The ABCs of Autism in the Classroom by Wendela Whitcomb Marsh

Author:Wendela Whitcomb Marsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Future Horizons
Published: 2018-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Destiny’s teacher laminated the file folder, put several blank sheets of paper inside, and gave the folder and several pencils to the school secretary. Any time Destiny came to the office, office staff were instructed to hand her the folder and a pencil, and leave her alone to complete the task. If Destiny tried to tell someone her story, they were instructed to say, “No talking,” and point to her work folder without interacting with her. The first few times, Destiny tried hard to get an adult to pay attention to her so she could tell them her side of the story verbally, but each time she was redirected to her folder and reminded that the staff had work to do. At a time chosen by her teacher, she and Destiny would review the paper, the teacher would acknowledge Destiny’s feelings, remind her of the rule she had broken, and briefly discuss what could have been done differently to have a different outcome.

It is important to note that Destiny’s teacher knew that writing was one of Destiny’s strengths, and that she often wrote stories during her free time. She would not have used the same plan for a child who struggled with handwriting or written expression. An opportunity to draw a picture of what happened would be more appropriate for someone who likes drawing but not writing.

Example Three: How Should Staff Respond to Daniel to Avoid

Defiance?

Daniel’s teacher told her aides that taking away Daniel’s recess was not an option; he would not be required to stay in or to finish classwork outside on the wall, but would be permitted to play regardless of his classwork completion. He really needed this time to move and be free from academic tasks. She also asked her staff to stop using phrases such as, “You can do it, try harder.” If he showed that he needed help by raising his hand or indicating a request for help in his communication folder, they were to immediately provide him with help, and then gradually fade out the support as he gained confidence in his ability to do it on his own. If he played the “break” card, staff were instructed not to try to get him to do more work before allowing him a break, but immediately let him go and set the timer in the quiet zone for the length of break time indicated by the behavior plan. His teacher assured her staff that the support and breaks were only going to go on as long as he needed them. Eventually they would be phased out when he was able to be successful and comfortable without them. In the meantime, staff were instructed not to override or modify the plan, because the plan was designed to make it unnecessary for Daniel to act defiantly. When his needs were met without defiance, he would be able to learn at his own pace and in his own way.

Because his classmates noticed that Daniel got to go to the quiet zone and it looked appealing, they also wanted to go there.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.