Case Study: Supporting Students with an Autistics Spectrum Disorder

Doaa Faisal Almuaigel ,Mohammed F Almuaigel

doi:10.7176/jep/10-5-06

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. there is increasing concern about how to teach and support students with autism in the school environment and how to meet the best of their needs. Teachers are required to demonstrate programming and planning that accommodates all learners. The aim of this case report is to demonstrate how to cater to the teaching and learning needs of a young student with autism in a mainstream school.The Method of this case study is a 6 years old boy were three strategies used for 1 year; (1) Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program, (2) Antecedent Strategies in the Classroom (ASC) , and (3) visual cues program (VCP). The Results as the following; (A)TEACCH: Increasing Ahmad’s participation in class activities has the added benefit of increasing his social acceptance amongst his peers and improving his overall social skills. (B) ASC: Ahmad begin to spend more time sitting on the mat and participating in activities, rather than actively walking around the classroom and being disruptive. (C) VCP: Assist Ahmad to develop his play skills and improves his friendships thereby facilitating social inclusion in the school environment. (D) (Collaboration and Partnerships: The role of the teacher needs to be as an equal as partner with Ahmad’s parents, not professional as expert, in order to facilitate a successful partnership. As a Conclusion; Effective collaboration amongst key stakeholders is important in addressing the difficulties experienced by students with ASD in order to support and improve their participation and engagement within the school environment and also within the wider community. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, supporting students, programs, strategies, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children, Antecedent Strategies in the Classroom, visual cues program. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-5-06

Highlights

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (Lord, C 2012)
Teachers play a pivotal role in the education of students with ASD
An awareness and understanding of ASD is essential to planning and delivering lessons that meet the needs of the student population

Summary

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (Lord, C 2012). Dimensions of Autism Teaching strategies that catering to the needs of students must start with knowledge of ASD and the different dimensions: social, communication, cognitive, sensory, and the repetitive and restrictive behaviors (Attwood, 2008) These dimensions are important because they affect the whole child and focusing on one dimension, such as communication, will inevitably be impacted by the other dimensions. Other characteristics include: echolalia, lacking skills to sustain communication, unusual voice quality, rhythm and pitch, and disordered sentence structure (National Autism Center, 2011) The implications of these characteristics are that the child with autism has difficulty following instructions and communicating their needs and wants; they may engage in undesirable behavior in the classroom or in other settings; and they may experience reduced engagement within the wider community (Bondy & Frost, 2002) and within their families (Donnelly, 2008). Each piece of research is analyzed and examined in relation to addressing Ahmad’s communication difficulties

Plan for generalisation

Conclusion