Pecoff,+Danielle,+Aspergers



Random Fact #1: I collect pressed pennies from places I travel. (You should see how excited I get when a penny press machines appears.) I'm from Lewiston, Idaho and I came here to Ashland to attend SOU to earn my undergraduate degree in Theater Arts. I studied abroad for three months in Segovia, Spain during that time. I would like to teach Drama and English Language Development classes. Eventually I would like to teach Spanish classes as well. I plan to teach English abroad.

I also want to gain some more experience in the world of professional theater. I want to work as a professional director and actor; hopefully ina number of different countries.

Reading, hiking, good conversations, travel, ethnic foods, chocolate, hugs, music, acting, directing, new adventures, and my family give me joy... Oh and a lot of other things too.

I'd have to say that I'm nervous about my ability to deal fairly and unemotionally with all classroom management situations. I wish I had some magical list of answers to every behavior problem that I could apply at a moments notice.

I had an experience during high school where I struggled in my math classes and had to seek out my teacher's help on a near daily basis. In fact, we had a standing lunch date for a few months. In retrospect, I can see what a sacrifice that teacher made in giving of his limited free time to help me succeed. The lesson I take away from this experience is that making myself available to help those students who need a little extra help can make a real difference in their education.

Over the course of this term, I would like to gain a greater understanding of the systems and legislations that direct education for students with special needs. I have worked with developmentally disabled individuals as a job coach and as an aide at a day center. I grew up around this demographic because my mother is a social worker. That said, I have never felt like I had a clear grasp of the logistics at play in a public school setting.

=__**Asperger's Syndrome**__=

I chose to research the topic of Asperger’s Syndrome because I have a student in one of my high school drama classes who has this diagnosis. My CT and I have spent quite a bit of time discussing best practices for helping him to succeed in the class. I wanted to expand my knowledge of this topic in order to be a more successful teacher for this student and any future students with Asperger’s that I might have the privilege to teach. Asperger’s Syndrome is an Autism Spectrum disorder. It also falls under the heading of Pervasive Developmental Disorders which is a category that includes Autism and Childhood Degenerative Disorder. Students with Asperger’s Syndrome frequently struggle in social situations and struggle with the organizational skills necessary to be successful in a school setting. Transitions can be difficult for these students and they are prone to being over stimulated. Large amounts of stress can result for them as a result of overstimulation or unexpected changes in their routine. These students’ distress can manifest itself in such behaviors as flapping their arms, talking to themselves, losing control, or crying. Thankfully, there are many techniques for helping these students cope with the school environment which could otherwise be very stressful.

Top Five Facts Learned


 * 1) It is important to give students with Asperger’s syndrome as much advanced notice as possible if there is going to be a disruption in their schedule.
 * 2) It is important to remember that just because the child learns something in one situation this doesn't automatically mean that they remember or are able to generalize the learning to new situations.
 * 3) Students with Asperger's do not absorb the rules of the school easily or quickly. They need support throughout the day from school staff so that they can function and learn at school.
 * 4) Students with Asperger's Syndrome have difficulty with unstructured periods of time. Reducing the amount of unstructured time can reduce the number of behavioral issues.
 * 5) Asperger’s Syndrome manifests itself in a vast variety of ways and as such, all students with Asperger’s Syndrome should be approached as the individuals they are.

__** Top Resource: **__

The parents of OASIS Asperger Syndrome Forum. (Accessed 2012, March). Asperger’s Syndrome Guide for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/Articles/Asperger-s-Syndrome-Guide-For-Teachers.aspx

(5 star rating) This is an amazing resource for teachers because it was designed by parents of students with Aspergers. It addresses general behaviors and specific techniques for teachers working with these students. It is worded in very clear terms and puts the information in a succinct, easy to read format. This is a handout that I would recommend every teacher have access to.

__**List of 8 additional resources **__
 * 1**) Attwood, T. (2008). //The complete guide to Asperger\'s syndrome//. London: Jessica Kingsley Pub.

(5 star rating) This book is a very well organized guide that has broken the subject up into 15 specified chapters. Chapter headings include such titles as Language, Special Interests, Sensory Sensitivity, Life after school: College and Career, Long-term Relationships and Cognitive Abilities. There is even an entire chapter devoted to “Frequently Asked Questions”.


 * 2)** Betts, S. W., Betts, D. E., & Gerber-Eckard, L. N. (2008). //Asperger syndrome in the inclusive classroom, advice and strategies for teachers//. [electronic resource] London, England: Jessica Kingsley Pub.

(4 start rating) This book approaches the topic of Asperger’s syndrome from the perspective of teachers who are striving to create an inclusive classroom. It provides useful information about the disorder and advice for working with this group of students. One of the benefits of this resource is that there is an online copy available through the Hannon Library.


 * 3**) Painter, K. (2006). Social Skills groups for children and adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome [electronic resource]. London: Jessica Kinglsey Publishers.

(3 star rating) This book provides background information on Asperger’s Syndrome and then presents a step by step program for administering social skills groups for children and adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome. The book provides a program for 10 core social skills groups and an additional 13 supplemental sessions. This is a very interesting resource but it will prove to be the most useful to those individuals who have made working with students with Asperger’s syndrome one of their specialties.


 * 4**) Johnson, J. (2012, March) HubPages: Teaching Students with Asperger’s Syndrome: Tips for Teachers and Parents. Retrieved from http://julieajohnson.hubpages.com/hub/Students-with-Aspergers-Syndrome-Tips-for-Teachers-and-Parents

(4 star rating) This webpage provides a quick set of nine tips for teachers working with students with Asperger’s Syndrome. This webpage could serve as a great quick refresher for teachers upon learning that I student with Aspergers will be joining their class.


 * 5**) Patrick, N. (2008) Social skills for teenagers and adults with Asperger syndrome: a practical guide to day-to-day life [electronic resource]. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

(3 star rating) Features strategies for helping teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome to navigate social skills, friendships and relationships at home and in the community. This information is organized to help address problematic situations before hey are encountered. It is intended for teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome. There is an electronic version of this book which is very helpful.


 * 6)** Biomation. (2009, May 29). Aspergers Syndrome [Video file.] Retrieved from []

(3 star rating) This is an 8 minute video made my young people with Asperger’s Syndrome as a means for explaining in their own words what it is like to have AS. media type="youtube" key="ePlX0zUZktU" height="315" width="560"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmOSMc2Sepg
 * 7)** AspergersGuide. (2009, October 30). What is Asperger's Syndrome. [Video file] Retrieved from

( 3 star rating) This a video created by the website AspergersSurvivalGuide.com. It strives to present the typical symptoms, common treatments, and behaviors of people with Asperger's syndrome in simple terms.

media type="youtube" key="jmOSMc2Sepg" height="315" width="420"

8) Schneider, C. (2007) Acting antics: a theatrical approach to teaching social understanding to kids and teens with Asperger syndrome [electronic resource]. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

(3 stars) This book presents a step-by-step program for using drama to help students with AS develop social understanding. The book explains how acting can be an effective way to address social congnition deficits. There is an ebook version available through the Hannon Library website.

__Community Based Learning Project: IEP Meeting__

For my community based learning project I chose to sit in on an IEP meeting at my junior high placement. The IEP meeting was attended by the student, his mother, the Special Education Teacher, and his Homeroom/Language Arts teacher. The student is a seventh grader who currently attends special classes in writing and math. He had a previous doctor’s diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder.

At the start of the meeting the mother addressed a concern that her son told her another student using the "n word" during class that day. She wanted to know “What was going on?” The Special Education teacher had observed this incident and explained the full situation and how it had been dealt with.

The student was then asked, "How do you feel things are going generally?" He said “Fine.” The Special Education teacher then proceeded to ask him about his favorite and least favorite classes. The Special Education teacher spoke to his huge growth in writing and stated that she feels he could now pass the state test. She also shared some good verbal reports from his teachers. She then addressed one main problem that teachers kept bringing up. She asked him what he thought that one problem might be. He responded that he has an issue with “blurting” out in class. They talked about how he has gotten better at not getting up and moving all over the room all the time. Although they did mention that this it is still a struggle for him to stay in his seat.

The homeroom teacher brought up that she has seen a decline in the students focus and abilities to stay in his seat over the past few weeks. The mother then shared that an event had occurred at home about three weeks ago that had caused an “emotional rollercoaster” for the whole family. The teachers and mother conferred and realized that the decline in class behaviors directly coincided with this family event.

The special education teacher asked about the student’s sleeping and eating habits. She asked if the family had seen any relationship between these habits and his hyperactivity levels.

The meeting attendees then signed an eligibility form for another three years. The student asked what eligibility meant and it was explained to him that this document ensures that he continues to be able to take special classes. The mother made sure to assure her son that she was ok with whatever decisions he wanted to make about the special programs he takes. He then said he wants to finish out the term in his current programs.

Since he will be done with his current special writing class at the end of this term, the team needed to find him another class to take in its place. He asked for another mainstream class other than Spanish to take in the future, but he was informed that Spanish is a required class. The teachers then addressed the positive aspects of taking that class. He then agreed to take the Spanish class in the spring. He said that he was probably at a "low level" of Spanish. The teachers made sure he saw it as “beginner level” class and that it was completely normal form him to be at a beginning level since it was his first Spanish class.

They then went over an IEP form that included such things as background info about his education and a classroom observation. This observation took place earlier this same morning in his social studies classroom. The school psychologist anonymously observed him for a minimum of a half hour. The psychologist wrote down an activity by activity description of the student’s behaviors and participation. The observers was not known to him, so that they could get a better “snapshot" of his in class behavior.

The group then went over an Academic achievement form that discussed his strengths and weaknesses. They explained that any score below a 20% shows something as an area of "weakness." When talking about his math score, they made sure to let him know that he has a good math mind, and shouldn't start thinking that he’s bad at math. They said that he just needs to learn to focus better.

They then went over a sheet with his current grades, talked about specific missing assignments and how to deal with these missing assignments. The print out of grades was sent home with the mother. At this time, the homeroom teacher talked with him about a specific project from her class that he had fallen behind on. They discussed ways to make him successful on this project, including letting him borrow glue to take home and extending the due date.

There was a form for all of the meeting participants to sign. It was expressed to the student how important it was for to him sign and show that he was here at the meeting since the IEP was going to affect his life.

At one point during the meeting the Special Ed teacher took note of new knowledge she learned about him changing from one PE class to another because he was having problems with students from the other class. There was also talk of the Special Education teacher’s concerns that large classes might be a problem for the student in the future because of his issues focusing.

They talked about testing skills. They encouraged the student to slow down on tests and to feel comfortable asking for a moment to stand up and move around if necessary. They also noted that he will be taking national tests in a small group setting.

When going over the current IEP paper work, they reviewed all goals on the previous IEP and checked for current accuracy to see if any goals needed modified, added or removed. They decided to add a goal about the student not needing so much redirection to focus. The new goal was set at the student being able to complete 7 out of 10 activities without redirection by the end of next year. It was made clear to the family that goals that are removed can always be brought back if necessary.

He expressed excitement about what he’d heard about the high school schedule and study skills classes. The Special Education teacher said that he will need all of next year to prep for high school. She gave him the example that he will need to get better at writing down his assignments so that he will be able to participate successfully in a study hall class.

The final form signed at the end of the meeting was to state that the meeting participants were happy with the modifications made to the student’s educational setting. At the close of the meeting the Special Education teacher went back to make sure she had written down any of the concerns that the mother had wanted to express.

In general, I observed the members of the meeting trying to keep a light and positive mood during the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, the mother and son had their hands grasped really tight, but as the meeting relaxed they let go of each other’s hands. I saw this as a sign of initial discomfort or maybe even fear of the whole IEP process. Their gradual relaxation was a positive sign for the way the meeting was run. I believe that the teachers comments of "This is a time to celebrate that he is well on his way,” and "I believe you can meet the benchmarks," helped to ease their worries.

At the end of the meeting I was unsure how the teacher attending the meeting was chosen. I then asked her about the process and learned that the homeroom teacher is the one who usually attends these meetings. This teacher is in contact with the student’s other teachers and gets feedback from them to share at the IEP meeting. I learned the interesting fact that the homerooms are specifically designed to have an average of four students with IEPs to evenly spread out the teachers’ workloads.

After observing this process, I was encouraged to see how this type of meeting can demonstrate to a family that the school staff truly cares for their child. I also saw how time consuming this process can be, which made me worried that corners might frequently get cut in an overworked school district. I look forward to giving my input into the IEP meetings for my future students.