Autism Spectrum Disorders Interviews

File Name: Carly_assistant_workingASD MP4

Duration: 02:45

Video Transcript

Video:Carly talking to interviewer

Graphic on screen:

Carly, Assistant Principal

Working with children with autism

Audio:

Start:00.01

Education with kids on the spectrum, it’s understanding why they are doing what they’re doing. It’s not a personal attackon you,they’re not there making your life a misery. There’s something in theirworld at the moment that is stressing them and as a teacher it is our responsibility tomake sure we find out what it is and give that access to all of them to education. I guess the biggest thing for me was learningabout that triad, the communication,the social and then the repetitive behaviour and understanding how thatimpacted on the childI had inmy classroom and what I was doing or wasn’t doing as far as managing that . Again it’s just education. It’s wanting to get information about why these kids dowhat they do and finding strategies that I could then implement.

Where did you get information from?

I know lots of schools are more than that happy for you to go and visit them, so find out the schools that are doing things really well, whether it be special schools,or SDS schools, or whether it be autism specific schools, whether it’s just the local primary school doing great things. Make contact with them, show that initiative, go out and find out what it is they are doing in the classroom.

Key strategies for teaching children with an ASD?

I think you need to identify what the priorityis for this child in the classroom. It may not be doing times tables; it may actually be sitting in a group, sitting at a table with other kids. It may just be being in the classroom environment when there’s some group work happening and a little bit of noise;it maybe just to complete part one of the project rather than having the project finished;typing up on a computer instead of handwriting. I think we need to realise that we need to adapt for these kids but also that other kids need to learn that we’re not all the same and other kids can learn in different ways and we need to respect that.

Key resources for teaching children with an ASD?

It’s really important to find as many different people and associations and groupsand resources as possible. There’s no one answer, there’s no one resource, no one book that tells you how to teach children on the spectrum.Finding resources that are cost effective and can be implemented straight away and the majority of them can be. You don’t need any fancy resources for kids with autism. The $2 shop has fabulous sensory tools, tennis balls and sponges, things like that; hot water bottles with cold water in them for ‘sit and move’ things for kids.

Finish: 02:45