Educational Provision: making mainstream schools autism-friendly & inclusion

Dr. Rita Jordan

School of Education, University of Birmingham,

2003

Issues in Effective Integration

•      Size & flexibility

•      Few explicit but enforced rules

•      Bullying

–   Child -> increase understanding

–   Others -> seduce prime bully

–      -> Gray’s 6th sense

–   ‘Circle of friends’ & buddies

–   Support for unstructured times & toilets

 

Issues in Effective Integration 2

•      Language

–    Processing time

–    Direct commands (using LSAs - no monitoring)

–    Indirect speech/ sarcasm/ idioms/ questions

–    Vocabulary - define concepts

•      Sensory disturbance

–    Proximal support - noise/ light/ smell/distraction

–    Warning for end of lesson etc. clear starts & finishes

 

Issues in Effective Integration 3

•      Impulse control

–    Fire alarms - alternative sign

–    Running off - plan escape

–    Say what to do & train

–    Use visual supports

•      Parents

–    Watch stress build up

–    Daily aerobic physical activity

–    Monitor toileting - constipation

–    Homework & home-school books - need cues to memory

 

Issues in Effective Integration 4

•      Managing time/ space/ class transition

–    5 min warning to pack up

–    Teach packing up to speed - no help

–    No directions after lesson end signal

–    Allow to leave early to avoid crowds in transition

–    Don’t sit where others go behind

–    Mark own space for shared tables etc.

–    Make homework clear

•    Why

•    Aspect of lesson

•    Cues to memory

 

Issues in Effective Integration 5

•      Resource base and ‘escape’ plans

–   Plan for escape -> signal & permission

–   Safe resource area

–   Reverse integration at breaks

•      Curriculum access

–   Individual

–   No common assumptions

–   Make relevant

 

Curriculum: potential problems

•      History

–    Facts/ lists/ dates fine

–    No empathy - opportunity to teach

–    Evidence - helpful for all

 

•      English

–    Hyperlexia

–    Teach text comprehension

 

Curriculum: potential problems 2

•      Maths

–    Arithmetic and rote calculation

–    Application?

–    Algebra a problem

•      PE

–    Lack of danger

–    Visual guide - circuit training

–    Team games - explicit rules (video) , contact fear, get practice,

–    Strengths - trampoline/ balance/ swimming/ running