Strategies to Address Learning Styles of College Students on the Autism Spectrum 9 th Annual Faculty Institute May 18,

1. Strategies to Address Learning Styles of College Students on the Autism Spectrum9th Annual Faculty InstituteMay 18, 2010 • Presenters: Carol Alpern, Fran Dreyfus, Karla Jay, Agniezka Markiewicz, Joan Myers

2. The BOSS Program (Building on Special Strengths)Pace University- NYC Campus

3. Introduction: • The mission of the BOSS Program at Pace University is to provide skills and support services to students with ASD so that they are able to successfully negotiate the academic demands and social experience of college life.

4. Academic support for college courses • Social support to integrate into campus life • Job experiences : Program Highlights

5. Academic tutoring including regular communication with professors Testing accommodations Time management support to address both academic needs and social experiences Campus and residential life support Speech and language therapy to develop and practice skills of social communication Interpersonal Relations Group and Psychological counseling on a 1:1 basis (as needed) Group social activities Job internships Services:

6. Important features of the BOSS Program • Special admission process and criteria • Matriculation in a Bachelor or Associate Degree program • Residential or commuter students accepted • Multi-disciplinary coordination to ensure student success

7. Characteristics of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) • Social Skills • Stereotypic behavior • Emotional behavior • Language • Processing of information

8. Learning Styles of Students with ASD Visual and auditory processing skills Concrete conceptual skills Memory Organizational skills Time management skills Sensory issues Concentration

9. Working with students with ASD • Use multi-sensory representation • Graphic organizers • Audio and visual presentation of information • Visual representation of concepts • Provide explicit written and verbal instructions • Clear statements • Assignment chunked and explained in sequential order • Limit print on page • Due dates explicit • Provide estimated timeline to complete multi-part assignments

10. continued • Emphasize text to text relationships, text to self relationships (i.e. Relate assigned blackboard readings to the text book, relate course readings to the individual’s life and current times) • Use visualization techniques (i.e. have student visualize historical event, person, actions), discuss it, and write about it • Employ group work, peer mentoring, tutoring • Limit and/or clearly explain (orally and in writing) changes in routines, readings, assignments, or projects

11. COMMUNINCATION CHALLENGES IN THE CLASSROOM

12. Students may appear: • Rude • Uninterested • Disorganized

13. Rude behaviors might include: • Blunt comments • Talking too much/ long monologues • Talking about only topics of interest to them • Interrupting others • Inappropriate language style when speaking to professors

14. Uninterested behaviors might include: • Poor eye contact • Little or no class participation • Inappropriate body language • Not asking questions when they don’t understand assignments

15. Disorganized behaviors may include: • Off-topic comments • Excessive questioning • Completing assignments incorrectly

16. Underlying Core Deficits in Autism • Inability to keep listener’s perspective in mind • Inability to read non-verbal cues • Difficulty with non-literal language • Weak auditory processing ability

17. Strategies: • Speak to student privately • Assign a classroom peer mentor • Use some agreed upon non-verbal signal as a cue • Rephrase directions using concrete language • Consult with BOSS team contact

18. The BOSS Program at Pace University For further information, please contact Dr. Dianne Zager Michael C. Koffler Professor in Autism and Director of the Center for Teaching and Research in Autism at Pace Univsitydzager@ pace.edu or 212-346-1885