you do that?" Instead, say, "I did not like it when you slammed your book down when I said it was time for gym. Next time put the book down gently, and tell me that you are angry. Were you showing me that you did not want to go to gym, or that you did not want to stop reading?" Avoid asking essay-type questions. Be as concrete as possible in all your interactions with these students.
Luiselli, James K. "Verbal Language and Communication." Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practitioner's Guide. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
What is Autism? People are quick to label people as Autistic but very rarely understand what it means though they may nod their head and say "ohh makes sense". Autism - also know as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder- is a complex developmental disorder affecting primarily ones communication and social interaction skills. Meaning they have difficulties communicating effectively or even at all. They struggle in social setting and don 't typically excel in social games or activities.
Autism is a disability that affects the brain to alter and impede social interactions and communications. Instead of just one precise type, there is a whole spectrum that encompasses autism. There are three primary types of autism, low functioning, functioning, and high functioning.
Nowadays, the most common treatments for Autism is behavioral therapy. ABA therapy is a very common technique used. (Simpson) The children with Autism are taught general social skills. One way this is taught is through modeling social behaviors to them and teaching them to imitate it.
For this task, I observed a teacher in a moderate/severe Autism classroom. I chose to conduct my observation during the class’ calendar time, this is one of the few opportunities during the day when the teacher conducts whole group instruction. During the 30 minutes in which I observed, the teacher interacted with the students for 34 opportunities total. She gave nine opportunities to respond; 16 reprimands/corrective commands; 9 general praise statements, and zero behavior specific praise statements.
The number of children that display autistic traits keeps rising and the need for services is at an all-time high. Out of 10,000 children born, 60 to 100 children and families will be affected by autistic spectrum disorder (Gulberg, 2010). Autism is characterized by a lack of connection to other people, even parents, and an avoidance of interpersonal situations (Feldman, 2011). Children with autism also show limited, repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behavior, interest, and activities. Not one child with autism is the same as the next; each child has their own severity and indicators of autism. A child with intellectual disabilities and a gifted child can both be given the diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum, because of the wide range of severities. Many of these children will not attend special schools, but instead be included in the general education population by inclusion. Inclusion has been found to have a number of benefits for children with autism. In addition, negative perspectives have also come into play when discussing autism and inclusion. Furthermore, parents have the right to make decisions for their child on an individual basis.
Jordan, R., & Powell, S. (1995). Understanding and Teaching Children with Autism. New York: Wiley.
“Autistic learning is of a disconnected kind and therefore pupils with autism need to be shown what connections are as well as what the specific connections are within the particular learning experience with which they are engaged.” (Powell, 2000)