Melissa Trautman, M.S. Ed. Southeast ASD Regional Coordinator

 Impairments in social interactions  Restricted interests/patterns of behavior  Persistent, preoccupation with special topics/interests  Interferes with learning & social interests  No significant delay in early language and cognition  Exclusion of autism first

 IQ  Grammar and vocabulary  Rote memory  Absorbs facts easily  Interests in social world  Special talents

 Social Understanding/Social Info. Processing Peer Interactions Interactions with Teachers/Adults  Language Use & Comprehension  Sensory/Motor  Academic  Problem Solving  Flexibility  Emotional Regulation Diane Adreon and Dena Gitilitz, 2002

Students may experience difficulty in:  Attending to relevant stimuli  Following auditory instructions  Understanding what to do & how to do it  Generalizing knowledge  Applying knowledge  Planning  Organization

 What are your student’s strengths?  What are your student’s areas of growth?  What does your student like to do/areas of interest?

 Spend time doing activities the child likes  Show interest in their life and activities  Find reinforcement that the student likes

 Use a calm voice when speaking  Give facts in an unemotional tone of voice  Express information in a logical sequence  Control your emotions!

 Be specific with your praise  Compliment attempts and successes  Praise helps foster understanding about events (i.e. studying for a test, grades)

 Reduce uncertainty to help with anxiety  Check in on a regular basis and provide reassurance  Break down tasks into smaller steps

 Priming is a strategy where adults help students know of what is coming up ahead of time.  Priming can be used for  Academics  Daily schedule  Substitutes  Behavioral expectations  Social situations

 Listen to the student – interpret what they are saying  “I can’t do it” may mean….  I can’t find my book  I don’t understand the directions  I have to go to the bathroom now and I can’t do my assignment until I go.  I can’t concentrate because I am upset that I lost my favorite toy.

 Have difficulty understanding metaphors, idioms, sarcasm  “Say what you mean and mean what you say!”  Use specific directions

 Developed by Richard Lavoie  Supportive and constructive problem solving strategy  Analyze the problem with an adult  Helps see the cause and effect relationship of his or her behavior and others

“The hidden curriculum refers to the set of rules or guidelines that are often not directly taught but are assumed to be known (Garrnett, 1984; Hemmings, 2000; Jackson, 1968; Kanpol, 1989)…. The hidden curriculum contains items that impact social interactions, school performance, and sometimes safety.” Myles, 2004

If you find yourself saying things like:  I shouldn’t have to tell you, but…  It should be obvious that…  Everyone knows that…  Common sense tells us… You probably are dealing with a hidden curriculum item. Myles, 2004

January 3, 2007 Adults do not like it when kids point out the things they are doing wrong (even if they are). It is not your responsibility to teach grownups how to do things. It’s better just to keep quiet. The exception is an emergency.

 Daily Schedules  Calendars  Class routines  Checklists  Change cards  Cue Cards

A choice or B choice? Is it worth getting mad about? Remember: I can choose to remain calm. I can choose ways to calm myself down. When given a direction you need to… Say “OK” Start right away Do it in the right amount of time Do it correctly

 Students with Asperger Syndrome typically CAN NOT be flexible  Teach flexibility – use change cards

“Twice as much time, half as much done” class work getting materials transitions organization

 Be aware of any sensory issues (lights, noises, etc.)  Problem-solve with your student when incidents occur  Read your student’s frustration level

 Antiseptic bouncing  Defusing through humor  Support Routines  Providing praise and empathy  Redirecting to a high interest area  Walk and don’t talk  Compromise

 Protect the student  Protect the environment  Protect others  DO NOT Discipline or try to teach the individual during this stage  Remove the audience  Be non-confrontational  Control your own emotions - disengage

Determine what the individual needs of the child are and consider the following options:  Redirect to a successful activity  Provide space  Ensure that interventions are presented at the child’s functioning level  Check to see if the child is ready to learn  Do not make excessive demands  Support with structure  Consider the child to be fragile  Plan instructional interventions to prevent rage cycle

 Time spent at home base may be used to complete work brought from the stressful environment. Home base is not intended as an escape from work or responsibilities. Rather it is a place that reduces the environmental demands placed on the individual and/or decreases his internal stress so he is able to complete his work.  Home base may be included in the daily schedule as a proactive strategy. An individual may go to home base at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, or as planned or needed throughout the day or activity.

 It is important that everyone involved views home base as a support and not as a punishment. Ideally, home base is used proactively. However, it can serve as a safe place to recover from a meltdown. Regardless, home base is not the same as a time-out and so the same space should not be used for both purposes. For example, if a child is sent to his room for time-out, a different location should be identified for home base.

 To-do list  Timeline  Project Planner  Color coded folders Matched with color-coded books Pens/pencils in each  Multi-compartment back-pack  Two back-packs if on block schedule