Reading, Writing, Remediation: Lessons Learned From Special
Part 3 of a series published in Autism Digest
There are schools scattered across the United States that specialize in students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA). These schools are filled with extensively trained teachers, and they’re achieving great success with students who are struggling in their public schools.
So, what are they doing differently? And what can we learn that might inspire fresh ideas for our children wherever they attend school?
One significant difference immediately stands out. They integrate technology, social skills training, and occupational therapy (OT) into every aspect of the curriculum. They’ve replaced the traditional model of once-a-week social groups or OT with consistent daily instruction, and they take full advantage of technology to remediate weaknesses and build strengths.
Take a closer look at three schools – the Summit Academy in Ohio, the SpringstoneSchool in California, and the Harbour School in Maryland.
Technology as a Tool
John Howard, Co-Founder and Language Arts Teacher at the Springstone School, has a caveat. “We’re very mindful not to have technology be a feature. We only use it when it is effective.” But they have many compelling uses for computers.
The students at Springstone never miss homework because they didn’t write complete instructions or left their notebook at school. They have access to all assignments at any time via the Internet. They don’t have to worry about maintaining attention to the teacher while furiously laboring to take notes. And they don’t have to feel defeated when handwriting or attentional deficits win the battle.
Instead, teachers put their lessons into a Word file, project it onto a screen for use during class, and then take one crucial extra step. They download the file to the students, providing thorough, ready-made notes.
Computers become a tool to organize and centralize schoolwork with graphic organizers available through Inspiration software. The critical step is for teachers to work with the students, reinforcing proper computer use and ensuring that their electronic schedule remains organized and prioritized. Over time, this consistent visual representation helps students replace executive function disabilities with a better sense of organization.
Another exciting way Springstone uses computers is by making them “portable and untethered.” Their computers connect wirelessly to a central server so if a student needs to take a break or go to a quieter place, they can take their work (the laptop) with them.
The Harbour School uses software from Kurzweil Educational Systems that delivers lessons with visual and auditory feedback. Teachers can choose from a prepared lesson database or scan their own text into the computer and add electronic “sticky notes” with questions for review or comprehension. Then, students work at their own pace. They listen to the computer read the lesson (in a natural-sounding voice with adjustable delivery speeds) while following along and interacting with the text.
Technology opens a world of opportunities for students at the Harbour School. “I might not be able to express myself in written form, but I can do a film with voiceover. A persuasive speech can be done graphically. Students are encouraged to express themselves in a way that works for them, not necessarily pen and paper,” said the school’s Director, Martha Schneider. "Students are taught how to use a variety of electronic media to demonstrate academic competence."
The Summit Academy uses Odyssey software to individualize lessons according to academic level and learning style. At school, students use computers to maximize their productivity during independent time.
Parents can log onto the Internet at home to check their child’s progress throughout the day, and kids can go online to do their homework. Since Odyssey is web-based, it’s like having a cyber school supplement to the brick-and-mortar school.
With such dedication to technology, it’s no surprise that they all support using the keyboard. “You must consciously develop the mindset because we’re so used to paper and pencil,” said Karen Flory at the Summit Academy. "But encouraging students to use the keyboard is one more way to reduce stress for those with fine motor issues, thus saving energy to focus on learning."
Integrated Social Skills and OT
Reinforcing social skills and OT in all classrooms creates a framework that supports emotional balance and improves overall success at school.
“Many kids with AS didn’t make it through a full school day or were falling apart at home,” said John Howard. His co-founder, Kristine Wong, is an occupational therapist who brought OT into the mainstream at Springstone.
They equip all their classrooms with various OT tools that teachers and students are trained to use for sensory support. T-stools, balls, fidgets, alternative seating, sour candy, and straws are a few of the accommodations available to help students maintain attention and appropriate behavior.
Occupational therapy is also uniquely used at Springstone to facilitate transitions. Every student has 10 minutes of prescribed OT between classes, giving them a transitional object and helping them “cleanse the palette” as they change activities.
At the Harbour School, teachers model social skills, and students practice them. They repeat this cycle as opportunities arise throughout the day. They frequently film and replay social interactions so students benefit from immediate feedback.
In addition to maximizing these learning moments, each student has daily social goals. As they complete their goals, they are rewarded with “Harbour Dollars,” and every Friday, they turn their school money into a tangible reward by purchasing items produced in the classroom businesses.
Social Skills Outside the Box
Karen Flory, a teacher at the Summit Academy, believes that “thinking outside the box is more grounded than in the box.” Her belief comes to life by giving her students a real-world venue for practicing their social skills.
At least three days a week, she takes her students into the community for part of the day. Their activities range from volunteering in the public library and playing games with residents in a retirement community to shopping or going to a restaurant together. Before each trip, they discuss what to expect and prepare by practicing the specific behavior or interaction that will be required.
It takes extra effort to coordinate the outings, but her students learn far more than social skills. Ms. Flory takes digital photographs that the students use to make scrapbooks and collages, which are then shared in the classroom to build friendships and reinforce episodic memory.
An outing becomes a writing lesson when the students write thank-you notes to the retired seniors. Her students even wrote – and won – a grant to help finance their activities at the retirement home.
Going the Extra Distance
These schools have other not-so-high-tech ways to help their students. The Summit Academy offers therapeutic marital arts and outdoor experiential education.
The patented Village Curriculum at the Harbour School turns classrooms into operating businesses and the school into a village where students apply to be in the homeroom representing their favorite business. Each business is tied into the academic curriculum. These innovative programs work together with academics to build empathy and independence.
Smorgasbord of Possibilities
Integrating technology and social-emotional learning into the school day requires commitment, cooperation, and funding. However, any school can overcome financial barriers by adapting these concepts on a smaller scale or seeking alternative solutions such as partnerships with businesses or universities.
“Over the last five years, we have made tremendous progress implementing technology as much as funds permit,” said Lyn Mulroy, a Learning Support teacher in a large public school district in Pennsylvania.
Despite having only three computers, her students use them “all day, every day” for academics (supplemental or for all coursework, depending on the student’s needs), research, and organization.
In her classroom, computers are a favorite place to spend free time, and they’re often used as a calming activity. Ms. Mulroy goes the extra distance by giving students access to her laptop for graphics software not available on the school’s computers.
Rebecca Klaw, an independent consultant, trainer, and advocate for children on the autism spectrum, works with parents and teachers to find solutions for behavioral and sensory issues. She has implemented many inexpensive accommodations.
Need a creative solution to reduce distraction from flickering fluorescent lights and overhead decorations? Wear a baseball cap.
Trouble concentrating during tests? Temporarily turn the desk into a private carrel with large pieces of cardboard. Or wrap bungee cords around the chair legs to provide a quiet sensory assist for a student whose concentration improves when he can shake his leg.
Lessons Learned
Consider the amount of planning and extra processing time kids with AS and HFA need to complete even simple tasks. Add to that several heaping cups of sensory overload, social confusion, stress related to changes, and several spoonfuls of organizational deficits.
When mixed together, the result is a confusing and overwhelming environment. These extraordinary students dedicate excessive energy to meeting expectations, maintaining appropriate behavior, and hiding their anxieties.
Whether their control slips at school or explodes at home, the true antecedent – an extreme vulnerability fed by multiple ingredients – may not be identified when their otherwise “great” day is reviewed.
Appreciating this level of anxiety is the first step toward working together to implement strategies that increase coping mechanisms. The lesson learned is that an excellent tool for building a supportive and successful educational experience is the daily integration of technology, social skills training, and OT.
“It’s all about freeing our children to listen, concentrate, and learn,” observed Ms. Klaw. The most remarkable thing happens when time is dedicated every day to addressing the core issues of AS and HFA … confidence grows, and academics improve. Let the experiences of these three schools be your buffet of possibilities so you can savor the sweet taste of remediation and success in your school, too!
