EDST2000_ TASK 1

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Macquarie University *

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2000

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Psychology

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Feb 20, 2024

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pdf

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Uploaded by EarlHawk809

Context: Shelly is a ten-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) since he was three and attends year 6 in a regular primary school. ASD is a developmental condition that primarily impacts people's socialization and communication skills. Despite being intelligent and excelling in math and science, Shelly struggles with social relationships, changes/ disturbances to his routine, and communication with others. He needs a well-defined plan and becomes agitated when things shift or don't go as expected. (Lindsay, 2014). Shelly can become overwhelmed and irritated in loud surroundings, if he doesn't understand instructions or what's being required within the task. ASD can also be characterized by repetitive behaviors and unique interests. Specific interests and repeated behaviors are frequent among people with ASD. Lindsay et al., (2014). Repetitive behaviors might be vocal, physical, or focused on an interest. Shelly's repetitive behaviors are motivated by his interests however has learned to disguise them, but they can still be a challenge. (Vivanti, 2020). Shelly has a median intelligence, he engages in 'higher order' interest-based repetitive behaviors, such as math or science. (Vivanti, 2020), however he may still need additional support in certain areas. Since Shelly’s intent on learning things he's only interested in, it leads to issues regarding him not enjoying writing or reading as they don't employ any component of visuals. Research has shown that one-third of children with autism are informally excluded within schools, Brede J ect (2017). Like many children with ASD Shelly frequently remains by himself in class because he lacks the self-assurance and interpersonal skills to interact with his classmates. Since Shelly struggles to communicate his needs and emotions it leads to difficulty with social interactions as a result, he often isolates himself in class and struggles to develop social skills needed to make and maintain friendships.

Strategies: Recent literature has focused on inclusive teaching strategies for students with autism, and one Key strategy is Universal Design For Learning (UDL). Denning and Moody (2013) highlights that implementing UDL within the classroom can help with designing learning environments and materials to meet the needs of diverse learners; this can be done through the use of technology to support learning where technology can provide a more engaging and interactive learning experience for Shelly as well as offer opportunities for customization and individualization through the use of visual timers, interactive whiteboards, and computer-based instruction to support learning for all children. This can help benefit and improve Shellys learning within the classroom as he will be able to have new approaches to discussing topics, Denning and Moody (2013) Shelly requires clear instructions to know what is anticipated of him because he finds comfort in routine, so those instructions must be given repeatedly. Teachers therefore have to clarify to him the plan for each day. Lindsay 2014 found that each class, could begin with teachers writing a schedule on the board so that he and the other students could see what needed to be prioritized, Lindsay 2014). With this approach, he will be less likely to encounter surprises and won't have to question the teacher or feel overwhelmed, as speaking with teachers can be very stressful. Teachers should inform Shelly of any upcoming changes and explain them to him because he gets anxious when things change from the routine as a way to lessen his anxiety. Visual support is another critical strategy that can benefit Shelly and other students in the class. Visuals provide structure and regularity to the classroom; for instance, providing pictures, diagrams, and videos within class can help assist students with ASD in understanding the content (Hu, x, 2021). The class better grasp the order of activities throughout the day, thus improving the interest and comprehension within students as Information is presented in several ways to promote student learning better efficiently (Denning & Moody, 2013) found that individuals with ASD have a strong preference for visual Information this means Shelly may have better memory for visual information than for verbal Information this can help enhance his behavior and academic performance as his got new ways to learn.

A crucial strategy to alleviate Shelly's sensitivity to noise is to offer sensory support. Demopoulos et al. (2021) highlights that creating sensory-friendly strategies can improve the academic performance and behavior of students with autism. This can be done by incorporating sensory exercises into lesson plans, providing noise-cancelling headphones, sensory corners, and fidget toys. Since Shelly can become fixated on environmental stimuli, offering a visually secluded area with minimal wall decorations could be beneficial to minimize distractions and maintain engagement. This approach can benefit all students within the class as well, as it can serve as a retreat for them to decompress and alleviate stress while increasing engagement within students, Lane et al. (2020). It is vital to provide Shelly with breaks to focus as Laurence Hasson (2022) found that Sensory breaks can provide a temporary relief from sensory overload and promote self-regulation. Positive reinforcement is a strategy that involves rewarding desirable behaviour to encourage its repetition in the future. Teachers can use this approach to encourage Shelly and other students in the class to exhibit positive behaviour, such as completing their work or following directions. According to Smith et al. (2020), using positive reinforcement, such as praise and rewards, effectively enhanced students' behaviour with autism. One way to integrate this into the class is by implementing a reward system. For instance, a token economy system could be implemented to reduce problem behaviour and increase positive behaviour in students with autism by awarding tokens for good behaviour, which can be exchanged for rewards. Pairing Shelly with peers that have the same interest and likes as him can help him develop social skills and confidence while making him feel included. Studies have shown that using pairing stages increases ASD students participating within the classroom as they will feel more social, and do better academically, Anna. C, Jane. O (2022). Participating in groups with others who share the same interest, will help build Shelly’s interpersonal and communication abilities, as Lindsay (2014) highlights that since kids who have ASD frequently have specialized interests, it can be difficult to involve them in other subjects. So pairing Shelly with a peer that shares the same interest such as math or science uses his areas of interest to motivate him to develop his social/ confidence skills.

Peer-mediated interventions (PMI) are another inclusive strategy that can be utilized in the classroom. According to Ezzamel and Bond (2016), PMI can facilitate the development of social abilities and positive behavior for students with ASD through interactions with their peers. In this strategy, desired communicative and social behaviors are encouraged while showing Shelly how to interact with his peers. PMI also increases the duration of interaction with peers, leading to a higher frequency of social initiations. By implementing PMI, Shelly can enhance his ability to build and maintain relationships with his peers, and all students can gain a increased awareness of variety. Collaborative strategies and practices: Collaborating with support staff in schools to promote inclusivity for students with ASD such as Shelly is crucial as he will be able to receive the necessary support needed for his education, Hasson et al. (2022). One strategy that can be employed for Shelly is using Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to guide collaborative efforts. Hasson et al. (2022) suggest that IEPs can be developed collaboratively by parents, teachers, and other support staff to provide a shared understanding of Shelly's needs, strengths, goals, concerns, and progress. This strategy facilitates collaborative decision-making and effective communication which is vital for collaborating with SLSO as Vlcek S. et (2020) found that establishing communication channels between families and teachers helps identify and address challenging behaviors using strategies such as visual supports, social stories, and reinforcement systems helps to promote positive behavior and reduces the need for disciplinary measures. Applied Behavior Analysis ABA, is another practice that uses principles of learning and behavior to teach new skills and improve behavior. Collaborating with school support staff to implement ABA can be effective for improving the behavior and learning of Shelly when he becomes angry, Vlcek, etc (2020). Collaboration between parents and educators is crucial for students' success, and it enables teachers to support the growth of shelly's abilities and frustrations, Schultz et al. (2016). This can be done through encouraging social interactions inside and outside the classroom using easy-to-use contact systems between home and school, or when vital information needs to be shared, through special education teachers and therapists Denning and Moody (2013). This allows for regular updates about Shellys progress, challenges, and successes with socialization. Smith et al. (2019) found

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