Misty Cwach, Amy Forster, Mary Nielsen

Laura Thyren and Danlyn Vander Wal

Project Foundation"Exceptional human beings must be given exceptional

educational treatment, treatment which takes into account their

special difficulties. “ -Hans Asperger

Early Childhood Inclusion

• Inclusion – defined as the values, policies, and practices that will support the rights of children and their families as well as give support in the form of positive relationships, friendships, and a sense of belonging (Allen p.7)

• Inclusion promotes awareness within the classroom as well as the community (Allen p.9?)

Teacher Implications• Need to have programs and activities that can be

specified for children’s specific needs and abilities

• Promote suitable behaviors

• Realize value of play and how it can be used to promote learning and tolerance

• Structure learning and play so everyone can participate regardless of disability

• Foster caring and nurturing environments

• Use a cornucopia of materials and equipment to further develop learning abilities

(Allen p.16)

Benefits of Inclusion

• Curriculum builds upon the strengths of the children

• Observation – can lead to higher-level motor skills,

language skills, social skills, and cognitive skills

• Motivation – seeing what the other children are doing

and so therefore want to try harder themselves

• Learn from the other students – everyone has

something to offer(Allen p.19)

Program Delivery• Assessments of the child• Develop and evaluate IFSP and IEP• Coordination with health providers• Transition plans(Allen p.223)

Communication with Parents

• Notes• Telephone Calls• Website• Newsletter• Meetings – either parent/teacher or large group• Parent conferences• Support groups• Parent feedback• Home visits (Allen p.230-237)

Six Steps for Assessment

1. Screening – identify those that need a more thorough evaluation

• Comprehensive Screening – evaluates the abilities, delays, and/or impairments in areas of development

2. Determining Eligibility – establish if there is a disability and meets requirements for special education services

3. Determine Services – ascertain the types of services that are needed for the specific disability and use this information to make IEP or IFSP

Six Steps for Assessment

4. Planning the Program – use a suitable program

and plan which services will be use and how

5. Monitoring Progress – review how the child is

succeeding/not succeeding in the specific

program used

6. Evaluating the Program – is it effective?

• Make modifications to make it successful OR change

the program completely to have more achievements

for the child (Allen p.243)

Types of Observations Used for Evaluations

• Checklists• Frequency Counts (making tally marks of how many

times something happens)• Anecdotal notes• Duration Measures• Running Records• Logs• Journals• Diaries• Portfolios

Assimilation & Accommodation

• Jean Piaget – Assimilation - different experiences should be

incorporated– Accommodation – new thinking and abilities to help

make assimilation happen

• Helps the child be included in the classroom and not be treated different than the other students

(Gonzalez-Mena and Widneyer Eyer p. 85)

Defined Disability

"I see people with Asperger's syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life"

- Tony Attwood

History of Asperger’s Syndrome

• Initially described by Hans Asperger in 1944– Did not officially become a disorder until 1984

• Classified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Typically diagnosed after the age of 3• Exact cause unknown currently• More common in males than females

Asperger’s SyndromeKey Characteristics

• Lack of skills• Difficulty in social

relationships• Poor concentration• Restricted interests

(Allen, 2005 p, 154)

• Limited interests• Sensitive to loud noises

• Repetitive routines or rituals

• Speech and language peculiarities

• Non-verbal communication problems

• Tend to be “in their own world”

• Have difficulty planning and coping with change

Definition for Children

This video explains some of the basic characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome for children.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9eATB

V-_lg

Behaviors• Speak fluently but will continue

on about a particular subject

• Like to learn facts and figures

• Have narrow, unsociable and

unusual hobbies

• May have some obsessive

behaviors

• Fear of change

• Difficulties understanding

sarcasm and idioms

• Difficulties reading facial

expressions

• Have unique imaginations

• Take longer for learning how to

share and behave properly

• Anger tantrums

• Trouble making eye contact

• Difficulties viewing other’s

perspectives

Asperger’s Syndrome

• Higher functioning

• Normal intelligence

• Near-normal language

development

• Diagnosed after the age of

3 primarily

• Want to fit but have

difficulties because of

social skills

• Do not possess any

“clinically significant”

cognitive delays

Autism• Language delays• Below average IQ• Diagnosed earlier in life• Lower functioning• May seem uninterested

in others• Have cognitive delays.

Some show signs of mental retardation

Student Plan

Setting goals and making a plan to

achieve desired outcomes

Steps in creation of an IFSP(Individualized Family Service Plan)

• Important to specify each family member’s concerns, priorities, and resources

• Incorporate all of the family’s activity settings into the plan, such as school, home, childcare setting, extracurricular activities, etc.

• Assessment should be ongoing and should clearly address the child’s areas of strength, needs, likes and dislikes, resources, and environments, as well as all areas of development

• Important that an individual familiar to the child assesses child in all settings to achieve consistency

• All members of the team should work together to determine expected outcomes that “focus on enhancing the family’s capacity and increasing the child’s participation in valued activities.”

• Next step is to assign responsibilities to various team members in order to achieve identified outcomes

• Plans should be made for each team member’s actions in order to meet the expected goals

• Essential to evaluate methods and results at least twice

per year with revisions made at least annually in order to

ensure quality, which involves much record-keeping to

answer the following questions:

– “To what extent and at what rate is the child making progress

toward attaining outcomes?”

– “Are the selected intervention strategies and activities

promoting gains in development?”

– “Do changes need to be made in the intervention plan?”

Example of an Individualized Family Service Plan

 

Child's Name: David T. Child’s Age: 4 yrs. 11 mos.  

School: ______________________________________________ 

Date: ________________________________________________ 

 

Family Concerns and Priorities:

David has a very high I.Q. and communicates very easily, but struggles to make friends. David loves bugs and knows many things about them. He will talk for hours about different types of bugs, which often bores other children, causing them to back away from him. He struggles when other children don’t do what he expects them to do or don’t follow the rules. David is very literal and doesn’t understand when others are joking with him. David becomes very agitated when things don’t happen when he expects them to and is very difficult to calm. Mom is very concerned that David does not have any friends to play with because the other children do not understand why David acts the way he does.

 

Resources Presently Available to the Family:

The family has begun to take David to a doctor specializing in

Asperger’s Syndrome, and by the doctor’s suggestion, mom and

dad have joined a support group for parents of children with the

diagnosis.

 

Family’s Current Activity Settings:

David currently spends half days in the early childhood program at the

school and spends the other half of his days in a family childcare

setting. Mom and Dad have tried to encourage David to join

extracurricular activities to help him get to know other children in the

hopes that he would make friends, but David does not enjoy sports,

so has protested and refused to participate.

 

 

Assessment of Child’s Current Developmental Level:

David shows above average performance on standardized IQ

assessments as well as above average verbal skills. David’s

large motor development falls in the average to below average

range, as well as his fine motor skill development. David

shows below average scores in social skill development. He

resists any eye contact and struggles to read others’ behavior.

Annual Goals:

Because the most significant concern for David lies in his social

skill development, the primary goal for David’s development is

to increase his ability to relate to his peers socially.

Additionally, another goal for David is to help him develop

coping mechanisms to manage his stress levels when things

don’t go as he expects them to go. 

Short-Term Objectives:

David will learn to recognize

emotions on people’s faces. David

will learn to use a schedule to

make predictions regarding what

will happen next and will learn

tools to cope when things change.

Special Services Plans:

A Behavior Specialist trained in working with children with an

Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis will meet with David twice

weekly during early childhood class time and will meet once

weekly with David’s classroom teacher to incorporate the skills

David is learning into his time in the classroom. Emotion

recognition will be targeted as well as stress management skills.

Much effort will be placed on helping David to use a schedule

to anticipate what will happen next in his day to day routine.

Schedules will be posted for David to use, as well as

expectations for David to follow. Additionally, resources will be

shared with David’s parents and his childcare provider so that

the skills can be extended into all areas of David’s days.

Finally, the classroom teacher will work with David’s peers in the

classroom to help them understand how to interact with David.

Evaluation Plan:

David will be re-assessed in no more than 6

months to determine the effectiveness of the

strategies put in place and make determinations

regarding any changes necessary to the plan.

Additionally, findings from the evaluation will be

used in planning efforts for David’s transition to

kindergarten for the next school year.

Student Environment

“Never say or do to a student what you

wouldn’t say or do to the student in front of

his or her parents.” - Unknown

ObservationT = teacher C = child

Observation

• T says “C remember we do not push

on the playground”

• C looks to teacher and says “Ok T I

can’t push on the playground”

• C repeats this rule until he/she gets

outside for recess

• C notices a group of children playing

in a circle

• C goes over to one child in the group

and shoves them

• When T asks C why he/she pushed;

C says “I just wanted to play”

Material enhancement

• When the teacher returns to the

classroom she develops a social

story for C to read and review about

why we do not push. And also one

abut how to enter play. It also

discusses other solutions to engaging

in play with other children. The

teacher also makes a copy for the

child to review at home. Social

stories can also be developed for

other social situations the child may

struggle with. (Allen & Cowdery, 2005, p.305)

Sample Social Story – Hitting & Pushing

• 1. Sometimes I get angry with my friends and teachers

• 2. They sometimes do things that upset me. When I am upset, I must not hit other people

• 3. When I am upset I must not push other people or hit them, this is wrong and it is not allowed, this is the school rule.

Sample Social Story – Hitting & Pushing

4. If I hit or push someone I might hurt them. This would make them sad and my teacher or parents will take away my computer time when I push or hit (or add another consequence)

5. I must try to follow the school rules and not hit and push. This will make my friends happy.

6. I will enjoy my school day and so will my friends. When I am a good (add boy/girl), I will be able to use my computer and have fun. 

Other Instructional Approaches for Teaching Social Relations

• Personalized rule cards

– Can be taped to child’s desk as a visual reminder. Can also be

laminated and given to the children to carry with them. (ex. How

the children are expected to sit in their desks)

• Comic Strip Conversations

– Used to visually clarify social interactions and emotional relations

• Role-playing

– Teacher and student can act out situations that seem to cause

problems for the child. The teacher can provide guidance for how

the student can act(Stokes, 2002)

Other Instructional Approaches for Teaching Social Relations

• Peer Partners– A buddy that can assist the child with AS during less structured social

situations. The support network should be established in a small group setting.

• Modeling– Using videos to discuss proper social skills

• The Button Jar– The AS student, or include all the students in the classroom, put a

button in the jar each time they are noticed doing exhibiting great social skills

(Stokes, 2002)

• Video about teaching social skills

Incorporating Technology

• Teachers can use software programs to assist in teaching

social skills. There are many programs out there, but I

found pretty good reviews on this one.

– School Rules – Volume 1 & 2

• Incorporate the students with AS in making the social

stories on the computer. This gives them some ownership

of the finished product and also teaches technology skills.(Stokes, 2002)

Incorporating Technology

• Word documents can also be used to help children express their feelings since writing skills are often not well developed.

Families and Communities

How to connect families and

communities to services and

professionals available to them

Considering Diversity• Because each child with Asperger’s Syndrome is unique, the family’s ethnic,

religious, and ethical background will be taken into consideration when building

the program.

• The program will bring in professionals that will translate for the families if need

be to ensure maximum communication between all parties, while using the first

language of each child in the program.

• The religious beliefs and family background will be respected for each child that

is in the program.

• There will be no pressure from any of the professionals in the program to change

the personal identity of any of the children or their families within the program.

• The program will focus on creating a comfortable learning environment for each

of the students.

• Special accommodations will be made for students when necessary.

Online Resources• Each of the families of a child in the program will be given a list of

websites in a newsletter when they first come into the program. These are the websites that we will encourage families to visit:

• http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/Home.aspx

• http://www.aspergersresource.org/

• http://www.behavior-consultant.com/as-online.htm

• http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/resources.html

• http://www.aspergers.com/

• http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/fsdb/state.php?sid=49

• http://www.aspennj.org/

• http://www.mugsy.org/connor1.htm

Paper Resources• Each week, the program will send out a newsletter that will help to

communicate with families. The newsletter will include:

• Photos of the students in the program (if given permission by the family)

• What is being taught in the program

• A weekly article discussing current Asperger’s Syndrome research, and

what this means to families

• Weekly notes of encouragement to get involved in community

awareness and support of others with Asperger’s Syndrome

• New ideas for families to try at home to encourage their student’s

academic and social success

• Each family’s newsletter will be translated into the language that is

individually appropriate for them.

Professional Help• Each of the families in the program will be given a list of face-to-face

help that they can get for them and their child. They will be

encouraged to take advantage of opportunities such as:

• Support groups

• Helpful websites such as,

http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/fsdb/state.php?sid=49 that

are going to help families get connected with others like themselves

in South Dakota.

• Special education teachers in their districts that can help with how to

encourage learning at home.

• South Dakota pediatricians that are aware of what to expect when

dealing with a child with Asperger’s Syndrome

Support Groups in South Dakota

• Central South Dakota Chapter- Autism Society of America ASA Chapters, Information and Support 19304 Robbs Flat Rd. Midland, SD 57552

• Black Hills Chapter- Autism Society of America ASA Chapters, Information and Support 1818 W. Fulton Street #101 Rapid City, SD 57701

• Autism Society of the Black Hills ASA Chapters, Information and support Sherri Perkins, Program Coordinator statewide, SD 

• Family Support Program

Department of Human Services, Div. of Developmental Disabilities4050 East CapitolPierre, SD 57501-5070

Early Intervention

• As early childhood professionals, we understand the value of

controlling the loss of learning due to a disability. With this

program, we will help to encourage cognitive development at as

normal of a rate of possible. This program also will encourage

children to develop their emotional, social, linguistic, and motor

skills. We will particularly encourage cross-curricular lessons

that will help to develop the student as a whole. With early

entrance to this program, each student will have successes

greater than they would have had without this program.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be

understood. Now is the time to understand

more, so that we may fear less"

- Marie Curie

References• Allen, K.E., & Cowdery, G.E. (2005). The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education.

Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

• Aspergers Network Support for Well-being Education and Research. (n.d.). What is Asperger Syndrome?

Retrieved June 9, 2011, from ANSWER - Asperger's Support Network:

http://www.aspergersmn.org/index.php?id=56

• Atwood, T. (2005). What is Asperger's Syndrome. Retrieved June 8, 2011, from OASIS @ MAAP:

http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/Articles/What-is-Asperger-Syndrome-.aspx

• Christian, J. (2006). Autism Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved June 2011, from Sanford School of Medicine:

http://www.usd.edu/medical-school/center-for-disabilities/upload/autismhandbook.pdf

• Etsy, Inc. (2011). DAILY SCHEDULE PECS Charts for Children/Adults with Autism/PDD/Aspergers.

Retrieved June 2011, from Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57400323/daily-schedule-pecs-charts-for

• Gonzalez-Mena, Janet and Dianne Widneyer Eyer. Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers. New York :

McGraw-Hill , 2009.

• Hirsch, D. (2011). Asperger's Syndrome. Retrieved June 8, 2011, from WebMD:

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-Asperger's-syndrome

References

• Quotes on Autism or Asperger's. (2011). Retrieved June 19, 2011, from Wrongplant.net:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt74841.html

• Parenting Aspergers Community. (2008). Aspergers Support Groups South Dakota. Retrieved

June 2011, from Parenting Aspergers Community:

• Rethink autism. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.rethinkautism.com/professional/intro.aspx

• Special Needs Toys. (2010). Retrieved June 2011, from Children's Disabilities Information:

http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/shops/specialneedstoys.html

• Stokes, S. (5/10/2002). Children with asperger’s syndrome: Characteristics/leaning styles and

intervention strategies. Retrieved from http://www.bbbautism.com

• Support Groups in Other States and Countries. (2011). Retrieved June 2011, from Asperger

Syndrome Education Network: http://www.aspennj.org/resources_other.asp#SD