Choosing Higher Education... and Staying There
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Success in Choosing Higher Education… and Staying there
For People on the Autism Spectrum
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA May 1620, 2009
Stephen M. Shore, Ed. D. www.autismasperger.net
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INTRODUCTION AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
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A L I T T L E B I T A B O U T M E Introduction The Autism Bomb
Loss of speech & tantrums
Selfstims
Environmental withdrawal
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W H A T I S A U T I S M ? ASA (2005) A complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism Spectrum Disorder results from a neurological condition that affects the functioning of the brain. Social interaction • Communication Communication (but no significant clinical delay • Socialization for AS) Repetitive motions and restricted interests • Restricted Anything that interferes with the central nervous system getting the needed information from the environment.
Interests
DSM IVTR (2000) Miller (2000)
Reframe
OOPS!!!!!
WHAT ABOUT SENSORY INTEGRATION ISSUES?
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I N N E R A N D O U T E R S E N S E S
S E N S O R Y V I O L A T I O N S
uo • Fl irds ng b cks pi Chir ng clo • cki • Ti res ht t lig cen s
Sight Tactile
(Inner ear)
Hearing Vestibular Proprioceptive
ad ng Dand Kissi ee
ff - Co ard be
(Muscles & joints)
cu Hair •
ts
•
Smell
Taste
• B
ods d fo lan
Vestibular: Hypo —> Spinning/Hyper —> Gravitational Insecurity Proprioceptive: Deep pressure, Under mattresses, Weighted blankets
Love airplanes but they mess w/Vest & Prop senses
Brave little kids
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A CLOSER LOOK AT MY PLACEMENT ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM — Adult
AGE E V E N T S
0
Typical development Turn over at 8 days Rapid physical and motor development
1.5
Autism bomb hits Withdrawal from environment Tantrums
2.5
Putnam evaluation of atypical developmen t, strong autistic tendencies & psychotic Early intervention from parents who refute recommend ations for removal from home
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Enter Putnam Condition improves to “neurotic” The wonderful world of watch motors Echolalia and return of speech Eating baby food
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Kindergarten Social & academic difficulties Discovered making a mess of myself while eating BBQ chicken wings Loved cats but dogs… Yikes bikes!
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Cracking rocks Special interests in astronomy and weather Teacher concerns for reading and math difficulties
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Concern about dropping the letter “e.” My friend says “he feels like a pizza” and I argue with him that he does not look like a pizza and probably does not feel like one either
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Middle and high school Finally getting it together but still often in left field Discovering the band room Time to focus more on people and not their bicycles
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College More friends Dating Others really do think differen tly Utopia!
Paradigm shift from being advocated for to advocating for one’s self
Professor of Special Education at Adelphi University
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CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS
Overly sensitive to loud noises… Difficulty with hair washing and brushing…
l op pe o nt ine… i s nl p m i Bu
e
Proble
ms wi th han dwr
iting…
… eater Picky
Difficult
y paying attentio n…
s“ on the go” … Only likes certain types of clothing…
… Clumsy
Alw
ay
Adapted from Myles, Cook, Miller, Rinner & Robbins. (2000). Asperger Syndrome and sensory issues : Practical solutions for making sense of the world. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing. P. 5.
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THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
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T H E A U T I S M S P E C T R U M
Severe Moderate Light
Increasing Variability of Presentation Kanner’s T w i c e PDD-NOS HFA/AS 9
Rosenn, D. (1997). “Rosenn wedge”. From Aspergers: What we have learned in the ‘90s conference in Westboro, MA. Used with permission
E x c e p t i o n a l i t y
SELF-ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
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S E L F A D V O C A C Y D E F I N E D Selfadvocacy involves knowing when and how to approach others in order to negotiate desired goals, and in order to build better mutual understanding, fulfillment, and productivity. Successful selfadvocacy often involves an amount of disclosure about oneself that carries some degree of risk, in order to reach a subsequent goal of better mutual understanding.
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DEVELOPING A SELF-ADVOCACY PLAN
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MY ADVOCACY PLAN
Name ____________________
SCAN: Where is the challenge? Perception of the environment 1. Sensory 2. 3. ADVOCACY: DISCLOSURE: SCAN
Challenge What is causing the difficulty?
How Cognitive we think Social cues Socio-emotional and how we feel Explaining your needs Giving the reason why ADVOCACY
Explaining your needs …promoting greater understanding and in a way the other can provide assistance
DISCLOSURE
The reason Partial – Note specific characteristic affecting a situation only Full –
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MY ADVOCACY PLAN SCAN
Challenge Sensory Fluorescent lights Cognitive Remembering verbal instruction Socioemotional Decoding jokes
Name ____________________ ADVOCACY DISCLOSURE
The reason Partial – I have sensitive eyes Partial – I remember things better when I write them down Partial – I take things very literally
Explaining your needs
Ask instructor to change lighting Request instructor for written instructions
Ask for fellow students to tell you when they make a joke
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INCIDENTAL HIDDEN CURRICULUM RESOURCES
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S U C C E S S W I T H A S P E R G E R’ S
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SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
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DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN…
Special Education is ALL DONE!! I want to be just like EVERYONE ELSE OOPS!!!!!! Well… Maybe I DO need to find the Office of Student Support
Paradigm Shift From Being Advocated for to SelfAdvocacy
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High School
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
College
• Provide equal access to educational programs, services, facilities & activities • Provide reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids & services • Maintain student confidentiality • Written policies & procedures (including grievance) in alternative format
• Provide those deemed in need of special education a customized education according to their needs in order to level the playing field. • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
A.S.
Univ
• Americans with Disabilities Act/504 19
High School
T R A N S I T I O N
College • 45 classes each 34 hours/wk • 2 hrs/day/class hour HW • 23 cumulative exams/semester Univ • Research, primary sources • 10300 students • Entire campus 20
• 56 hours/day of classes • 12 hrs/day HW • Frequent quizzes, non cumulative tests • Teaching content from textbooks • 2520 students/classroom • One building
A.S.
T R A N S I T I O N
Commuter? PROs • Supervision & monitoring • Existing support services • Smoother transition • Reduce stress • Less worry? • Less financial risk CONs • Dependency issues
• Commuting details (drive, Univ mass transit) • Limit testing • Socially isolated • Less challenging? 21
A.S. • Stigma, selfesteem
T R A N S I T I O N
Residential? Pointers • Size matters and smaller is not automatically better
A.S. • Investigate housing options carefully
• Disclosure issues • To meddle or not to meddle • Know thy roommate
Univ
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T R A N S I T I O N
Tools • Start now • Work on selfadvocacy & life skills • Listen, support & assist • Remember who’s the boss now • Call/visit/question everywhere • Documentation & policies • Transition/orientation programs • Build a team • Start now!!! 23
A.S.
Univ
SelfInitiated Individual Education Plan (Cont.)
Special Education Teacher(s) or Provider A Person Who Can Interpret Evaluation Results Others with Knowledge or Special Expertise about the Child
StudentÕs (as appropriate) IEP Team
Regular Education Teacher(s)
Student
Who must we get on board? • Student
Student’s Guide to the IEP Helping Students Develop Their IEP www.nichcy.org
Student StudentÕs as IEP appropriate to their TEAM ability
School System Representative
• Parents • Special Education Teacher • Regular Education Teacher(s) • Administrators • Others 24
Transition Services Agency Represen tative(s) Parents
A Guide to the Individualized Education Program. Office of Special Education Programs. 16 June 2002. <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Products/IE P_Guide/>
M a k i n g C o l l e g e R i g h t
A.S. Univ
M A J O R K E Y——>S U P P O R T
Family Friends
Interconnection is Vital
School
Other
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SOME STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
A.S Univ
So c iz at io n
O Li Co ur se w vi
rg an
ia
l
• Aides
Friends
ng
•
Parties Appropriateness
•
or k
Dorm? Single?
Carbonbased Siliconbased
•
Home?
• •
Part time? • Full time? Accommodations?
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Looking For The Right College (Cont.)
Preparation • Documentation… Appropriate Recent Suggestions for reasonable accommodation Issues to consider • Is assistance needed with… Academic Accommodations Independent Living Skills Questions that need answering • Where is the office of student support? What is needed to obtain accommodations? Univ Are they friendly? Knowledgeable? Willing to learn? 27 Do they know what AS is?
A.S.
M a k i n g C o l l e g e R i g h t (Cont.)
A C C O M M O D A T I O N S W O R K S H E E T
Name: Counselor:
Any Student Unnamed Somebody
School: Date: Cause
Any State College
August 15, 2009 Only one question per page. Two sheets of paper to cover distracting verbiage.
Challenge
Taking tests with multiple questions per page.
Suggested Accommodation
Visually over 1. stimulating, gets 2. lost in all the words.
Unable to Perception of 60Hz concentrate under cycling due to visual fluorescent lights. sensitivity Scheduling long term assignments. Poor executive function.
Explore alternate lighting, sit next to window, wear baseball cap in class. Regularly meet with professor (perhaps once a week) to keep on target with lengthy assignments.
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M a k i n g C o l l e g e R i g h t (Cont.)
REALITY CHECK
A.S. Colleges are in the business of education Univ
(Lorraine Wolf)
College are not rehabilitative institutions
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W H A T M I G H T B E L I K E T O H A V E A D I S A B I L I T Y I N A C O L L E G E C L A S S R O O M ?
Let us find out...
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D I S A B I L I T Y I N T H E C L A S S R O O M
Now… Let’s tell a story in a roundrobin fashion Instructions: All you need to do is relate your sentence to the previous person’s sentence.
Adapted from: Lavoie, R. (1989). Understanding Learning Disabilities: How difficult can this be? (Videotape) Greenwich, CT: Peter Rosen Productions.
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D I S A B I L I T Y I N T H E C L A S S R O O M
Now… Let’s tell a story in a roundrobin fashion again EXCEPT • This time… no words can contain the letter “n” No “n” at the beginning, middle, or end
Adapted from: Lavoie, R. (1989). Understanding Learning Disabilities: How difficult can this be? (Videotape) Greenwich, CT: Peter Rosen Productions.
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IN CLOSING…
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S U C C E S S W I T H A S P E R G E R’ S Definition
If you are productive and fulfilled with your life you are probably successful You he wher are exa nt e you ctly all i y need It’s rne right to be now jou
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www.autismasperger.net
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