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Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism

I read a lot… I wish I had time to read more! I recently read an article about instructional level text as a tool to improve reading. This has always been something that has bothered me. Teachers have long believed that the only text appropriate for older students who happened to be low readers is instructional level text. In other words, text that corresponds with their assessed reading level. I have always thought otherwise. When you get to students in middle and high school, presenting only instructional level text limits a student’s exposure to challenging materials and also throttles their learning. So what does that mean when you’re teaching literacy to students with Autism and significant disabilities?

Dora in High School

It never fails, at least once a school year I walk into a high school classroom and see an almost adult reading a Dora or Barney book.

It literally makes me groan.

What would make anyone think a 17-year-old would want to read a Dora book? Whenever I talk about it with the teacher, the reaction is always the same. The student is reading a book that is appropriate for their “instructional reading level”.

It sounds very formal, and almost convincing… But truth be told, teachers have been holding on to the idea of instructional level text for so long- does it really apply when you’re teaching literacy to students with Autism or other significant disabilities?

Personally, I don’t think so.

Just because a student cannot talk doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to say… and to assume otherwise is dangerous and just plain wrong. Presume Competence in your Classroom.

Presume Competence Autism

Presume Competence in Autism Units or Self-Contained A few years ago I was in a classroom where a new student enrolled that morning. They pushed… Read More »Presume Competence Autism

With the rates of abuse growing higher year after year, what can you do to protect your students? One word: AAC!

AAC and Abuse

It seems like such a long time between a student entering pre-kindergarten and aging out of high school. The truth is it’s just a fraction of their lifetimes. In the little time we have, our most important responsibility is to equip our students with an effective way to communicate with others. It is essential to make the connection between AAC and abuse so we can intentionally lower the rate of abuse for nonverbal students.

Meet Tricia…

I was in a classroom just last week and a 20 year old young woman was exhibiting some severe behaviors. She, let’s call her Tricia, was a student with Down Syndrome and a severe Speech Impairment. Most of what Tricia said came out as grunts and points.

That day Tricia went through an entire 30 seconds of emphatically grunting and pointing and making facial expressions to the para-educator in the classroom. The teacher was standing next to me and I asked him what Tricia had said.

He replied “Damned if I know.”

Clearly the aide didn’t know either. She looked confused at Tricia and asked her “What do you want?” That was the straw… Tricia punched her arm, pushed her and moved to a nearby table where she proceeded to throw all the papers and materials onto the floor.

The behavior escalated from there.

Later, when calm had returned, I asked the teacher how Tricia expressed her wants and needs. He looked at me and replied, “I guess she doesn’t.”

*Sigh*

Behavior Strategies that Work BEFORE the Behavior

It’s Going to be One Of Those Days… I used to have a student and, I swear, I knew if we were going to have… Read More »Behavior Strategies that Work BEFORE the Behavior

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Students with Autism from NoodleNook.Net

Instructional Strategies for Students with Autism

Instructional Strategies for Students with Autism I started in my first self-contained classroom mid semester… and it was tough. The routines and procedures are already… Read More »Instructional Strategies for Students with Autism

Looking for some easy ways to use BIGMacks in your classroom? Here are 5 quick and easy ideas that will help!

Meaningful Ways to BIGMack

They’re in your classroom… and they’re pretty easy to use.

But they’re not.

They sit without batteries collecting dust.

They are programmed to do nothing.

But Why?

Meaningful Ways to BIGMack

When I first encountered a BIGMack in the classroom I thought it was a nice little gadget that I would learn to use someday. Well, someday took a long time to come.

It wasn’t that it was complicated to use, but since I had never used one before it might as well have been quantum physics. It also wasn’t that it was useless, but since I had never used it before I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

To save you from the long learning curve involved in “I’ll eventually get to it”, let’s just cut to the chase. Here are 5 quick and easy things you can do with the stock of BIGMacks you have in your room.

Elopement and Autism

When I used to hear the word ‘Elopement’ I thought of two lovers running off to get hitched… but having been in Autism Units and LIFE Skills classrooms for so long ‘Elopement’ means something different. It means something that’s downright scary.

And it is downright scary when you look up and realize one of your students has wandered away or “eloped” the sense of panic that engulfs you is petrifying. Just downright scary.

It is also exhausting when you have to constantly stand in front of a door or always block a student from running (like out the door and into traffic). Just downright exhausting.

So what do you do? How do you get some control back when studies suggest nearly half of student with Autism wander or elope? Well, here are a few helpful tips and strategies…

Best of 2016

Happy New Year! To make this year your best year yet, remember all you’ve learned here at NoodleNook over the past year with these Best… Read More »Best of 2016

Happy Holidays from NoodleNook

Happy Holidays from NoodleNook!

Roller Coaster

Whenever we come back from Thanksgiving it feels like a frantic roller coaster to the Holiday Break. There is just so much to do- and little has to do with instruction! There is paperwork to finish, activities for the holidays, and then campus things like exams and report cards… And you know what happens (not to you because you’re a rockstar)? Sometimes teachers just stop teaching.

I know, I know… what?!?

So how do you manage the Roller Coaster and have a bit of a break before your break.

Tips and tricks to write a killer BIP! Great help with free printables.

How To Write a BIP

How to Write a BIP

Teacher: It is terrible… Bobby is running out of class all the time!
Me: Okay, let me see the BIP.
Teacher: Oh, it’s totally not working. (Hands me the BIP.)
Me: This BIP is for verbal outbursts.
Teacher: Oh… is that why it’s not working?
Me: *sigh*