Educational Practices on Acquisition of Living Skills for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders 


 


Generally, in providing a predictable environment and routine is an important component of classroom programming for students on the autism spectrum (Iovannone, Dunlap, Huber, & Kincaid, 2003). Majority of the students on the spectrum can demonstrate severity or stubborn behavior in the classroom setting. Nevertheless, changes in daily activities due to school schedules, staff absences, weather changes, or human error are inevitable.  Along with these unpredictable changes, staff members can find   the importance of introducing autism students to novel settings, materials, peers, and activities throughout the school year to increase exposure to a broad range of learning experiences in school.  The students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find the changes in school environment stressful or confusing.  According to (Schreibman & Whalen, 2000; Flannery & Horner, 1994); that during times of school transition or change, students are more likely to engage in tantrums, aggressive behavior, and refusal this resistance to change may lead to difficulty in acquiring new skills.  Therefore, in order to prepare students for the various changes in the school setting; there must be a standard procedures that can be followed easily by them in times of changes    take place.  The standard procedures are vital and effective tools for the students to be able to cope up successfully with the transitions and the effects associated with them.  (http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=409)


Additionally, the visual support systems teaching them with positive routines are very crucial all throughout the preparation for new events and changes in the school. In this connection, there are several visual strategies that will help the students with autism spectrum disorder to cope up and prepare them effectively and easily with new unpredictable school activities.  Priming is a method of discussing information about the activities that a student has difficulties with. It is important to deal the student with this type of strategy before letting him or she engaged in the challenging situation.  By doing this strategy, a student may anticipate the future events such as a fire drill, substitute teacher, field trip, or rainy-day schedule, so they become more predictable to the students (Schreibman & Whalen, 2000).  In fact, Priming strategy has been used effectively in different academic instructions and social interactions (Harrower & Dunlap, 2001), and has been used successfully in preparing students for   routine novel settings or changes. In this regards, two priming strategies are used in preparing the students for unpredictable changes. One is the social stories modification.  This explains the social concepts and situations through a visual format that helps increase the understanding of students with ASD (Gray, 2000).  These are effective methods in explaining to them what is happening as well as what should be expected in the environmental settings in every new activity. Normally, social stories are based on first person perspective; and it includes illustrations that give a great comprehension element to the ASC person. More often, social stories provide answers to those questions of the students. According to Carol Gray, the originator of Social Stories, by precise story formation, the   staff members can easily assess the comprehension skills of the students.  This is recommended before letting the ASD student’s experienced new activities such as field trip, attending a birthday party, going to a local pond or visiting a gift shop. By reading them the social stories for 3 to 5 days before the final introduction of the new setting as formerly mentioned;    social stories may increase the students’ anticipation and participation of the possible happenings in the new events or locations.  And, it helps a lot in reducing the challenging behaviors of them.


(http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=409)


Secondly, the video priming or video taped instruction has been also proven efficient and effective in teaching new skills to ASD students in preparing themselves for upcoming events (Schreibman & Whalen, 2000).  As a matter of fact, this is the most preferred activity by ASD students.  This strategy permits the ASD students to identify the series of tasks that may cause them anxiety of confusion.  That is the major reason that the staff members go to the location with a video camera to be able to tape a narration about the new location or place together with the proper steps and requirements that must be done by the students in the new activity.  Researchers highly recommended a 1-4 minute length of tape for the ASD students to watch before the event comes Schreibman & Whalen, 2000).  On the other hand, the Change Card is very important for the systematic scheduling of the activities of the autism spectrum students. The change card provides a well arranged schedules of upcoming events that help the students to become cooperative during the transitions of new activities, so as it increases their sense of independence. Visual scheduling must be changed everyday in an effort to teach the ASD individual how to tolerate changes in his or her environment.


(http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=409)


References:


(http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=409)


http://www.aap.org/pressroom/AutismID.pdf



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