August 08, 2004

I've been meaning to do the following but I either feel too inadequate (still am) or too lazy (or both) to do it earlier than now. Given the perks of having a super early dismissal time on Friday (finished work at 10am) and an extra school holiday on Tuesday, it's time I write a bit of my experience in my 2+ months old job. Being no real expert in this area, I will share just what I know and experienced, which is probably just a little bit more than what you know about ASD. Goes...

one... On Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism is a brain disorder that typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others and respond appropriately to the environment. It is a spectrum disorder which means there is a range of symptoms and severity of an autistic child (mild to very severe). Autism cannot be outgrown, i.e. you don't grow out of it, neither can it be cured simply 'cos it's not a disease. But, the symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives correct treatment (in the broadest definition of the word). Autism is NOT contagious.

ASD children look the same as all other kids. Typically, you can't tell an ASD child apart from a non-ASD kid until you observe their behaviour and social/communication skills. There are MANY hidden talents and genuises among ASD children.

Characteristics of autism include: resistance to changes, difficulty in expressing verbally, laughing/crying as signs of distress which are not apparent to others, aloofness, throwing tantrums, no real fears or sense of danger, noticeable physical over-activity or under-activity, little or no eye contact, attention deficit, excessively polite or formal, doesn't respond or over responding to verbal stimuli, various sensory issues, aggressiveness, etc.

Remember, some of these behaviour are actually common to all children. Therefore, a professional assessment ought be conducted before a child is deemed to be autistic. My experience tells me that non-response to verbal utterances, aloofness, aggressiveness and odd (and continuous) laughing or crying with no real apparent reason are better tell-tale signs.

two... Teaching ASD Kids

The emphasis is on visual aids. ASD kids do not learn well through verbal means - which is why they suffer when put into mainstream schools where lessons depend a lot on verbal teaching and instructions. The younger kids may need a lot of pictorial support to understand what is expected of them, while written words may work well enough for the older ones.

Structures give ASD children security and therefore, enable them to function well enough to cope with other demands made on them. Things like time-schedules, fixed routines, obvious boundary markers and structures, clear and short instructions help them to settle down better.

My experience is that gestures and visual aids work much better for both the children and the teachers than verbal prompts. I started out by having to repeat verbally every 10minutes for Kid A to sit properly during assembly and stand straight during the singing of the school song. Now, I tap his arm and point to the place he's supposed to sit and he does exactly that and stays that way. And when flashed a card with 'Stand Nice' written on it, he complies almost immediately.

Also, they can be very rigid and get immensely upset when there is an unexpected change in routine or little things like shifting their bag from the position when they put it. And when these kids get upset, suffice to say that you will be in for a 'surprise'. Kid B got very upset when I accidentally kicked and moved his school bag from where he put it. He shouted at me, 'Look what you've done!!!', jumped up from his seat, walked to re-position his bag. Knowing the grave mistake I've committed, I had to say, 'Sorry. I'm sorry. Yes, I shouldn't have moved your bag.' And if Kid B isn't contented with that, he would walk to me and give me a little punch on my arm. All the time, feeling completely justified for his actions.

three... Amazing Discoveries from My Experience (thus far)

These children are wayyyyyy more smarter than you can possibly imagine. The reasoning is very simple. They have difficulties expressing their needs and feelings but that doesn't mean they don't understand your needs and feelings (and your expectations and demands on them) and most importantly, (I think) they know you don't know what they are thinking. Result? They can be wonderful manipulators.

During my first few weeks of teaching, I've been bullied, abused and 'voluntarily molested' by some of the kids. Being new to them, I've had no idea where their ability can reach and how far is too far for them to try. Mind you, they knew I'm new and they knew I didn't know them enough. The sensible thing for them to do is to test my limit and test my response to their actions.

I still get hit by my own students. haha... But, to be in this position means you stop taking things at face value; be literal in saying what you want, and not be literal in understanding what they do to you. If they hit you, the best response is not to react negatively. Either ignore it or ask what is wrong and then explain to them the appropriate means to get what they want. However, you can do this again and again and again and they may not remember still. But, this is a job in which you believe you can make the difference, no matter how small. When you cease to, you no longer fit in.

I definitely have more interesting tales and trying moments at work than these. Till the next super long weekend, maybe! ^_^

Posted by 杏 cy （Jancy） at 17:39