Final Course Reflections: Us and THEM

Mind, n. A mysterious form of matter secreted by the brain. Its chief activity consists in the endeavor to ascertain its own nature, the futility of the attempt being due to the fact that it has nothing but itself to know itself with.

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

(Levine, 2002)

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It is pertinent to the public school inclusion debate: What value is it for a child on the Autism Spectrum to attend class in a neurotypical setting? Why are 'they' allowed to be in a regular ed classroom when 'they' are so disruptive? 'They' call the teachers bad words and swear. 'They' hurt other kids. 'They' have no boundries. 'They' have no consequences. As a public school teacher who embraces these beautiful and fragile students on the Autism Spectrum, I have heard all these questions and more from colleagues, parents, and even my own family. Why the polarized view? I have better things to do with my time than place blame on a population characterized by social deficit and cognitive differences. I need to teach! Dave Spicer, poet and adult with Asperger's, recalls his feelings of demoralization in his poem "That Asperger's Kid."

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/dave_spicer_poems.html#That%20Asperger%20Kid
Taken from a neurotypical point of view, Spicer puts a twist on the stigma he felt as a quirky, misunderstood child. Even our youngest students place a hidden curriculum of social expectations around tantrums in school. "Every school, and indeed every society, has a hidden curriculum- the dos and don'ts that are not spelled out but that everyone somehow knows about (Bieber, 1994) (Myles & Southwick, 1999)."

In my experience, I have found tantrums are genuine displays of discomfort on the part of my students with ASD, as are the swears, and/or the stereotyped behaviors. Identification and regulation of emotions is a complicated skill often lacking in young children with autism spectrum disorders. How can we help? Do we force the child with an ASD to conform into a neurotypical classroom or educate the mainstream to accept differences? My opinion about this has changed over the past four months. Previously, I asked all my students to follow a code of respect and tolerance; turn a blind eye to any maladaptive behaviors. Everyone is different and everyone is special. My students with High Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger's (AS) were allowed the freedom to yell, cry, self-stimulate, and tantrum within safety boundries. However since I have been at Antioch New England studying in the Autism Spectrum Certificate program, I think the answer is both the orientation of the community and discrete, social value building for the child are the real keys to success. By allowing maladaptive behaviors to go on unmodified, I was not doing any favors for any child who would be socially penalized by his peers later as the social skill set changes through adolescence and adulthood.

The classroom community needs to be supportive and inclusive. The student needs to buy into wanting to be part of the social structure of the community. Enter the counseling interventions and pragmatic social groups giving copious doses of strategies and skills to build and maintain social contacts. Tony Attwood talks about this difficult growth process: "Young children with Asperger's Syndrome can be unaware of the thoughts and feelings of others and virtually mind blind. As they mature and acquire basic ToM (Theory of Mind) skills, they can become very conscious of being mind myopic and socially clumsy, which can lead to social phobia (Attwood, 2005)." Social phobias and other psychological disorders can complicate and perpetuate inappropriate social behaviors. Instead the child with ASD needs supports to develop a positive self image. "LaVoie (cited in Bieber, 1994) poignantly challenges teachers and parents to find the "island of competence" in the child, stress it and celebrate it (Myles & Southwick, 1999)."

So... what value is it for a child on the Autism Spectrum to attend class in a neurotypical setting? Given that the neurotypical classroom community provides support and encouragement; the student with HFA or Asperger's has the opportunity to engage, initiate, and participate with peers. This opportunity connects us as learners. It's not us versus THEM, but us and THEM...a classroom community.

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References

Attwood, T. (2005). Theory of mind and asperger's syndrome. In L.J. Baker & L.A. Welkowitz (Eds.), Asperger's syndrome: Intervening in schools, clinics, and communities (pp. 11-41). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.

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Myles, B.S. & Southwick, J. (1999). Asperger syndrome and difficult moments: Practical solutions for tantrums, rage, and meltdowns. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

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http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger

Did Andy Warhol have Asperger's?

In Prof. Larry Welkowitz's recent Antioch http://www.antiochne.edu seminar on December 17th, the main topic of discussion was the incidence of comorbidity in individuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. In psychiatry, comorbidity refers to the presence of more than one mental disorder occuring in an individual at the same time. I am gently reminded that all things in this world are connected, linked by physical and emotional stimulus... cause and effect. The threads that are woven into our psyche are not single strands but knotted and bound together. Pull one thread and others may come loose. Comorbidity.

For people who have social impairments it is difficult to free themselves of the stigma of 'outsider' status that links so many clinical mental disorders. I think most people have felt the inability to connect to a group at one time or another. For people with Asperger's the incongruence seems to be as they become less symptomatic and more sophisticated in their social understandings, the more likely that a comorbid psychological state will occur. New understanding brings metacognitive awareness; injured self-esteem and feelings of missing that place of 'splendid isolation' can psychologically undermine social growth. Why can't I fit in? Andy Warhol once said "Be yourself- everybody else is already taken." This twentieth century pop icon, believed to have Asperger's, found ways to normalize his view of the world. He convinced millions to buy into his view (and buy his view). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilHmvLd4Bhg Did Warhol have Asperger's? Did he have other co-occuring mental conditions? Was Warhol's 'outsider' status what made him a creative genius or a marketing strategist? For more on Andy Warhol and other information gems about cognitive styles visit Kathleen Seidel's site http://www.neurodiversity.com .

Lastly, guest speaker Andy Silva, really got to the heart of the matter when he recounted his experiences growing up with Asperger's Syndrome. He said one way to help people on the Autism Spectrum is to get them to buy into the social world. Agreed. His, is a viewpoint well taken.

peer mentoring vs. teaching tolerance

Many counseling psychotherapies were demystified by Professor Larry Welkowitz Ph.D. in his recent lecture for a course, "Introduction to Counseling Interventions," at Antioch University New England.

The theory and counseling models were an interesting review of Rogerian techniques, psycho-analyical techniques, behavioral theory, and cognitive theory. However, my imagination was captured in the discussion of 'peer mentoring' as a natural way for students with High Functioning Autism or Asperger's to learn about how social structures work. Prof. Welkowitz shared about 'peer mentoring' at a college level. Peer relationships seem to foster genuine self-selected therapy goals.

In my work with early elementary students, I take a strong perspective on teaching tolerance to help all my students learn to cope with diversity. My student population is a melting pot: mixed grade, mixed ability, mixed culture, mixed socio-economic background. We are neuro-typicals. We are also on the autism spectrum. I began to wonder if 'peer mentoring' would be a natural way for younger children to meet social goals. What would peer mentoring at first and second grade look like? Could younger students be responsible enough to assume the role as mentor?

Autistic Inspirations

My profession of teaching early elementary education has been an enjoyable journey for me. Fifteen years ago, I entered the field of public education with a handful of books and an aspiration to bring a love of rich literature to my students. Rich literature remains core to my curriculum and I continue to be gratified daily with student growth and enthusiasm.

Four years ago a very special child walked into my classroom and into my life. He changed my methodology of teaching and tested my beliefs in inclusion. This child has taken me down a path as challenging and rewarding as my original aspiration. He is a child with autism.

This Kindergarten child came with a program, social stories, picture schedules, a sensory diet, 'discrete trial' systematic teaching, and a team of specialists. It's a funny thing, there was not one 'How To Manual' in this heap of stuff. My new journey began. I read articles and books. I made modifications to the classroom. I tinkered with the social stories and computer software. I reflected on good days and bad. I was facinated by new ways to include this special child in my classroom community. I was really teaching and he was really learning!

Since then, I have had several students on the Autism Spectrum as part of my regular education classroom. Each child unique with his own set of 'rules' and needs; each child expanding my knowledge of Autism. This past September, I began a new journey as a graduate student at Antioch University New England with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders. I have the energy and desire to learn more and be a source of support for other teachers working with the autistic population in our schools.

I am inspired and touched by autism.