Educating Students with Special Needs

1. Educating Students with Special Needs Lecture 8 Common Disorders, Classroom Strategies and Associated Behaviour Problems Part 1 November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 1 1

2. Overview – Focus: Common Disorders, Classroom Strategies and Associated Behaviour Problems Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Learning implications Strategies for the classroom Mental Health: Attachment Disorder Depression Anxiety Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Eating Disorder November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 2 2

3. Autism Spectrum Disorders 3

4. To those of you who feel that you don’t belong. Always remember that different is cool! Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome A User Guide to Adolescence ...........Luke Jackson 2002 4

5. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? • A neurodevelopmental disability- a dysfunction in parts of the brain and central nervous system • Begins in early childhood (onset before 36 months) • It is characterised by a Triad of Impairments. 5

6. Triad of Impairment Impairment of social skills Communication impairment Limited repertoire of play, interests and hobbies 6

7. Wing in 1991 observed......... “A child with autism lives in a world of his own while the child with Asperger’s lives in our world but in their own way”. Autism is a life long developmental disability. Their condition will affect them in their own way. 7

8. Plus Sensory Issues 8

9. Plus Sensory issues “We tend to view things differently” Wendy Lawson 9

10. Tony Attwood: Children and adults with Asperger's Syndrome often describe feeling a sensation of sensory overload.” The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome ... P 272 10

11. Plus Sensory Issues • Differences in the way their senses work • Each person experiences sensory issues differently and will respond differently • Tolerance levels are affected by the student’s well-being-are they tired, ill, run down, worried or stressed? 11

12. Plus Sensory Issues • Sight • Hearing • Touch • Smell • Taste • Vestibular (balance) • Proprioception (body awareness) • All information travels to the brain where it gets processed for meaning. • This is the process that works differently for those students with Autism. 12

13. “ Sometimes when other kids spoke to me I would scarcely hear, then sometimes they sounded like bullets.” (White) “Light touch feels like a cattle prod” (Grandin) 13

14. Plus Sensory Issues • Senses can function in two ways: Hypersensitive- (the senses work too well) Behaviours you may observe are: • Rocking These can cause sensations • Swinging which help the brain block out • Hitting ears something that cannot be • Pressing their eyes tolerated. • Twisting • Flapping • Spinning 14

15. Plus Sensory Issues • Hyposensitive-(the senses do not work well enough) Behaviours you may observe are: • Bang objects or doors These can cause • Seek out noises sensations which will • Prefer tight clothing help the brain get • Self injure more information in from outside. 15

16. Diagnosis of ASD 16

17. Diagnosis of ASD • Cannot be tested medically • Involves paediatrician, psychiatrist, neurologist Clinical Pyschologist and family • DSM-IV is currently the most reliable diagnostic tool to measure ASD • Often difficult if there is an existing intellectual impairment 17

18. SPECTRUM? The name used to cover autism and related conditions is Pervasive Developmental Disorder Autism Asperger's Syndrome Pervasive Developmental Disability-Not Otherwise Specified Rett’s Syndrome Childhood Disintegrative Disorder 18

19. What causes Autism No single event or agent-idiopathic One thought.......... Environmental factors working in conjunction with genetic factors. 19

20. Fact or Fiction? Childhood vaccines are one of the causes of Autism? Research has revealed distinct abnormalities in the brain 20

21. CHARACTERISTICS 21

22. Characteristics that may be observed in a school setting • Lack of empathy • Difficulty forming friendships • Perfectionism • Echolalia in speech • Poor non verbal communication • Fixation on interests • Poor coordination November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 22 22

23. Autism con’t Characteristics that may be observed in a school setting • Sensory difficulties • Anxiety • Unusual facial tics • Flapping and rocking • Unusual tone of voice • Lack of imaginative play • Literal • Dislikes changes in routines 23

24. Theory of Mind Theory of mind is the capacity we have to understand mental states such as believes, feelings, desires, hopes and intentions. It is the way we imagine other people’s feelings or thoughts. We can predict some of those behaviours and anticipate them and react accordingly. 24

25. Executive Functioning Higher level functions of the brain that allows students to start tasks, plan, organise information and remember what they learn. 25

26. In The Classroom 26

27. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom Learning Implications: • Students with an ASD exhibit a range of intellectual abilities • Students with Autism always have a language disorder - Students with Asperger's Syndrome have impaired social skills but average ability. November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 27 27

28. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Classroom • Difficulty with: • chalk & talk lessons • attention; gaining, sustaining and shifting • transition between activities • generalisation • gross and fine motor skills • receptive language 28

29. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom and beyond......... Strategies for the Classroom • Visual timetables & visual cues • Warn the student of any changes in routines • Be aware of group situations and sporting events • Writing tasks can be difficult November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 29 29

30. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom and beyond........ • Be aware of sensory likes and dislikes e.g. videos, music, visual stimuli, noise • Social stories • Allow practice with Social Skills in groups • Provide order and consistency • Limit the access of their special interests 30

31. Sample Social Story I am afraid to try playing kickball in the playground, but it looks like fun. I will talk to my teacher or my friend. I will chew some gum to calm down (or other calming activity suitable for the child) while watching others play it, and then I will join in and play. I can ask questions about the game. I try playing the game and I like it. Others ask me to play next time, so I feel like I’m part of the group. . 31

32. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom and beyond........ Strategies for the agitated student: • Follow their plan • Give them space • Change the activity • Decrease the stressors • Use relaxation techniques • Explain the rule: tell them what to do now November 12 Educating Students with Special Needs 32 32

33. Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom and Beyond.......... Communication Strategies: • Avoid repeating instructions • Allow processing and response time • Check for understanding • Do not use sarcasm • Teach a stock phrase when a student has not understood • Use visuals 33

34. Mental Health issues in the Classroom 34

35. Content: • Attachment Disorder • Anxiety • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 35

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37. “Why did I choose the profession? Why am I here? Simply put, I’m here to make a difference.” Tommy Lindsey, educator and author of It Doesn’t Take a Genius 37

38. Attachment Disorder Bowlby the original developer of Attachment Disorder Latest research has led to a resurgence in popularity Dr. Dan Hughes maintains: Children learn how to feel safe in relationships and how to relate to others and to rely on others through their early relationships with the carer. The ability to control mood and feelings is established in the first few years. The child learns about themselves with the help of the carer. 38

39. Attachment Disorder With fractured attachment comes the inability to deal with the world appropriately. 39

40. Attachment Disorder in the classroom The student may: • have an excessive need to control • display oppositional defiant behaviours • display intense negative affects – rage, terror, despair • hurt others and themselves – emotional & physical • have a poor response to discipline – frustration • lie, make excuses or blame • be destructive, steal, hoard • be manipulative and dissociate their behaviour • Avoid specific thoughts/feelings/behaviours 40

41. Attachment Disorder-Do’s and Don'ts for the classroom Do’s: • Give them structure which is constant and repetitive so they know what to expect • Let them know in advance what the consequences of their actions will be so they can see it as their choice • Impose consequences unemotionally 41

42. Attachment Disorder-Do’s and Don'ts for the classroom Don’ts: • Don’t expect them to believe what you believe • Don't expect these children to respond to behaviour management strategies based on your belief system • Don’t use shame or rejection as a management technique. 42

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44. Generalised Anxiety Disorder • About 13% if young people experience an anxiety disorder at some point during childhood or adolescence. Up to one-half of these children may have at least one additional mental disorder 44

45. Generalised Anxiety Disorder • Students with GAD have persistent and unrealistic fears about everyday life activities. • They may appear to be doing well at school but they may have exaggerated concerns about schoolwork. • This leads to constant tension, self consciousness and pains (e.g. headaches) that do not seem to have a physical cause. 45

46. Behaviours and Symptoms to look for with GAD: • They are often the quietest and best behaved children. • Express apprehension about tests, assignments and grades • Feel fatigued or restless • Have trouble concentrating 46

47. Behaviours and Symptoms to look for: • Be overly emotional • Experience stomach aches, headaches and pains • Avoid participating in school activities • Be absent frequently 47

48. Classrooms Strategies and Interventions... • Give lots of reassurance and genuine, specific praise • Carefully monitor students • Empathise with a student’s anxiety • Establish routines and clarify expectations • Allow for flexibility in workload 48

49. Establish curricula check-in points • Modify instruction for diverse learning styles • Establish provisions for times when students feel overwhelmed • Speak with the school counsellor, parents and outside professionals working with the child 49

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