Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Michele Blick
RTLB cluster

Diagnosis of ASD-who, how, when and why
Interviews with child, family, etc
Observations in different setting
Medical diagnose

Diagnosis Criteria
Restricted, repetitive patterns on behaviour, interests or activities
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts

The brain functions differently
It is a lifelong neurodevelopment disorder
It is more often to male than female

Time of diagnosis
Diagnosis typically occurs
1-3 years due to difficulties with language and play
5-8 yrs when increased social and education demands highlight difficulties
Social isolation and relationship difficulties result in depression during adolescence or adulthood

Benefits of a diagnosis
Early diagnosis helps them to put them in the right place to support/help them and take them to the right channel

Areas of challenge
Interpersonal
Difficulty initiating maintaining relationships
Unable or inappropriate attempts to join in play
Difficulty understanding what others are thinking or feeling
Language
Developmental language delay
Echolalia -repetition or echoing of words/sounds
Behaviour
Stereotyped behaviour patterns, routing, rituals
Difficulty making choices
Difficulty coping with unstructured space - may stay on the perimeter
Attention difficulties
Affect
Fears and phobias
Difficulty appreciating humour
Inappropriate emotional expression
Cognition
80% have IQ below 70
Non-verbal
Sensory sensitivity
Hyper responsive-nervous system is responding too much
Hypo responsive-nervous system is responding very little
Anxiety
The nervous system is on high alert and under constant stress due to sensory, cognitive, social and emotional vulnerabilities
Types of Anxiety
Anxiety of uncertainty
social anxiety
performance anxiety
Behaviours to cope with anxiety
control experiences to avoid anxiety
Fix routines and rituals
Strengths and abilities
Exceptional and reliability
Ability to focus on a detailed task
Expert in their area of interests
Providing support in the school setting
Sensory sensitivities
Environment
Language
Social stories helps them to get settled and support their emotional needs
ASD friendly school
Identify the students strengths, interests and needs
Identify what the student has in common with other learners. Use commonalities to plan learning opportunities
Involve the students family in collaborative planning process
Include the students voice and acknowledge the perspective of the student when planning
Use key competencies to identity goals rather than goals only being content-driven. Goals may relate to functional skills, e.g. toileting
What Next?
I understand how these learners brain works and what kind support they need while they are at school. I will try to provide the suitable environment for the ASD learners to support their needs. I will try to give a proper place for them to get settled in our environment even though we work in a modern learning environment.

Flatbush 7, 4th June, 2019

Chris Clay
chris@education-unleashed.com

Education Unleashed
Transform and Transcend

What's next in the future of education?
Future- exists in our imagination

Role of futurists
They prophesies what will happen in future
Turn backwards so you can see forwards

Robots are taking over
Moore's Law - Technology is more powerful
Machine is doing lots of jobs better
Rethinking knowledge
Network knowledge

This is an awesome time to be knowledge seeker
Algorithm: what are you likely to want to hear - left leaning Democratic pro-environment filter bubble
In 2030 how do our education system look lime
Grow   Collapse    Discipline        Transform

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world - Nelson Mandela

Building collective understanding

Open exploration

Claims and critiques

We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit - King Martin Luther

The importance of positive cultural narratives

What do we do for the Maori learners

We must learn to face the new way

Take care of our children 

take care of what they hear. Take care of what they see

When we suppress the language, we suppress the culture because they are intertwined

A Discussion around ESOL in your school community

Maddy Udale

The importance of supporting the learners with letters, sounds and words

How to involve the parents in our environment?

How to support the parents with the language?

Modelling language with the learners

Language lesson for the parents to support their children

Connections

Chris Clay

Volatile

Uncertain

Complex

Ambiguous

What we know limits what we can imagine - Cynthia Barton-Rabe

Neuromyths: Debunking False Ideas about the Brains in Your Classroom

Heath McNeil

Learning about teaching

Debunking false ideas about the brain

How does this information impact teaching?

We know a little of what goes on in the brain when we learn

Do teachers know enough about the brain?

Do they want to know more about the brain?

Should they know more about the brain?

Better knowledge and Tech

We are working on making a educational sciences from psychology and Neuro science

The origins of bias in the brain

6 Principles - Brain

Uniqueness - Nature via Nature- we have a free will

Different potentials:

Prior Experience:  Efficiency thru existing

Constant changes:

Plasticity - Lifespan-developmental differences by age-every learners brain get better

M + A Learning:  No new learning without some form of memory & attention

Persistence of myths

We want simplicity

True for animals but not humans

Brain learns through some style of teaching e.g. visual learner

Most people use about 10 % of the brain

Left and right brain works differently in learning

Wellbeing

Flourishing: a state of well being where we feel good and function well most of the time

Two dimensions of wellbeing

1. Emotional wellbeing

2. Functional wellbeing

Depression is the leading cause for disability worldwide

People who have sense of love and belonging believe that they are worthy of love and belonging

Wellbeing is whole hearted living

Modern living is overwhelming

Mindfulness is competency to be developed

Attention Regulation with kindness and curiosity- Maintain it

Teacher Burn out!

Adam Tamariki

What is causing teacher burn out?

How do you know you have become a Victim of teacher burn out?

Exertion

No support

Work load

The top 10

We need to look after our well being

1. Take some time each day to do something for yourself

2. Limit what work you bring home with you

3. Ask for help!

4. Remember the reason you became a teacher!

5. Connect with your colleagues! 

6. Don't be afraid to take a day off...

7. Network with teachers online!

8. Find something new to be involved in...

9. Stay away from negativity!

10. Learn how to switch off and unwind..

Narrative Assessment and Digital Badging

Building teacher /learner agency

Assessment to be personalised within a transdisciplinary  curriculum

What next? 

It was a great learning opportunity for me to wonder about teaching and learning. I will be using the learning in my planning and practise in my teaching and learning process. I also understand that I should look after myself and balance the work life in this teaching profession.