Bruce's story

Using ICT to successfully engage a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with the curriculum and his classmates

   
Early in the year                                                 Later in the year

Bruce describes himself as a relatively inexperienced teacher who became ‘very anxious’ when he learned that his next year’s class group would have a student with ASD. In the reflective report written at the end of the project, Bruce recorded that: ’…my first thoughts went to how am I going to cater for this student pedagogically?’

There were to be 27 other students in Bruce’s composite grade 3 – 4 class. For the first part of the year, Bruce had no teacher aide assistance for Solomon, his student.

Bruce knew that, until he was able to secure the extra adult assistance, it should be possible to use the natural supports already in the classroom—Solomon’s peers—to provide some of the learning support he needed. Bruce saw that this strategy would have the added value of facilitating an Individual Education Plan (IEP) goal of developing Solomon’s communication skills.

Early in the year, Solomon’s social interactions in the classroom were limited. He tended not to interact with his peers as the ‘Early in the year’ photo above and the photo below indicate.

Bruce notes that Solomon is a student with moderate – severe autism and epilepsy. This impacts on his learning because he has absence seizures that erase his short term memory. They cause him to pause mid-task or mid-journey and forget what he was going to do.

After Solomon had experienced a seizure, Bruce would provide him with some ‘down time’ and a choice of activities. Bruce noticed that frequently Solomon would choose to go on the computer and the interactive whiteboard (IWB) that was currently in their class room. ‘It became very clear that Solomon liked the tactile way the IWB worked’. Thinking further about Solomon’s interests, he remembered from a meeting with Solomon’s mother early in the year ‘…a comment that indicated it was very difficult to get Solomon off the computer at home.’

Fortunately, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was a major focus at Bruce’s school and it was well-equipped with a large computer laboratory and two interactive whiteboards.

With these considerations in mind …’ I wondered if it was possible to use technology in a way that would provide Solomon with effective access to the curriculum. When the opportunity came up to be involved in the Inclusive Curriculum Project, I took it as an opportunity to explore my theory in more depth. The question I came up with for the project was:

How can students with autism spectrum disorder use technology to provide effective access to the curriculum?’

Thus, Bruce decided that he would utilise every opportunity he could to build on Solomon’s interest in ICT to engage him in the curriculum and the class.

This became an ongoing focus for the year. However, as a major focus for his project work, Bruce decided to develop and implement a Maintaining wellbeing learning sequence where the use of ICT would provide an overlaying lens and indeed a vehicle for the culminating performance.

Bruce felt all his students, including Solomon, would benefit from an inquiry into some of the factors contributing to a healthy lifestyle. As well, he hoped the ICT approach would facilitate Solomon’s progress with his IEP goals.

Maintaining wellbeing learning sequence

Outcomes for Solomon

Bruce's concluding thoughts

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