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School Success for Students with Autism, Asperger's and Related Learning Needs
School has its own set of dynamics. People, rules, procedures, changes, challenges. . . .and lots more. This department will address issues related to helping students with special needs achieve school success.
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Do You See What I Mean?
Paula Kluth
Many learners with disability labels are visual learners and are best able to understand and remember content when they can see it represented in some way; in other words, they need to "see what we mean." Visual and spatial learners often think in terms of pictures and learn best from things that can be seen including diagrams, checklists, charts, and graphic organizers; movies; illustrated books; curriculum-related objects (e.g., dioramas, math counters, models); and . . .
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Social Challenges for Individuals with Autism
Paula Kluth
For many with autism, engaging in a social interaction is like playing a game without knowing the rules. Some individuals report that the social demands of making small talk or walking into a party can create stress, anxiety, and panic; they may feel as if everyone else knows the secrets necessary for success and they do not. Liane Holliday Willey (1999), a woman with Asperger's Syndrome, illustrates how stressful it can be when one does not understand certain social requirements: "The most simple-sounding duties blew me away. For example, what exactly did it mean to plan a child's class party? With no precise guidelines or definition of terms in tow, I had no answer but plenty of questions. . . .
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Honoring and Including Students with Communication Differences
Paula Kluth
"I have a new student coming to my sixth-grade classroom and I am stumped. Ben does not speak very much but he sometimes uses an electronic device to make choices and greet people. He also knows some sign language. I am not sure how to include him in the class or how to build a relationship with him. HELP! " This note came to me in the form of an e-mail. It was sent by a fourth-grade teacher who has never had a student . . .
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Getting Ready for School: Transition Tips for Students with Autism
Paula Kluth
For many learners with autism, transitions are the toughest part of schooling. Moving from classroom to classroom or teacher to teacher can be stressful enough, but moving from building to building is almost always a process filled with anxiety and trepidation. These strategies are designed to prepare the learner with autism for a new school or a new schooling experience (e.g., an inclusive classroom) and can be used days or months before . . .
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Emphasizing Importance of Visual Strategies to Grad Students
QUESTION: How do I teach the importance of using visuals to my grad students? ANSWER: Grad students, student teachers, teachers aides and others who are just learning about visual strategies can benefit from watching someone model good use of visual supports with students. It fits that proverb, . . .A picture is worth a thousand words. . . .If they can observe and then work in a classroom where visual supports are being used effectively, that will be the best teaching. . . .
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How to get Colleagues to use Visual Strategies with Students with ASD
QUESTION: How do you get your colleagues to buy into all this visual strategies stuff? ANSWER: This is one of the most frequent questions I get. To help answer it, here is what I do. I explain to people that we use all of our senses, but we each have some preferences. So I ask who prefers auditory information. . …"They have to HEAR it to understand." Usually about 5% of the people claim that preference. . . .
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Visual Strategies: Organizing Materials Used for Visual Aids
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
People frequently ask me those nuts & bolts questions about using visual tools. Common questions asked at my workshops include . . ."Where do you keep the visuals?" Or . . . ."How do you keep your visual tools organized?" Well. . . there is good news and bad news. The good news. . .there is not one perfect way to organize these tools. The bad news. . .there is no perfect solution. Organization of visual tools is really something that matches a person's personal organization style. . . .
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Effectively Organizing and Storing Visual Aids for Use with Children with Autism
QUESTION: I have a class of 3-6 year olds with autism. How can I best incorporate visual strategies without having loose pictures all over the place. |image1| ANSWER: Visual tools for Autistic children need to have a home. 1. Visual tools need a home. Think about where you will use them and then store them in that area. For example, if you use some specific visual supports during circle time, store them in the circle time area. If you have a picture that you use in the bathroom, store it in the bathroom. If you use a visual tool in many locations, you many need more than one copy, or you may want to carry a copy in your pocket or apron so you always have it with you. . . .
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Visual Strategies: Essentials for a Good Classroom Environment
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
A new school year guarantees changes in an Autistic student's life. Some changes may be easier to handle than others. Some new environments will be easier to navigate than others. The question is WHY? Good Bones Some environments have good bones. Some do not. Sometimes people will say a house has "good bones." That means the designer can look past the pink and purple polka-dot wallpaper and orange shag carpeting. What he sees is a great basic floor plan that needs some help. The essentials are there. . . .
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Nine Tips to "Clean Up" Your Visual Tool Collection
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Spring cleaning is a good thing It seems I always relate my life experiences to my work with visual strategies. Taking a bit of time to "spring clean" your visual tool collection can be well worth it. The temptation is to wait until the end of the school year. But tackling the job now can help everyone get through to the end of the school year with more ease. It's just like going through your clothes closet Day to day use creates a bit of clutter. Take time to freshen everything up once in a while. You already know what to do. Same strategy. Evaluate what is there. Organize what works. Get rid of the clutter that gets in the way. . . .
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