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I just found this message board, so I appologize ahead of time if this issue has been addressed. I am a special ed teacher. In the fall I will be including a child with autism full time in Kindergarten. He has significant issues. He has is nonverbal, has mobility difficulties...he is in a wheelchair...and makes noises all day. He will have an individual assistant but the district had determined he will be included all day. (Parent request) Where do I start? My experience is with LD and I need some practical strategies to help him. He will receive speech, OT, PT, but I am coordinating the program. I am especially concerned that even though I know the eye contact issues associated with autism, this child doesn't even focus on any objects at all. I spent some time with him and he didn't even respond to his name. I couldn't get a sense of what has already been tried....It appears not much. This is a challenge, and I want to give him the best I can. I already have books to help the general ed students adjust to him in class, and knowing kids, I know the other students will be fine...No so sure about the general ed teacher...But my biggest concern is the student and how to help him...THANKS.... I don't have time to respond in detail right now, but if I were you, I'd call an IEP meeting and request an autism consultant. Also, request ABA hours. The parents can object to all of this, but at least you will have gotten the two most important supports on the table. Also, ask that teacher training be formally included in the IEP. What state do you teach in? Each state has different laws covering special education, but EVERY state has to follow Federal Law (IDEA). YOu can check out the law at www.wrightslaw.com and also read plenty of articles on all kinds of spec. ed. issues there. BTW, LD and ASD are like night and day, although some ASD kids have both.Also see this thread...there are some good suggestions there. I hope the parents of this child step in and help, that can make a world of difference. But I do think it's wonderful you're reaching out to try to find some help. Good luck Annie!!! 10 Effective Ways to Teach an ASD Child  1 2 3Annie -- I was thinking that you should make an appointment to speak with the parents. Talk to them about how they expect their child to benefit from full inclusion. I am certain they have their reasons. Ask about past experiences that have been successful for the child. Go over the IEP goals one by one with them. THESE are the things you must be teaching the child, not the curriculum you'll be addressing with the other children. ALthough the child has a one-on-one aide, it's imperative for the aide to be used to facilitate inclusion of this child into the class so that his classmates don't view him as "the other." He won't be a visitor. He'll be a full member of the class. Perhaps not a member who will get an "A" but a member nontheless. The law states that a child must be in the least restrictive environment "in which he can learn" but it doesn't specifiy WHAT he will learn. This year it will be your job to include him in such a way that he will be learning what HE has to learn. The IEP will tell you what that is. This may challenge your creativity as a teacher. If you need additional help, ask to get some. But keep in mind that the whole purpose of including him is to give him as much exposure to what is typical for a kindergartener to experience as possible. The funny thing about autism is that it is VERY difficult to know WHAT is being processed. It could be that he will be able to process A LOT. If you encourage the children to include him, they will. Kids LOVE to be the one who is more competent. In fact, you can increase the self-esteem of the lower functioning kids in your class if you have THEM be the ones to help this child. TRuly include him and follow his IEP carefully, ask for assistance from autism experts and you will be a blessing to this child and his parents. Getting the kids to include him and accept him is at least half the battle. They will do the rest. (Here's an analogy. You are a gym teacher who is teaching kids to jump rope. YOu are asked to include a child who is paralyzed from the waist down. Do you keep that child on the sidelines? Do you ask that that child be excluded from your class for "safety reasons"? No you give that child one end of the rope and have him or her wield that rope just as well as any non-paralyzed child can. You don't have to jump to participate in a game of jumprope.) Thanks to both of you so much for heading me in the right directions...Your ideas and suggestions were a great help.I guess aside from those issues my other concerns is finding specific ways to differentiate his instruction...considering he can't even focus on an object though I do finding it interesting and will remember that we never do know how much a child is processing....Let me give you an example. When the class is in circle learning a letter (let's say"B") how do I have him included yet working at his own level? I REFUSE TO HAVE HIM JUST SIT THERE. INCLUSION IS NOT A DUMPING GROUND. (excuse the screaming-it's just I feel strongly about that) Anyway, I was thinking of having him hold an object...say a "ball" and have the teacher say he is "in charge of holding something that begins with the letter" even though at his level he is no where at the point of learning a letter and can not even say one word. My goal would be just to have him hold the object and have his 1-1 repeat the word ball.....all students would have access to the object and he would be at his own level....He doesn't even point and barely will hold something. Actually a concrete item might help other learners...and actually a "ball" might not be the "B" object I choose- that just came off the top of my head...So it's those ideas I need. The day is filled with so many activities and like I said I don't want him just sitting there plus he has the advantage of a 1-1, but I'll be doing all the planning for her and the classroom teacher...They will need my support. Do any of you know any web sites with practical ideas for inclusion of a student at this level?...I just need ideas...I want to give this child the best I can. Thanks. You seem to be a wonderful, creative teacher. Too many teachers WOULD allow a situation like this to be a dumping ground. By Jove, I think you've GOT it! Including him as a "helper" would help the other kids and also help him. If he and his aide sit with you at circle time when it's time to go over the alphabet and you have him hold the ball or hold the letter, that will help the children understand that he is an integral part of the class. The more you accept him, the more THEY will accept him. You might try having the children take turns being his "buddy." Maybe that is one of the "jobs," right along with Line Leader, etc. You have not mentioned what some of his own IEP objectives are. If you present an example of an IEP goal, maybe we can brainstorm a way to use the classroom activities to help him achieve that goal. Can you have an expert come in and help train the one-on-one aide to do ABA work with him? Do you know about the PECs communication system? It's not hard to learn to use and it may help him communicate. Perhaps you can start out with a classroom schedule. Have the aide take pictures of circle time, of story time, of play time, of snack, etc. Then paste the photos on oaktag with the name of the activity written next to the photo. ASD kids are VERY visual. Some learn to read easily. When one of the activities takes place, have the aide show him the schedule board and have her say the next activity and have her use hand-over-hand to have him point to the photo of the activity. Do this every day in the same way. At his developmental stage, she may have to use hand-over-hand a lot for lots of activities. I also cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to look at all the goals in the IEP and try to imagine how you will get him to reach HIS goals using the activities already planned for the class. Clearly, you are very creative and just the sort of teacher a severely disabled child who is included NEEDS. You are a credit to your profession.Annie: I found this article while doing some research on homeschooling children with Autism...many repeated strategies, but thought of you when I read it! http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/autism/structure/str10.htm Tzoya is right, your thoughts about including him in a way that doesn't call out shortcomings but keeping him 'in the loop' of the lesson is great!! Our teacher for Riley's mainstream classes has done this same thing...and it's worked wonders this past year. I agree, you ARE a credit to your profession!!! He's going to be lucky to have you!bump I was going to suggest the 10 effective ways as well. Also, the NEA has a publication called The Puzzle of Autism that is very informative. You can download it off the internet site, or have a copy mailed to you. Good luck to you. My specialty is LD/BD, but I'll have two autistic students next year as well. There are a lot of great resources out there if you have the time.
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