View Content #9292
| Contentid | 9292 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Teaching Students with Asperger’s Syndrome |
| Body | Recently several Latinteach listserv users offered advice for teaching students with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Here is one teacher’s advice: Imagine walking into a room with loud music blaring, a strobe light flashing, the hum of the computer amplified 1000 times, the hum of the HVAC system, the hum of the lights, the color of the lights annoying you, voices across the room sounding like they are in your ear, papers rustling, clothes itching you all over all the time, the floor slightly vibrating, too hot or too cold, and someone telling you that you are playing a game, everyone gets the set of rules but you and every time you think you got a rule figured out, it changes. I cannot emphasize how true certain things are: 1) make sure they aren't over stimulated by light, sound, touch. Have some secret sign of communication when they are overwhelmed. You can head off an Aspie meltdown with a secret sign, or a small hand toy they use to stim. 2) make sure they don't have to work with anyone, if they don't want to, but let them decide (eventually you can assign a highly patient and compassionate classmate to be the Aspie's work buddy... explain right out to each one of them that they are paired because they each have special gifts to lend to one another... explain to the Aspie that this work buddy is there to help him/her learn how to socially interact and that they don't have to fear rejection if they make a mistake). 3) People often say that Aspies cannot recognize relationships, but au contraire, they are aces at patterns. 4) Teach Latin in the early stages as patterns and decoding. Aspies can memorize a paradigm like no one's business. Teach Latin like it is a jigsaw puzzle: here are the pieces how do they fit. 5) Inferences in knowledge are VERY different from inferences in social situations. Aspies can draw excellent conclusions based on the facts at hand. 6) Find out what an Aspie's special obsession is. Use it as a way to teach Latin. Like train schedules? Write the schedule up in Roman numerals! 7) As a whole, Aspie boys tend to be less socialized than Aspie girls. Probably because as little children, girls receive more social coaching than boys. Also, Aspie girls’ obsessive interests tend not to be unusual in type of interest, but rather in the level of the obsession. (She REALLY likes horses, and doesn't outgrow the obsession). Aspie boys tend to have unusual interests (trains, schedules, Star Trek...) and an unusual level of interest (obsession). 8) Aspies, when they speak, are very direct and honest. They tend to relate to you as they see the world, and tact is very foreign. They don't understand it. Remember they have no intention to be "mean". 9) The failure to look you in the eye is not shiftiness or disrespect, it is anxiety. Many aren't sure which eye to look at and for how long, and if they should look anywhere else, and when to break the contact, and when not to,...etc. These are all things NTs do naturally, while Aspies must be taught the explicit "rules" of eye contact. 10) You can teach and expect an Aspie to use social graces such as please and thank you. Many are rule oriented and when explained that they all must follow this rule, they do. 11) Expect Aspies to succeed. 12) An Aspie meltdown happens when an Aspie cannot cope with all the stimuli! The more structured your class and predictable in pattern, the easier it will be. Definitely set out a road map or agenda for the day. Pity both the Aspie and the substitute when they must inevitably meet up. 13) Once you can get an Aspie to open up to you, listen carefully... b/c of their literalisms sometimes they are very funny and punny. Many learn to exploit this trait as a form of humor. 14) Aspies, when they do try to interact, are often inappropriate. Be patient and call as little attention to a slip up as possible. McCann, J. Re: [Latinteach] Latin and Autism. The Teaching of the Latin Language listserv (latinteach@nxport.com, 12 Mar 2009). |
| Source | Latinteach |
| Inputdate | 2009-04-03 07:58:02 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2009-04-03 07:58:02 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | 2009-04-06 00:00:00 |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
| Emailed | 1 |
| Isarchived | 1 |
