Planning and Designing a Curriculum for Students With Different Needs: Case Studies

In the article, “How to Speak Asperger’s,” by Fran Goldfarb and Guthrie Devine, the authors contend that learning to communicate with people with Asperger’s Syndrome is an important skill. The authors introduce the article by providing a narrative about Goldfarb’s son. The point of her narrative is that communication is misunderstood with people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The author, Fran Goldfarb, explains how her son misunderstands communication with his teachers, and how punishment is ineffective, because of his Asperger’s. The authors start by explaining why communication is very complex. To begin with, people with AS struggle with communication, because of their lack of social cues. They tend to miss irony, humor, and they take everything literally. That’s why people with AS don’t understand communication and everything is a struggle for them.

Subtle deficits in problem solving, mental flexibility and decision making are often present. In later stages, the disease spreads to the frontal lobes so that behavioural changes occur, especially changes in emotional responses and empathy.

Much research has supported the fact that there is brain structure differences in individuals diagnosed with FASD (Nunez, el al 2011). Research into the brain of individuals has discovered abnormalities in the volume and thickness of the frontal lobes (Nunez, el al 2011). This results in impairments in attention, working memory, and executive functioning that can be traced back to the frontal lobes (Nunez, el al 2011). In addition researchers have also found smaller volumes of basal ganglia, which is a group of nuclei associated with motor control and learning (Nunez, el al 2011). Furthermore, caudate nucleus, which is inside the basal ganglia has also been found to be smaller in individuals was FASD (Nunez, el al 2011). Caudate nucleus is associated with mental flexibility and behaviour inhibition (Nunez, el al 2011). The hypothalamus, which is most responsible for its link with the nervous system was also found to be smaller in individuals was FASD (Nunez, el al 2011). Moreover, the thalamus was also found to be of smaller volume and is responsible for relaying motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex (Nunez, el al 2011). Luckily studies have also found that the hippocampus, which required for the formation of memories was left relatively normal (Nunez, el al 2011). The most affected area has been pinpointed as being the anterior vermis, located inside the

The symptoms experienced by the patient impair functioning on social and cognitive levels. Due to the severe effects of the illness, it is important to pursue treatment in an attempt to stabilize the patient and to control his

Book review of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks is a book based around neurological disorders, their causes, their treatments and their sufferers. Sacks demonstrates, through a series of anecdotes that we can only really learn about the brain when something is wrong or abnormal with it. In the sections Excesses and Transports Sacks outlines disorders ranging from Tourette’s syndrome, which can be deemed an extroverted disorder with obvious, visible symptoms, to very introverted disorders such as temporal-lobe seizures causing patients vivid hallucinations and flashbacks to childhood. He outlines how these disorders make their sufferers feel and how treatment can affect it in both a good and a bad way.

There is no emphasis or attention given to the development of social and emotional skills. The normal high school environment has a lot of additional stimulation and freedom. Asperger syndrome is a disorder that deals with social skill impairments, routine behaviors, poor motor coordination and academic difficulties (Williams, K., 1995). According to Williams, Children with Asperger syndrome thrive in an environment that is stable, calm, and unsurprising (Williams, K.,1995). High School is full of chaos and noise, adolescents interacting and changing classes. Most of the students have self-awareness the skills needed to function and interact with other children. Children with Asperger need to be aware that they are different and that normal day to day functions for most part for them is different than other children (Henrickx & Biddulph,

disorder. The symptoms due to the brain damage often change over time, sometimes for the

Autism is the second types of brain disease. According to Scheruermann and Webber (2002), autism is a development of disorder that caused by neurological impairment affecting brain chemistry and or brain structure. Even the exact reason of the neurological impairment is not yet known, but it is mostly due to the genetic links. Nevertheless, this symptoms is well-defined, hence essential information for educational treatment been contributed. Understanding based on autistic symptomology is the best way to teach student with autism. Presently, there are three main theories explaining the existence of common symptoms. The first theory is a perceptual/cognitive theory. Autism children may have specific differences in capability of their thinking and the way they receive external input, due to the brain defects. They also have to withdraw, and have a complicated time making sense of or processing, physical phenomena because of they might be stimulated by auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli. A second theory is from a developmental explanation holds that brain defects is the reason individuals with autism difficult to evolve in language, cognition, social, and motor domains. Scheruermann and Webber also stated that, it is estimated that the students need to improve through developmentally sequenced experiences for them to expert the necessary skills just as children without disabilities because they are developmentally delayed. The last theory is the behavioral explanation, holds

The school performance decreased as isolation grew, because of no social communication. With a peer mentor and social engagement, the study shows the academic performance increased (Carbonero, Martin-Anton, Rodriguez-Medina & Overjero 2016).If the peers with ASD was able to interact with others, it picks up their performens. Students with a less severe case of autism are well able to attend college and graduate, with a peer mentor and social interaction these students can be successful in their lives (Kamps, et al., 2015; wang, et al. 2011; Wang, et al.,

To encourage the development of social skills students are encouraged to interact with one another throughout the day in a variety of methods, including partner work, small group activities, and large group activities. These teaching techniques enable autistic children to relate to their peers. As autistic children relate to their peers more they are more accepted and in turn continue to learn and acquire new and improved social skills.

It is possible that brains of HTN patients function differently (a different activity pattern in response to cognitive stimulus is observed) as a result of mechanisms aimed to compensate the condition's negative effects.

Both of these disorders involve a person who has frequent outbreaks of experiencing separation from their body, thoughts, and environment.

According to Lavoie, social skills are more important for teachers to develop than math, reading, or writing. Everyone wants to feel included, appreciated, and loved. By teaching social skills, teachers are helping students with learning disabilities be successful in making and maintain friendships and increase their quality of life. Lavoie has stressed the importance of learning appropriate social skills. School is a job for children. Children spend 1,000 hours in the classroom, the rest of the time is spent at recess, in the hallways, on the bus, or at home. According to Lavoie, researches have linked learning disabilities to school failure and to social isolation or rejection. At the same time, social isolation and rejection is caused by

The high social demands of school often lead to young people with autism experiencing high levels of anxiety or stress and require support to develop emotional management skills. They may possess limited self-awareness and therefore may not be aware of internal feelings or mood states. Understanding self-awareness may require focused teaching. Specialist approach-es to teaching personal understanding of their own condition may be required. Individuals may develop more awareness of their differences within a mainstream peer group. This may be re-flected in difficulties building positive self-esteem. Information gathered from their profile will identify abilities and strengths to be built

Education is the central element in the life of every human being that belongs to a society, since it is through this process that people can live in harmony with their fellow human beings. However, sometimes due to a lack of professional training and information, some students are marginalized by categorizing them as restless or rebellious. Generally, these students confront with behavioral disorders. These children show some particular characteristics that, on many occasions, put their stability into the classroom, that of their classmates and even that of the teacher. The ignorance or lack of