Good Practice Conference “…collating, disseminating and encouraging the adoption of good practice…”

Understanding ASD: the Way to Effective Practice Professor Rita Jordan OBE Autism Centre for Education & Research University of Birmingham Good Practice Conference, Stirling 2009

Education & values 'Education' often taken as synonymous with forms of therapeutic input directed at identified 'deficits' or difficulties People with ASD challenge view that goal of education should be to make them ‘less autistic’ or to behave ‘normally’ SEN not derived purely from a clinical condition

SEN of ASD Jordan (2005) children with ASDs have needs that are: – common (as children) – individual (as individuals - assessed needs) but also – group (related to ASD) and it is only through awareness of group needs that individual needs can be recognised and met all stakeholders (children, parents, teachers,aids, therapists, psychologists, headteachers, local authorities) saw lack of understanding as key barrier to inclusion (ACER, 2008)

What’s Special about ASD? need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively or through social tutoring – identity of self/ other – saliency of social signals – agency and intention – relevance and priority – social/cultural meaning – nature of communication – emotional consciousness

Difficulties & Differences executive functions – ‘ monotropic’ attention – impulse control – idiosyncratic perception imagination & reality testing empathy & emotional/ conscious understanding concept development – problems abstracting – rigidity of concept & schema boundaries

Strengths sustained attention to interests no social distractions usually visual information careful attention to detail no social heirarchy - no deceit - get job done accurate detailed memories ‘fresh’ idiosyncratic art - visual/ poetry/ music vulnerability brings out the best in others (often!)

Learning Style visual or procedural rather than verbal memory – cued – rote ‘social’ a dimension of difficulty emotions & cognition – use interests for engagement often at sensory stage of meaning – presentation --> reference repetition & consolidation explicit strategies for problem solving need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively

The ‘ASD’ lens individual needs determine learning and should determine teaching individuality is even more the case in ASD yet a lack of mutual empathy means – teachers have to use non-intuitive routes in teaching those with ASD – just as those with ASD have to use non intuitive routes in their learning

Sensory challenges if assessed as challenge for child – environmental / proximal adaptation – inform Behaviour Support Plan if not assessed – be alert to sensory issues and develop understanding of environment to reduce sensitivity - likely to be either ‘over’ or ‘under’ sensitive to different senses

Perceptual Challenges staff need to be aware for all so that there is: – teaching for meaning (emphasise goals not parts of tasks, reward effort not success) – explicit rules & instructions (visual?) – time for processing – recognition of effect on learning & teaching – checks on child’s perspective

Memory Challenges recognition that ‘savant’ skills may be weakness processes for teaching or generalisation of skills in functional environments methods to enable memory cues across home/ school environments e.g. in homework teaching a range of memorisation strategies

Language & Communication Challenges augmentative systems for those without speech – at right ‘meaning’ level ’educational’ language – assumes communication – joint attention/ advance organisers/ gestures/ literality SALT support for communication programmes for all with ASD structured teaching to reduce reliance on social & linguistic mediation of learning programmes for expressive and receptive speech – include communication gestures

Social & Emotional Challenges awareness of implications of lack of salience of social signals – teaching attention to social signals – use taught attentional signal as a signal teaching social meanings – explicit teaching – allowance in behaviour management – enabling positive social experiences for practice teaching emotional awareness & control – necessary understanding prior to ‘management’ or understanding of facial expressions

Teaching for Purpose different approach needed to suit – individual characteristics sociability language cognitive level sensory issues age – goal – practitioner comfort/ ability/ knowledge

Child factors: Sociability Wing ’ s classification –withdrawn/ solitary -> passive/ responds -> ‘ active but odd ’ -> eccentric & sensitive varies with conditions & with teaching level suggests optimum form of approach –withdrawn - 1:1 directive & desensitisation –passive - interest & structured play experience –active but odd - social rules & experience (context) –eccentric - social skills in context e.g. buddy

Curriculum for ASD entitlement to culturally valued skills, knowledge & understanding therapeutic needs from ASD difficulties additional explicit content for otherwise ‘intuitive’ knowledge long-term need for a ‘curriculum for life’

Later: Ecological Curriculum assess individual assess current and future environments & occupations gaps in skills, appreciation, knowledge and experience form curriculum goals teach in functional ways practise in functional contexts

Evidence no single approach evidence for: – structure – modern behavioural methods – training parents in social interaction & communication techniques in all studies some do well and some do not in all studies children tend to learn only what are explicitly taught

Important Distinction (Mesibov 2009) Evidence Supported Treatment (EST) – most common use – starts with treatment & asks if it works for a particular (narrow) group Evidence Based Practice (EBP) – what we should do – starts with child and asks how we can achieve best outcome

Importance of Process sensitivity & flexibility of implementation at least as important as particular programme rigid interpretation of manuals leads to poor outcomes lack of understanding of ASD de-skills staff and prevents effective individualisation

Definition of EBP the integration of the best available research and clinical expertise within the context of patient characteristics, culture, values and preferences. (APA, 2006) practitioner expertise involves interpersonal skills and not just single programme knowledge

Single vs Eclectic Curricula Single enables staff expertise better monitoring & easier evaluation builds staff & parent confidence enables positive views Eclectic can match to goal all needs can be addressed needs compatibility checks & child perspective take strengths from each

Conclusion normal intuitive learning requires cognitive effort normal levels of stimulation cause stress lack of control from – poor self understanding – poor social understanding – poor communication understanding & individualisation is key to effective support & education treating students equally does not mean treating them the same but differently, to ensure equal access