James Durbin, Season 10 of American Idol

Susan Boyle, Singer

Courtney Love, Actress

Albert Einstein, Scientist

Dan Aykroyd, Actor

What do these people have in common?

Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers Presented by: Amber Melton January 2, 2015 DeSoto Central High School

 Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are increasingly being taught in the general education settings.

 The Environment -Rules -Skills Challenges of Secondary Settings

 A Developmental Disorder that impacts the way a person perceives and communicates  It is a spectrum disorder that affects each person to a varying degree, ranging from mild to severe AUTISM

“You have children with autism who are non-verbal, and then you have children with autism who know more words than a university professor. You have children with autism who would rather be by themselves. And then you have those who want friends but do not know how to make them.” Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D.

 Impaired Communication and social interactions  Repetitive Behaviors  Restrictive Interests and Difficulty with Change  Sensory Sensitivities Characteristics of Autism

 While there are common characteristics, no two individuals with autism are exactly alike.  It is important to understand how the characteristics of autism affect each student.

 Visual  Literal  Structure Learning Styles

 Priming  Academic Modifications  Home Base  Visual Supports  Reinforcement 5 Essential Supports Strategies

 Exposure to academic material before instruction  Reduces potential stress - Provide agenda, list of questions, pre- teach important concepts, ask parents to help prepare at home Priming

 An adaptation to the content  Makes academic environment easier to navigate while ensuring student learns necessary content  Break down homework assignment, see IEP Academic Modifications

 A place to go to regain control during time of high anxiety or stress  Helps a student cope with a challenging situation  Place in the room for a break, other assigned location  Develop a plan of how to return to classroom activities Home Base

 Materials that illustrate important information.  Helps students stay focused on their schoolwork throughout the day  Labels, charts, agenda, printed schedule, graphic organizer Visual Supports

 Rewards students for behaving in ways that are productive and support their personal growth.  Increases the likelihood that a student will behave in the same positive way again.  Verbal praise, homework pass, additional time on electronics  Must be valuable to the student and paired with specific feedback. Reinforcement

 A student with autism is not purposefully acting out. Rather, it signifies a momentary inability to cope with the complex demands of the secondary school environment. Acting Out

 Rumbling  Rage  Recovery Stages of Challenging Behavior

 Know the warning signs  Intervene not to intensify Rumbling

 Plan ahead  Stay clam and prioritize for safety for all Rage (Meltdown)

 Give the student a simple task related to missed activity  Provide tasks to motivate  Maintain open lines of communication with parents and staff Recovery

“It lays out the child’s present skills, his present level of performance, and the skills that you should be working on with that individual child across the board, academic and non-academic, and the supports the he needs to ensure that this happened.” - Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D The IEP

 Assist with creating and implementing the IEP.  Keep accurate and detailed records of student progress toward goals.  Ensure accommodations and modifications are implemented. The Teacher’s Role

1.Behavior is communication. 2.Never assume anything. 3.Look for sensory issues first. 4.Provide me a break to allow for self- regulation before I need it. 5.Tell me what you want me to do in the positive rather than the imperative. 10 Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew

6. Keep your expectations reasonable. 7. Help me transition between activities. 8. Don’t make a bad situation worse. 9. Criticize gently. 10. Offer real choices.

OAR: Organization for Autism Research things-your-student-with-autism-wishes-you-knew/ Resources