Literacy Learning Within Autism

1
Literacy Learning Within Autism
Children at the Crossroads Educating All To Move
Forward

• Christie Rihel
• Slippery Rock University

2
The Birth of Autism

• In the 1940s, Leo Kanner first used the word
  autism to describe a group of children who shared
  common characteristics that represented a unique
  condition, different from any other childhood
  condition.

https//www.ocps.net/cs/ese/programs/autism/Pages/
WhatisAutism.aspx
3

• IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Act) defines autism as
• A developmental disability significantly
  affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and
  social interaction , generally evident before age
  3, which adversely affects a childs performance.
  (http//eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/con
  tent_storage_01/0000019b/80/41/85/76.pdf)
• Today autism is referred to as a spectrum
  disorder because its symptoms can occur in
  many forms and varying degrees of
  intensity (Kluth and lastcrazyhorn.files.wordpress
  .com/2008/03/aut Darmody-Latham, 2003).

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Children with Autism experience deficits in

• Communication
• Attention
• Recall memory
• Social skills
• Imaginative play
• Initiating/maintaining eye contact
• Seeking/offering comfort
• 
  (Wagner, 1999)

5
Behavioral characteristics associated with Autism
include

• Unusual preoccupations
• Repetitive use of objects
• Compulsions/rituals
• Unusual sensory interests
• Hand/finger mannerisms
• Self-stimulatory behavior
• Self-injury
• 
  (Wagner, 1999)

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Miscellaneous Characteristics of Autism

• One-fourth to one-third of autistic children also
  suffer from epilepsy.
• 4 out of 5 autistic children are male.
• Girls suffer from more severe characteristics
  than boys.
• Autism does not discriminate across countries,
  race, or socio-economic status.
• 
  (Wagner, 1999)

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What causes Autism?

• Unclear answer
• Originally blamed parents
• cold and mechanical parenting
• refrigerator mothers
• blamed for emotionally damaging healthy children
  (Hanbury, 2005).
• theory proven erroneous
• Focus of current research
• Psychology
• Neurology
• Genetics

http//cherished79.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/new-re
search-tool-can-detect-autism-at-9-months-of-age/
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National Research Councils Recommendations for
Educating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Entry into intervention programs as early as
  possible
• Active engagement in intensive instruction
• Repeated, planned teaching opportunities with
  sufficient individualized attention daily
• Systematically planned, developmentally
  appropriate activities targeting identified
  objectives

• Inclusion of a family component
• Ongoing assessments (direct observations in
  differing contexts, interviews with caregiver) of
  childs progress, with adjustments in
  programming, at least every 3 months
• Specialized instruction in settings that permit
  ongoing interactions with typically developing
  children to the extent that the interactions lead
  to specified educational goals.
• (Prizant et al, 2006)

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Literacy Learning- impacted by Autism in 3 ways

• Impact of condition
• Deficits in attention, communication,
  organization of thoughts, etc.
• Impact of behavior
• Impulsive, disruptive, uncontrollable
• Impact of attitudes
• Limited expectations, exclusion from rich and
  meaningful experiences, misconception of
  abilities (Hanbury, 2005)

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Where to begin when planning literacy education?

• Focus on learner
• Autism is a spectrum disorder
• each childs deficits/abilities will be unique.
• Necessary to understand
• child
• nature of condition
• Consider strengths
• Concrete
• Visual/spatial domains
• Childs needs
• Comfort/environment
• Capacity for material
• Enjoyment/interest
• Be Aware
• implicit emotional reactions/expectations of
  educator

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Aspects of successful literacy teaching

• Lesson Aspects
• Interactive -Practical
• Authentic -Visual
• High-interest
• Allow for creativity
• Presentation of Tasks
• Small steps
• Clear beginning/ending
• Frequent milestones encourage students
  attention/build self-esteem
• Seen as solvable by child

• Materials
• Adapted to meet individuals needs
• Focus child on task
• Eliminate distractions
• Multiple instructional strategies
• Carefully matched to stages of development
• Assessment methods
• Observations
• Interviews
• Test materials
• Checklists

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Past Methods/Models for Teaching Students with
Autism to Read/Write
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Functional Curriculum Model

• Popular in 70s and 80s
• Sight-word recognition
• Little engagement with printed word
• Failure to generalize to non-instructional
  settings (Mirenda, 2003)

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Facilitated Communication(FC)

• Introduced in 90s
• Use of letterboard or keyboard on which messages
  are typed
• facilitator
• Emotional support
• Physical support
• Instructional support
• Bridge to literacy
• -access previously undemonstrated skills
• -develop new skills
• -renewed interest in literacy learning potential

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Two sides of FC

• Controversies
• Is typist or facilitator typing?
• Typist easily influenced by facilitator.

• Positives
• Leads to independent typing
• Speech no longer a prerequisite to literacy

http//archive.seacoastonline.com/2004news/0627200
4/news/23901.htm
What was amazing was that no one had taught me
how to read or spell, but I was able to do
both.It was only after I started typing that the
information was accessible. -Sue Rubin, an
autistic woman who learned to type independently
after using facilitated communication (Mirenda,
2003).
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Current Methods/Models for Teaching Students with
Autism to Read/Write

• It is important to remember that not all methods
  work with all students, all of the time.

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Balanced Approach/Balanced Literacy

• Early literacy learning facilitated by
• Home environments
• Rich in communication
• Support effective/efficient communication skills
• Provide access to print materials
• Model literacy use
• Parental/educator expectations
• Learning environment rich in meaningful
  communication (Mirenda, 2003)

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Visually Cued Instruction

• Use of graphic cues
• Instructional prompt
• aid language comprehension/communication
• Environmental prompt
• aid organizational skills/improve self-management
• Visuospatial symbols provide visible choices
  without requiring linguistic recall
• matches processing style strengths of most
  autistic students
• A number of studies have validated the use of
  visually cued instruction as a catalyst for
  learning, though further research is warranted
  (Quill, 1997).

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TEACCH(Treatment and Education of Autistic and
related Communication handicapped CHildren)

• Whole life approach
• Promotes principles underlying structured
  teaching approach
• Components of Structured Teaching
• Physical organization of classroom
• Schedules
• Work systems
• give clear info to children about what is
  expected of them during task
• Task organization
• instructions for completing task (Hanbury, 2005)

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PECS(Picture Exchange Communication System)

• Focuses on characteristic features of autistic
  learners
• Capitalizes on strengths
• Visual
• Learning systematically
• Accommodates for Language difficulties
• Receiving
• Processing
• Expressing
• 6 Phases of PECS
• Initiating communication
• Expanding use of pictures
• Choosing message in PECS
• Introducing sentence structure in PECS
• Teaching answering simple questions
• Teaching commenting (Hanbury, 2005)

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Interactive Multimedia Strategy

• Students role
• Construct sentences in text by clicking component
  phrases
• Educators role
• Intense, lively interaction via recast
• Advantages
• Receive immediate multi-channel feedback
• Enhances learning/language acquisition
• Improves memory processes
• Avoids excessive processing demands
• Two-thirds of all children made significant gains
  with combined multi-media-recasting strategy
  (Powell, 2000).

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CAI(Computer Aided Instruction)

• Supports language/communication growth
• Educators role
• Use methods that connect with verbal activity
• Recasts
• Questions
• Elaborations
• Promote warm, supporting environment
• Advantages
• Promotes exploration/self-sufficiency with
  computer
• Student control of learning situation
• Immediate multi-channel feedback
• Voice
• Animation
• Video
• Sign language
• Highly motivating/rewarding for child
• Gains in vocabulary, word reading, phonological
  awareness (Heimann et al, 1995)

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Computer Software to Support Students with Autism

• For use with nonverbal students
• All My Words
• Teach Me Phonemics Series
• Support transition from reading pictures to
  reading print
• Picture It
• Slater Software
• PixWriter/PixReader
• Slater Software
• Writing With Symbols 2000
• Mayer Johnson Co.

http//education.gsu.edu/PhysicalDis/strategies/re
ading.html
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Software (contd)

• Support demonstration of phonics knowledge
• Clicker4
• Crick Software, Ltd
• WriteOutloud
• Don Johnston, Inc.
• Writing/Spelling Support
• CoWriter 4000
• AlphaSmart 3000
• Don Johnston, Inc.

http//www.sebastianswan.org.uk/sounds/pro-diary.h
tml
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Other technological resources to promote literacy

• Digital Imaging Technologies
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• www.ofoto.com
• www.flamingtext.com
• Web-based Technologies
• Student Information Searches
• http//askjeeves.com
• www.itools.com
• Webpage Construction
• www.homestead.com
• www.teacherweb.com
• Global Communication/Collaboration
• Worlds Largest Online Classroom
• www.epals.com
• Collabo-write
• http//library.thinkquest.org/2626
• Square of Life project
• www.k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/smallworl
  d_starthere.html (Smolin and Lawless, 2003)

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Pairing Music and Literacy with Autistic Students

• Teach sounds through music/games
• Advantages
• Triggers cognitive functions needed in
  reading/writing
• Stimulates students to think beyond text
• Interactive
• Addresses obstacles
• Motivation
• Attention
• Interest

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Emergent Writing Supports for Students with Autism

• Computer
• Basic writing/publishing program
• Set to all CAPS
• Font size 24
• Manual typewriter
• Magna-Doodle
• Letter stamp with ink pad
• Letter shaped cookie cutters with Play-Doh
• Peel/erase pads
• Small chalkboards with chalk
• Wipe-off boards with markers (Koppenhaver
  Erickson)

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Emergent Reading Supports for Students with Autism

• Books with electronic sound effects
• Newspapers
• Board books
• Wordless picture books
• Comic books
• Childrens magazines
• Homemade picture books (made with Writing With
  Symbols)
• Touch/Feel books
• Books on tape/computer
• Stories with repeated lines ( Koppenhaver
  Erickson)

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Future of Research in teaching autistic students
to read/write

• Visually Cued Instruction
• Computer Aided Instruction
• Literacy and the arts for autistic students
• Best natural emergent literacy learning
  environment/opportunities

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Works Cited

• DiEdwardo, M. P. (2005). Pairing Linguistic and
  Music Intelligences. Kappa Delta Pi Record.
  Spring, 128-130.
• Hanbury, M. (2005). Educating Pupils with
  Autism Spectrum Disorders A Practical Guide.
  Thousand Oaks Paul Chapman Publishing.
• Heimann, M., Nelson, K. E., Tjus, T., Gillberg,
  C. (1995). Increasing Reading and Communication
  Skills in Children with Autism Through an
  Interactive Multimedia Computer Program. Journal
  of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25(5),
  459-480.
• Kluth, P., Darmody-Latham, J. (2003). Beyond
  Sight Words Literacy opportunities for students
  with autism. The Reading Teacher, 56(6),
  532-535.
• Koppenhaver, D. A., Erickson, K. A. Natural
  Emergent Literacy Supports for Preschoolers with
  Autism and Severe Communication Impairments.
  Topics in Language Disorders, 23(4), 283-292.
• Mirenda, P. (2003). Hes Not Really a Reader
  Perspectives on Supporting Literacy Development
  in Individuals with Autism. Topics in Language
  Disorders, 23(4), 271-282.
• Powell, S. (2000). Helping Children with Autism
  to Learn. London, David Fulton Publishers.

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Works Cited (contd)

• Prizant, B. M., Wetherby, A. M., Rubin, E.,
  Laurent, A.C., Rydell, P. J. (2006). The
  SCERTS Model A Comprehensive Educational Approach
  for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Vol.
  I Assessments. Baltimore Paul H. Brookes
  Publishing Co.
• Quill, K. A. (1997). Instructional Considerations
  for Young Children with Autism The Rationale
  for Visually Cued Instruction. Journal of Autism
  and Developmental Disorders, 27(6), 697-714.
• Smolin, L. I., Lawless, K. A., (2003). Becoming
  literate in the technological age New
  responsibilities and tools for teachers. The
  Reading Teacher, 56(6), 570-577
• Vacca, J. S. (2007) Autistic Children Can Be
  Taught To Read. International Journal of Special
  Education, 22(3), 54-61. Retrieved October 10,
  2008, from ERIC database http//eric.ed.gov/ERICD
  ocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/
  80/41/85/76.pdf
• Wagner, S. (1999). Inclusive Programming for
  Elementary Students with Autism. Arlington
  Future Horizons, Inc.