Edu744 Asperger's and Literacy

8/22/2019 Edu744 Asperger's and Literacy

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Red Group

Lisa Neal

Literacy and

Asperger's SyndromeEDU 744


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What do:

have in common? Give Up?


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The brilliant minds behind these accomplishments,

Elvis PresleyJim Henson

Albert Einstein

Thomas JeffersonBill Gates

all displayed characteristics associated with

Asperger's Syndrome


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Asperger's Syndrome

and its effects on literacydevelopment.

Guiding Questions:*How does Aspergers Syndrome affect a

students literacy?

*What are some techniques that educators

can utilize to help these unique learners?


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Thesis Statement:

Although children with Asperger's

Syndrome have major hurdles toovercome, given an educational

setting that caters to their needs,

they are able to learn and beproductive citizens in society.


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What is Asperger's

Syndrome?Asperger's Syndrome is a highfunctioning form of Autism. Itwas officially deemed adiagnosed disorder in 1994however, in 1944 Hans

Asperger from Germany,

perceived odd behaviors certainchildren displayed, andrecognized the challenges they

faced.


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Challenges "Aspies" Face:

Difficulties with...

*Gross Motor skills which makes it hard for them to participate in sports.

*Fine Motor skills which hinders their ability to write.

*Understanding social cues such as how others around them are feeling andarticulating how theyare feeling.

*Communication along with odd speech patterns. They do not understandsarcasm and jokes.

*Change in routine can cause great anxiety and sometimes result in shuttingdown in class or throwing tantrums which often are severe.

*Aversion to sensory stimuli such as touch, taste, and sound which makes itdifficult in hallways or in classrooms where student discussions are

prevalent. Even the "feel" of certain clothing can be troublesome.

*Organizational Skills which makes it hard for them to keep track oftasks or homework, and interferes with managing certain

assignments.


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Although there are numerous

challenges children with

Asperger's face, it is

imperative to remember that

"each student is unique andhas strengths upon which a

teacher can build" (Mercer,

2009, p.18)


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Asperger's Syndrome

How does this disorder affectliteracy development?

What can educators do to helpthese students be successful?


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Literacy for students with AS

"...the general cognitive and language abilities of these

students are comparable with most of their peers.."(Mercer, 2009, p.11).

The challenges they face do not tend to be with the

mechanics of reading or language, but rather with the

abstract ideas involved. They struggle to grasp

metaphors and make inferences.


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The delayed motor skills make it difficult for"Aspies" to write. Although they may have

interesting ideas, getting well structuredthoughts down onto paper proves to be

arduous, not only because of the physicaldemands, but also due to their lack of

organizational skills and struggles to grasp

abstract ideas.

Critical thinking is a struggle for these children

and as they grow, this becomes more apparentin their responses to social cues, as well as intheir academics.


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What are some strategies

that work?Visual Aides

Manipulatives

Music

Rhythm

and....


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Dramaand

Theater


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Dramatic activities are crucial

to early literacy developmentbecause children can be involved

in reading and writing as a

holistic and meaningfulcommunication process (Sun,

2003, p. 2).


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Because children with Asperger's

Syndrome "...often have difficulties inperceiving and understanding the overall

context or 'main idea'" (Mercer, 2009),

giving these students authentic learningexperiences that provide a frame of

reference will help them to be better able

to grasp the material.


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Theatrical Strategies that

Work...

* Story reenactments

"foster children's sense of story

structure..., which promotes theirnarrative competence" (Sun, 2003, p.

3).


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Vocabulary Development throughDrama...

Asking students to "act" out new vocabularywords creating a "memorable event" (Sun,

2003, p.4) helps students to retain the

information and apply it in other situations.


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Enhancing writing throughDramatic activities....

Asking students to "act" using characters

from literature or from history is a great

way for them to "view the story from the

perspective of characters within the text"

(Sun, 2003, p.4). As they write, they are

able to draw on those experiences and

make logical inferences about the

characters.


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"Becoming" the character helps

students to identify on a much

deeper level.


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Even Bigger Benefits for Studentswith Asperger's Syndrome

"It is critical to recognize that in order to

achieve the best possible outcome in real-life

social situations, people on the autism spectrum

need to first practice social skills in controlled

environments"(Davies, 2004, p.3). Having a

classroom where peers are supportive and the

teacher is aware of the specific challengesassociated with AS will nurture these skills in a

positive way.


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Acting classes offer students

opportunities to develop the skillsthey need for literacy

development, as well as providingthem with tools they can use to

build meaningful relationships andbecome successful in life.


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References

Asperger, H. (1944/1991). Autistic psychopathy in childhood. In U. Frith (Ed. & Trans.),

Autism and Asperger syndrome (pp.37-92). Cambridge, UK. Cambridge

University Press. (Original work published in 1944)

Davies, A., McAfee, J. L., & Stamm, J. (2004). Teaching Asperger's students social skills

through acting: all their world's a stage!. Arlington, Tex.: Future Horizons.

Doell, C. (2011, January 1). The Expository Writing of C.F. Doell: AspergersSyndrome and Literacy:. The Expository Writing of C.F. Doell. Retrieved

January 24, 2013, from http://cfdoell.blogspot.com/2011/05/aspergers-

syndrome-and-literacy.html

Mercer, K. L. (2009). Understanding the literacy difficulties of students with

Asperger's syndrome in middle years' classrooms.Literacy Learning: The

Middle Years , 17(2), 11-21.

Sun, P. (2003, January 12). Using Drama and Theatre To Promote Literacy

Development: Some Basic Classroom Applications. ERIC Digest. .

ERICDigests.Org - Providing full-text access to ERIC Digests. Retrieved January26, 2013, from http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/drama.htm
http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/drama.htmhttp://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/drama.htmhttp://cfdoell.blogspot.com/2011/05/aspergers-http://cfdoell.blogspot.com/2011/05/aspergers-

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Edu744 Asperger's and Literacy