Education & learners on the autism spectrum: learning from the past & building for the future

1. Education & learners on the autism spectrum: learning from the past & building for the future Professor Rita Jordan Autism Centre for Education & Research University of Birmingham Autism Cymru: 3rd International Autism Conference: Developments in Autistic Spectrum Disorders – Past, Present and Future: Cardif 2008

2. What’s Special about ASD? • need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively or through social tutoring • identity of self/ other • saliency of social signals • agency and intention • relevance and priority • social/cultural meaning • nature of communication • emotional consciousness

3. Total Exclusion • with sld most excluded from education until 1971 - no provision until 7 • Oswin (1971) the Empty Hours • Tizard: Brooklands Experiment - added value of film over statistics on socialisation & adaptive functioning Sometimes we do not need research as much as humanity

4. The Growth of Education for ASD • 1st specialist school 1962 in UK (possibly earlier in Denmark) • most specialist provision on parent initiative as result of dissatisfaction with existing services • initially differentiation from more generic SEN • gradually more the result of failure/ dissatisfaction with, or exclusion from, mainstream

5. Teaching Approaches/ Interventions • started with ABA as for sld • little long-term benefit until Young Autism Project (Lovaas, 1989) • crucial variable? • nature of programme - drills? • intensity & duration? • age and intellect? • inclusion?

6. Specialist Approaches • Montessori -> structured teaching • based on research for rationale • parents as co-therapists • visual & explicit vs. social & linguistic • compensatory & remedial • social & communicative understanding • timing • attention grabbing

7. Conceptualisation • medical classification • category vs.. dimension • pathology vs. difference • DSM V • undiagnosed females? • cultural issues • ‘stretching’ of category • ‘triad of impairments / differences’ • back to dyad or even single area • different triad -soc/commun; play; rigidity • groups from ‘overlaps’ with other conditions? • SPD/ NVL/ SreceptLI

8. Voice of individual • in educational research in general • authors, speakers, blogs • as part of National Curriculum in Citizenship • NICCY research • youths with Asperger’s syndrome & families 11-16 year olds • short term breaks

9. Diagnosis & Screening • possible screens • parental /staff feedback valid • ‘diagnosis’ from 1 year? • CAST - primary AS • gold standard (e.g. SIGN guidelines) - ADI-R/ ADOS-G. DISCO wider • medical screens as necessary • diagnosis in adults • Royal Society training for psychiatrists

10. Possible scenarios from neuroscience • identify subgroups on basis of neurological patterns • proper scientific study to determine environmental/ dietary effects on neural and behavioural functioning • genes for cognitive style identified but not for disorder or pathology

11. Social categorisation • subtypes - valid • variation with time/ training/ mental health • basis for style of teaching: • withdrawn - didactic 1:1 & desensitisation • passive - interests, engaging, motivation, structure • active but odd - rules & structure, self control • eccentric - mentor & buddy

12. Mental Health Issues • more prevention/ resilience • e.g. FRIENDS for 9-10 year olds • training of adult psychiatrists in ASD • treating anxiety as well as ASD • CBT • more accessible forms • e.g. Homunculi programme

13. More ICT • virtual/ augmentative realities as tools • extension of AutismPro (or webautism?) for all • gadgets for: • passage of time • location • prompting • social networking for development, fun • support for staff/ those with ASD • aiding school subject/ adult job/ leisure activities

14. Training of Professionals • European standards for Masters programmes • recommendations from review reports everywhere • increase in programmes for training including web-based ones

15. Understanding • increasing ‘bottom-up’ understanding to inform teaching & learning situation • attention • time • memory • concept formation • emotion • commitment

16. Single enables staff expertise better monitoring & easier evaluation builds staff & parent confidence enables positive views Eclectic can match to goal all needs can be addressed needs compatibility checks & child perspective take strengths from each Single vs Eclectic Curricula

17. Evidence • no single approach • evidence for: • structure • behavioural methods • training parents in social interaction & communication techniques • in all studies some do well and some do not • in all studies children tend to learn only what are explicitly taught

18. Building on specific approaches • choose on basis of principles - not chance • understand the principles of each approach adopted • individualise • take perspective of individual and examine interaction - i.e. the effect of the whole • use professional judgment • treat each situation as a single study to assess

19. Conclusion • no ‘autism’ curriculum or single approach • needs to fit: • individual • family • practitioner • context • current goals • prognosis

20. Re-examine old issues in a new light Could we research: • effects of parental styles without parent-blaming? • effects of culture on conceptualisation & treatment without bias? • helpful staff characteristics without being discriminatory? • effects of diets while still supporting science? • issues round the MMR debate (e.g. fever treatment) without claiming that MMR causes autism?