Search This Site

Followers

Part 3: Teaching Strategies for Students with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism – The “Hidden Curriculum”

Curriculum education is not the only education an Asperger’s (AS) or High-Functioning Autistic ((HFA) student encounters in the public school system. Social behaviors are not only necessary for successful playground interaction, they are necessary for successful acquisition of educational curriculum.

The “hidden curriculum” consists of important social skills that everyone knows, but no one is taught. This includes assumed rules, student expectations, idioms and metaphors. Understanding the hidden curriculum is difficult for all kids, but it is especially so for young people with AS and HFA who have deficits in social interactions.



The following example illustrates the difficulty children on the autism spectrum have understanding the hidden curriculum:

Michael was a popular ninth-grader, despite his social awkwardness. His classmates accepted him and were understanding of his disorder. One day Michael was hanging out with his peers in the hallway before class when his friend Jamie began swearing in disappointment about his D in math. Michael picked up on the swearing and associated it with disappointment. The bell rang and Michael went on to his next class. As he sat down, Michael realized that he left his history book in his locker. His teacher, Mr. Williams, would not let him go back to his locker, and immediately Michael got mad and began using cuss words. Mr. Williams sent Michael to the dean’s office, leaving Michael mystified about what he did wrong. He thought it was acceptable to cuss when he was disappointed at school. Michael did not understand the hidden curriculum – swearing may be acceptable around peers, but you should never curse when a teacher is present.

The hidden curriculum suggests an aspect of learning that is not obvious to students with AS and HFA. This aspect of learning includes the basic how-to's of daily functioning. These are things that other students seem to just know. The social know-how that tells “typical” students what is inappropriate subject matter may be foreign to an AS or HFA student. Thus, teachers should instruct students struggling in this realm through the use of acting lessons, direct instruction, scope and sequence, self-esteem building, and social stories. Social stories and acting lessons give examples of proper behaviors in various public settings.

More information on creating social stories can be found here: How To Write Social Stories

==> Teaching Students with Aspergers and HFA

No comments:

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

Click here to read the full article…

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

Click here to read the full article…

Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

Click here to read the full article…

Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

Click here
to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

Click here for the full article...