Teaching+Strategies

__ Strategies for Asperger Syndrome  __

**__PECS__** **__Program:__** PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) focuses on **social and behavioural skills** through the use of picture symbols. It mainly benefits those who find speech hard or are unable to speak. One caution in using this system is to make sure that the child does not depend on picture symbols to replace speech. When used appropriately, though, PECS helps children with AS to say single words on the cards and later to expand to a wider vocabulary. It also can minimize the number of tantrums if the student is able to express themselves effectively. An example of this is David, a 7 year old boy with AS. He was unable to ask to go to the toilet, and therefore wet himself on numerous occasions at the local After School Club. Through collaboration, his mother and the club leaders decided on an effective solution for David. A little container on the wall was put up, which held pictures of toilets. When any child needed to go to the bathroom, they would pick up a piece of paper and take it to the adult worker. David was able to succeed when he could use pictures to communicate. The use of visual photos can be used in other aspects, including understanding [|emotion] and the thoughts and perceptions of other people. You may want to take photos of family members and close friends making a variety of facial expressions. The student who has AS can then arrange the expressions in categories and degrees of emotion. Another social strategy to help students with AS is color coding. Students can sometimes use colors to portray emotions, indicate different areas of the classroom and different activities. For example, the blue shelf may be where math equipment is kept and the red shelf where language materials are.

The SPELL acronym stands for **S**tructure, **P**ositive (approaches and expectations), **E**mpathy, **L**ow Arousal and **L**inks. This framework is designed to help people adapt to children who have Asperger Syndrome. At the same time it helps those with AS to communicate more effectively and cope with their exceptionality. It emphasizes the need to organize and plan based on the unique needs of the individual while building upon their strengths. By providing predictable, accessible and safe classroom //structures//, students will be more independent. As an educator you need to provide exactly what is going to happen and explain specifically what the individual needs to do. For example, giving the direction to open a math book to a certain page is not good enough. You must also verbally communicate that they also need to begin solving the specific problems on that page. In regards to //positive approaches and expectations//, the student needs to be challenged based upon realistic goals after careful assessment. During assessment, you need to consider their strengths and needs, their level of functioning and the amount of support they will require.
 * __The Spell Framework:__**

As an educator, it is essential to understand where the child with AS is coming from (//empathy//). This includes trying to understand what motivates, interests, frightens, and distresses them etc. By doing this, you are able to create a positive relationship with the individual and reduce anxiety on their behalf. An example, specifically for middle and high school students, is to allow them to leave 5 minutes early from class. This can minimize the craziness that students encounter in transitions between classes, which is often overwhelming.

//Low arousal// is specifically geared towards the learning environment, which needs to be calm and ordered so the child with AS is able to concentrate. A good learning environment would be one where the child has additional time to process information, removing excess noise, color, odour, lighting, and giving advanced warning about change in the schedule. Finally, in the links portion, it is believed that //links// to other people are essential. This means that everyone needs to be communicating, whether it is parents, teachers, principals, therapists etc. Usually, this is an extension beyond the IPP of the student. As an educator, it may be beneficial to teach the other children in an inclusive setting what it would be like to have AS. Then they can better understand that they need to be quiet during instructions etc., so the student with AS is less distracted.

** __TEACCH Program__ ** The TEACCH acronym stands for **T**reatment and **E**ducation of **A**utistic and related **C**ommunication-**H**andicapped **C**hildren program. The [|TEACCH strategy] was created as a means of helping students with AS or other forms of autism develop the skills they require to be autonomous in society. It is a form of scaffolding in which the degree of environmental modification will be steadily changed over time. There are four main elements of TEACCH: physical structure, schedule, work systems, and visual clarity. Physical structure refers to the way in which the environment is organized. Usually, for a student with AS, it is useful if the physical environment is uncluttered, free of distractions, and easy to manoeuvre. For example, a teacher could divide the classroom into different learning areas with visual boundaries. This makes the classroom itself easy to understand for the student and they will know what they are supposed to do at each area. In terms of a classroom schedule, it must be clear and easy to follow. Because students with AS are usually quite visual, it can be useful to use objects, photos, pictures, and numbers to help the student understand the sequence of events. The element of work system refers to expectations for the student. Through work systems, the student will understand how much work he is expected do, what work is involved, when they will be finished and what will happen after they have finished. Finally, visual clarity refers to making all concepts clear through visual reinforcements. All tasks that the student is expected to complete are presented visually so as to help the student understand the expectations and be able to highlight the important information. Visual clarity gives any concept an extra layer of structure and predictability for students with AS. It enables them to become more motivated and further understand what they are doing. The TEACCH program is very effective in addressing the individual needs of students with AS. Because it involves only simple adaptations, it is easy to implement into a classroom. The TEACCH program is also beneficial because it does not adversely affect the other students in the classroom. Making the physical environment distraction free and creating visual boundaries will actually increase consistency in the classroom and will help all students understand classroom routines. The final three elements of the TEACCH strategy are geared primarily towards the student with AS only and will not adversely affect the other students.

The [|Wings Mentorship Program]is designed to provide additional support to exceptional students. It was created in 1989 with the intention of improving students’ self-concept, positively changing others’ perceptions of them, and promoting overall motivation in the classroom. Most students with AS have a very good memory and know a lot of information about the subjects they are most interested in. Wings focuses on this topic of interest and develops it into a learning tool. Each student with AS is given a mentor for a period of eight weeks. Each week, the student will meet with their mentor and study the topic of interest. The mentor is there primarily as a source to help the students pursue their topic of interest. Together, the student and mentor create a project or a presentation on the topic and after eight weeks they will present it to the class. This project is a source of extreme pride for the student and allows them to show their peers and parents about what they are interested in. The Wing’s Mentorship Program provides an alternative learning environment for the student which is exactly what students with AS need. It is accommodating to the interests of the student and allows them to learn about something that is important to them, giving them more motivation to perform well. It focuses on the student’s strengths rather than their weaknesses, thus encouraging the student. It is designed to increase self esteem and to provide hands-on success oriented activities. As well, by allowing the student to present his/her project to the class, this program is developing the student’s ability to communicate with others. It will provide the student with a chance to socialize with other students his/her age and feel included. The other students in the class will benefit from the experience as well as they are able to find common ground with the student with AS. They see the student from a different perspective and can validate his/her success. They will begin to understand where that student comes from and will earn more respect for the exceptionality and what that student goes through. This program is free and requires little resources. However, mentors with special education training would be necessary and may be hard to find.
 * __ Wings Mentorship Program __**

Information on the Defination and Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. Information on Educational Implications of Asperger Syndrome. Complete Bibliography of resources.