Practitioner Based Research Effective Pedagogies for Teachers of Students with Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) “is a complex, life-long, pervasive developmental disorder which affects an individual’s communication skills, social understanding and behavioural functioning” (Mercer, 2009, p. 12). It was initially identified as a uniquely distinct social learning difficulty by Hans Asperger in Characteristics of students with AS evident within the classroom include: the tendency to be confused by multiple component assignments difficulty with knowing what concepts are important and need attention difficulty with processing high amounts of auditory information and difficulty recognising cues, both verbal and non-verbal (Marks, et al., 2003). Students with AS are better able to distinguish what information is important and interpret information presented to them in segments that have been broken down visually (Marks, et al., 2003). Therefore, many students with AS have a visual learning style, and benefit greatly from the use of graphic organisers that illustrate key concepts and ideas. Introduction and Background

Research Question To what extent do specific teaching strategies engage students with Asperger’s Syndrome in learning? Hypothesis It was hypothesised that if written content of lessons was presented to a student with AS in the form of graphic organisers than student engagement would be enhanced. It was also hypothesised that if graphic organisers were removed, recall memory would decline.

Year 10 History Class with 20 students. Two students were clinically diagnosed with AS. Over three consecutive weeks and at the beginning of each lesson, each student was given a summary sheet of the lesson content. 1 st Week – summary sheets used graphic organises to present content taught 2 nd Week – summary sheets used blocks of written information to present content taught 3 rd Week – summary sheets used questions to review content taught Materials and Procedure

In week 4, a Topic Test was given to measure student recall of the content delivered each week. A total of 24 multiply choice questions was used to assess learning, 8 questions for each week. Material and Procedure

Example of Graphic Organiser

Questions Who was the new and demanding ally of Australia? For the first time Australia went to war without the support of which country? What is the definition of the word ‘pragmatic’? In your own words describe what is meant by ‘domino theory’. Example of Summary Questions Given

From observational and anecdotal evidence: Student participation decreased as the use of graphic organisers was removed. This was evident in: Students increasing lack of participation in task work each week Students staying on task – by the third week, both students were fidgeting more and less likely to answer a question, ask for help or complete in class activities. Results of Data

Quantitative data was measured using the results of the Topic Test, assessing students memory or recall of information taught. Figure 1 illustrates the data for Student A and Figure 2, the data for Student B, summarising correctly answered questions per week, as recorded from the results of their Topic Test. Results of Data

Results cont. As anticipated the results suggests a decline in engagement and a decline in recall memory as the use of graphic organisers was gradually decreased. The results provide support for the hypothesis that written content using graphic organisers would enhance student engagement. Results also indicate support for the second hypothesis, showing a decrease in recall memory as the use of graphic organisers is gradually removed.

There are many ways that we can support the learning of students with Asperger’s Syndrome. Incorporating graphic organisers into lesson plans where possible, is an effective way to scaffold the learning needs of students with specific learning styles. Examples of ways to use graphic organisers include: Depicting narrative in comic strip form with thought and speech bubbles Using maps or webs to show relationships such as compare/contrast, detail/main idea Having students develop timelines and plans of what they need to do in order to complete a large homework assignment Providing information about a text, new concept or an assignment in a simple, logical manner with supporting visuals (flow charts, diagrams, illustrations and photographs), Implications for Educational Practice

Conclusions of the Study This study suggests that levels of engagement and memory of students with AS can be influenced by the use of graphic organisers. Further research could illustrate how other teaching strategies create meaningful learning experiences for students with AS, taking into consideration other factors that impact on learning difficulties, such as the social environment of the classroom, the level of interest the student has in the topic content or student literacy levels. Recommendations If this study were to be replicated, I would recommend a revision of the measures used to gauge levels of engagement, have a second researcher to help eliminate researcher bias, and use another means of assessing levels of recall memory such as written sentence form or the use of computers to demonstrate understanding of content. Conclusions and Recommendations

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Amanda (Early Childhood Teacher) Did either of the students have any another learning difficulties? Keryn (Primary School Teacher) Did either student have the assistance of a teaching aid? Jenna (Occupational Therapist) You said graphic organisers were just one of the ways to engage students with Asperger’s Syndrome. What are other ways? Keryn Sometimes it is difficult to always be observing every students behaviour if other behaviour problems are occurring in the classroom. Did behaviour management interrupt or interfere with observations or research? Questions