Autism in the classroom: A success story observed
Recently I accepted my first assignment as a substitute paraprofessional (parapro) for an autistic middle schooler, "D."
I'll admit I was a bit apprehensive about what I would encounter as a sub after reading John Barr's "Confessions of a Substitute Teacher." (I got a review copy of the book after finding a press release about it on an EMU bulletin board.) The author had more axes to grind than a serial killer. I put the book down after a few chapters, wondering why someone who was so obviously unhappy with his job would continue year after year in the same profession. Life is too short. So, when I got that phone call, I decided to go in with a positive attitude and an open mind. And I'm glad I did.
Awareness of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD, including autism and Asperger's Syndrome) is increasing, in part because so many kids are affected by it and in part because many are being "mainstreamed" in traditional classroom settings. (More information for parents of children wit ASD/autism is available at EMN, including an article entitled "Three Things Parents of Autistic Children Can Do.")
What I saw yesterday (though admittedly for only a day) was a great example of how, with a little patience and flexibility on the part of teachers and school staff, children with ASD can not only survive, but actually thrive in a classroom setting. A folder was set up for each class, with routine steps for "D" to follow at the beginning and end of each class. A laminated sheet was used to note each task he was to complete, and check off once it was done. Teachers gave "D" the ability to take breaks as needed - some in the classroom, manipulating putty, and some outside. To my delight, it was clear "D" was not only surviving in this context but was out-performing many of his peers.
My favorite part of the day was Language Arts, when the teacher set up a "crime scene" area with various props the students could use to produce a skit, to be performed in class. A bow (minus arrows), a bottle of bleach, a tennis racket, a phone book, a Sherlock Holmes novel and various other items were staged. The whole area was liberally sprinkled with Cheerios.
Like most kids with ASD, "D" could handle only so much noise and chaos before tuning out. He was already stressed because of me (kids with autism don't handle changes to routines very well), so I wasn't surprised when he turned away from the group, rocking and humming. As it turns out, however, he WAS listening. As the group was brainstorming titles for their murder mystery skit, I slipped "D" a note (his regular parapro had told me this was the best way to get his attention). "What do you think should be the title?"
In a soft, fluty voice, "D" responded to no one in particular: "The Cereal Killer."
So often public schools are accused of short-changing students with special needs due to budget cuts and lack of staffing. But what I saw yesterday was an example of how even schools with limited resources can make a tangible, lasting impact on the life of these special kids. And it felt good to be part of the team - if only for a day.
Heidi Hess Saxton is a contributor to AnnArbor.com "Parenting" channel. She is the founder of the "Extraordinary Moms Network," an online resource for parents of adoptive, foster and special needs children. You can reach Heidi here.
Comments
John
Fri, Apr 2, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.
Dear Heidi, Thanks for letting ne know you found some value in "Confessions of a Substitute Teacher". Yes, being a sub and working for PESG is frustrating, and I am not the only one as I have seen blogs by other subs against PESG as well. I understand that some people are put off by my anger in the book, but there are many who understand where I am coming from, especially retired teachers, many whom are from Ypsilanti Public School district! Although I understand where you are coming from about editing points of view in books, my editor did not take a stand on that viewpoint except revising typographical errors and sentence structure. Interestingly, one of the school districts described in the book (which is not Ypsilanti) did like the book! Someone told me they liked the book so much it is suspected someone has been making multiple copies and passing them out to all the teachers, parents, and students! Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but copying a book without the author's and publisher's permission is stealing, correct? If you found out a school district was copying your book, would you try to get money out of them and ask that they stop copying it, and how? If they refused, would you sue for damages? How would you go about doing it? Thanks. I do not plan to do a new edition of "Confessions", although I am writing two future books for publicaton. One is about foreign travel, which I expect will be non-controversial, and a second will be about police criminal misconduct. Thanks. I probably would like to meet and have tea. How do I get ahold of you? Sincerely, John
Heidi Hess Saxton
Wed, Mar 31, 2010 : 3:44 p.m.
Mr. Barr: Thanks for writing. Having worked as a book editor for years, I don't feel compelled to read every book from cover to cover. (It's a hard fact of life for authors who work so hard to create a work, but when they fail to engage the reader early in the process, they lose their audience.) I can appreciate that writing the book was a highly cathartic experience for you -- and I can appreciate how frustrating it must have been to encounter the injustices you describe. I only wish your editor had encouraged you to do a bit more re-writing, to weed out the anger. It made the book hard to read. If you ever decide to do a new edition, I'd be happy to have a cup of tea with you and discuss it further. I applaud the concept... It's the execution that needed a bit more work!
John
Tue, Mar 30, 2010 : 10:20 a.m.
Dear Heidi, I want to let you know I really enjoyed your blog, "Autism in the classroom, a success story observed". From my own experience, working with autistic children is very challenging but very rewarding and nothing to fear if you have enough support in the classroom. I have enjoyed working with all children in all subjects from preschool through high school and have enjoyed seeing many other classes and teachers in several different school districts. I am glad you have written several books about your experiences. I would not expect that someone would have criticised you for writing about an autistic child if both the child and the school is anonymous. It is certainly food for thought. I am curious though as to what my book, Confessions of a Substitute Teacher" has to do with your challenges teaching an autistic child. You somehow got the idea from my book that I was always very unhappy subbing and you did not understand why I did it for so many years and you claim "the author had more axes to grind than a serial killer." You need to read my book again because in fact I do enjoy subbing most of the time. The problem I and many subs face is wrongful and unfair termination from school districts and hired accounting firms that control sub jobs for single petty issues and you never have any ability to protect or redress the issue. I wrote the book to tell about my own experiences and to warn substitutes and new teachers what they can expect in teaching and to be very wary about trusting adminstration. I have met other subs who said they were treated the same way and unfairly terminated for minor issues. Again, I have liked my job as a sub most of the time and take issue with being unfairly treated. Did you at least find some of the 32 rules of substitute teaching I created useful? Anyway, I got some value out of your blog. Please go back and read my whole book again and realize and appreciate that if you substitute long enough for enough schools that you will eventually have some of the same experiences I did and better appreciate the book and attempt to tell new teachers. Perhaps you may even write a similar book. Sincerely, John Barr Jr.
josber
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 7:43 a.m.
Heidi, What treats what most people think of as sensory intergration problems is Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, EIBI, for short. That's a psych program where problem behaviors are successfully resolved before the child moves on into school, so sensory, diet, aggression, toileting, tantrums, meltdowns, etc get treated. It's very successful when done right. About 40% of kids who receive EIBI diagnose off the spectrum, and 90% improve significantly. Most people don't even know about it. So school districts and other institutions are now encapsulating as a syndrome what is in fact just a set of bad behaviors.
josber
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:57 p.m.
check out BAAM website, those are the people to talk to. The big problem with integrating a kid in the classroom are the adults misconceptions, not the child's abilities. These kids can handle much more, but their behavior is dictating their exposure, and the adults respond to behavior, not any intrinsic problem.
Geek Chick
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 2:22 a.m.
Ms. Saxton - Do you have a signed consent form from the parents of "D," the child with autism, to publish this story? Your story doesn't mention that you got that consent form. Did the editors ask if you had one? Why wasn't it mentioned in the story? As a school district employee, even as a temporary substitute employee, you had confidential information about this child. If you do not have a consent form, you have violated the privacy of this child by writing and submitting this story. If this story was published without a consent form, annarbor.com has also violated this child's privacy. Now you both may be considered liable and can possibly be sued by this child's family. With the description of the school day's events and the name of the substitute (the author of this story), every child in that classroom now knows confidential medical information about the child "D." Every parent of a child in that classroom may also figure it out. Inclusion has occurred in local schools for more than 15 years. So this story isn't even newsworthy. This child is not a public figure, either, so you are in murky legal territory. The privacy of the student trumps all! In future, I expect the editors of annarbor.com to respect privacy, especially the medical privacy, of children. You don't have to publish everything!
Heidi Hess Saxton
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 4:43 p.m.
Not sure where you're getting your information, Josber; if you can send a link with more information I'd like to see it. The distress an overly stimulated child with ASD experiences is real; part of integrating that child in a classroom includes managing the overload. Thanks, witchygirl, for sharing your experiences!
witchygirl
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 1:14 p.m.
Thank you for your story Ms. Saxton. The child you described could also be my son, who is similarly well integrated using similar strategies in his elementary school, functions at an average or above average level academically, and has a similar sense of humor! One of the hardest things for me as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum is convincing others that my son is "in there" even on the days when it seems like he is not. (One of the other difficult things, by the way, is having to tolerate a host of platitudes like the one from the previous commenter). Thanks for sharing your experience, and I hope you will continue to contribute to our schools!
josber
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 6:53 a.m.
It's good to hear the school working to keep an ASD child in the classroom. I do want to correct the writer stating that most kids with ASD can only handle so much noise etc. This is incorrect. They are trained from an early age, inadvertently, by their caregivers to avoid sensory input, and now that misconception is being carried forth and institutionalized. It's unfortunate, because these kids can handle much more sensory than anyone realizes.