Archive
NBC’s Parenthood: Addressing the Needs of ALL Children
There was a lot going on in NBC‘s Parenthood last night! ‘Clear Skies from Here on Out‘ got us thinking about how to handle the needs of both neurotypical children and children with special needs. Here is a quick rundown of the Max synopsis!
Jabbar and Max now go to the same school and they eat lunch together. One day Max is having a great time being quizzed on his timetables, but Jabbar is incredibly bored. Jabbar’s friend Jensen invited him to eat lunch, but Max says no, because they are cousins and best friends, and must eat lunch together everyday.
When Jabbar explains to his mother the situation she tells him he doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do. He can eat lunch with whomever he chooses.
At school, Jabbar eats lunch as fast as possible, then tells Max he’s going to play with Jensen. Max refuses, and it’s not long before he’s screaming and pushing Jabbar. Max isn’t done eating yet; Jabbar can’t just leave! Finally, Jabbar blurts out that he’s only eating with Max because there’s something wrong with him. Not only do all the other kids hear this, but Max pushes Jabbar to the ground. You can view this clip here.
Needless to say, when Adam, Kristina, Crosby, Jasmine, Max and Jabbar meet with Principal Taylor and the lunch lady who broke up Jabbar and Max’s fight, emotions run high and there is a major argument.
This poses a major question. How do you address the needs of both your special needs children and neurotypical children? It is often a difficult balance and we’d love to hear your strategies.
To watch the full episode, please visit NBC’s website, here.
Autism Journal Launches Podcasts for Broad Audiences
The international journal Autism is launching a new podcast series, “Autism Matters.” Hosted by University of London psychologist Laura Crane, PhD, the series aims to showcase the latest research published in the journal in accessible language with an emphasis on real world relevance. The intended audience is a broad one–from academics and journalists to individuals with autism and their families.
The first podcast is an interview with Professor Neil Humphrey (Manchester University, UK) on mainstream versus special education for children with autism. To listen click here.
My child has joined a ‘mainstream’ classroom but is struggling. What can help?
Today’s “Got Questions?” response again comes from Simon Wallace, PhD, Autism Speaks director of scientific development for Europe
The U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to include children with disabilities in the least restrictive classroom settings that are possible. At the same time, studies show that different levels of so-called “mainstreaming” present different benefits and challenges.1 And parental preference often varies.2 So the first question to ask yourself is “what type of school placement is the best for my child?”
For instance, you have the option of full inclusion, with all classes taught in a mainstream environment, or partial mainstream, with some proportion of classes taught in a more supportive setting. I also encourage parents to keep in mind the potential advantages of a specialist autism school. Making these decisions should always involve a consultation between parents, teachers and the pupil with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Beyond teaching support, we know that bullying and social exclusion affects the mainstream-school experience of many children with ASD. A recent survey estimated that 44% of children with ASD have been bullied.3 Bullying, in turn, can lead to an increased social isolation and mental health difficulties. Another study suggested that the support of classmates is very important to making the mainstream experience a success for the student with autism.4
One method for encouraging peer relationships is a technique called Circle of Friends, where the child with ASD is at the center of a peer group. This group periodically works on specific goals. Another method, which avoids such a strong focus on the child, is to work on social skills in private or with a group of other children with ASD.
Of course, teacher training remains pivotal to supporting the success of children with ASD in a mainstream classroom. Federal law requires that teachers make reasonable adjustments to their teaching strategies and classroom environment to accommodate the needs of pupils with disabilities. In particular, teachers should be encouraged to adjust the content and delivery of the curriculum, to consider the sensory needs of the pupil, and to welcome the input of both parents and special-needs students when planning their educational programs.
Here are some useful resources, along with references to the studies I mentioned:
Resources:
1. The Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit
2. The Asperger Syndrome/HFA and the Classroom chapter of the Autism Speaks Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Tool Kit
3. Bullying and ASD: A Guide for School Staff (UK)
4. IEPs, iPads and Bullies: 10 Tips from a Dad Who’s Been There, a recent Family Services blog from dad James Vaughan
References:
1. Full inclusion and students with autism. Mesibov GB, Shea V. J Autism Dev Disord. 1996 Jun;26(3):337-46.
2. Parental perspectives on inclusion: effects of autism and Down syndrome. Kasari C, Freeman SF, Bauminger N, Alkin MC. J Autism Dev Disord. 1999 Aug;29(4):297-305.
3. Bullying among children with autism and the influence of comorbidity with ADHD: a population-based study. Montes G, Halterman JS. Ambul Pediatr. 2007 May-Jun;7(3):253-7.
4. Inclusion as social practice: views of children with autism. Ochs E, Kremer T, Solomon O, Sirota K. Social Development. 2001;10(3):399–419.
Got more questions? Please email us at gotquestions@autismspeaks.org. Thanks.
To Mainstream or Not to Mainstream?
To Mainstream or Not to Mainstream? That is the question in this week’s Parenthood episode, ’Taking the Leap.’
Fearing the worst, Adam and Kristina meet with Dr. Robertson, the principal of Footpath, Max’s school. But the news is good, great even. Max is doing so well, they’re having to look for new ways to challenge him in the classroom moving forward. In fact, Adam and Kristina might want to consider transferring Max to a school where he can reach his full potential both academically and socially – i.e. mainstreaming.
Have you mainstreamed your child? What has your experience been? Did your child grow academically and socially?
In Their Own Words – A Graduation Surprise
This “In Their Own Words” essay is written by Tonya L. Jones of Detroit, Mich. She is the proud mother of Joshua Jones, who has autism.
My son, Joshua, is six years old and has just really begun to communicate verbally within the last year or so. We went through such a long period of his repeating everything that I when he began to ask questions and tell me what he wanted for breakfast, I was astounded. Although Joshua was diagnosed only 3 1/2 years ago, this journey with autism already seems like an eternity. But, praise God, he is progressing extremely well and seems to surprise us almost daily with new accomplishments.
Joshua has been in an ASD preschool classroom for three years and during this last year, he began to spend more and more time in a regular ed kindergarten class at his school. He has the most amazing teachers and assistants who are more than patient with him, and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the time and effort they have invested in my son. As the school year came to a close, I was told that Joshua would be graduating with the kindergarten class and that there would be a ceremony and everything! I was just beside myself! My son would march in and graduate with his peers – WOW! I know it was kindergarten, but it was still an amazing accomplishment and his dad and I could not have been more proud.
On graduation day, my husband and I were sitting in the audience waiting for the ceremony to begin. I looked at the program and to my complete shock, there was my son’s name – Joshua was scheduled to lead the audience in “The Pledge of Allegiance!” I could not believe my eyes. I later found out that his teacher did not tell us because she wanted it to be a surprise. Well surprise was an understatement. I was completely stunned!
As the ceremony began, Joshua marched in with his classmates and when it was time for the pledge, he stood up in front of everyone, held the microphone and recited the pledge as we all repeated after him. Oh, what a miraculous moment! Just one short year ago, he could not speak a complete sentence and now he was leading dozens of people in reciting “The Pledge of Allegiance.” There are no words to describe the joy that still fills my heart every time I think about it.
I’m sure there will be many more proud moments we share with Joshua. I thank God continually for blessing us with such an amazing child. He is kind, loving and giving, and literally makes me smile every day.
I videotaped that portion of the ceremony and Joshua never gets tired to watching himself. That’s okay, though. I never get tired of watching him, either.
“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.
Autism in Cinema
Over the past few years, the prevalence rates of autism have become staggering, with 1 in 110 children being diagnosed with autism. There have been several movies and documentaries which have placed autism at the forefront. These movies have spread awareness and helped to inform the masses. Here is a list of some movies that have a common theme of autism. Thanks to The Internet Movie Database, we have synopses of each for you. Follow the links to learn more about these films and documentaries. Which of these movies have you watched? What did you think?
A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism (2009)
The Sunshine Boy is a moving, compassionate portrayal of a mother’s desperate quest to understand the perplexing condition that controls her son. A journey through different countries, where every stop-over opens a new path into the depths of autism – and places her son in a strikingly different perspective as it reaches the end. Read more.
Adam (2009)
Soon after moving in, Beth, a brainy, beautiful writer damaged from a past relationship encounters Adam, the handsome, but odd, fellow in the downstairs apartment whose awkwardness is perplexing. Beth and Adam’s ultimate connection leads to a tricky relationship that exemplifies something universal: truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into uncomfortable territory and the resulting shake-up can be liberating. Read more.
Autism: The Musical (2007)
Director Tricia’s Regan’s riveting documentary follows five different families, participating in The Miracle Project (a theatre program created specifically for children with special needs) as their kids write and perform their own musical production. The film is as much about the parents of autistic kids as it is about the kids themselves. How does one communicate with a child who won’t speak? What do you do when your kid only sleeps two hours per night? How do you cope with a world that has little use or compassion for kids that are so different? These are only a few of the questions that the parents must deal with, questions illustrated by a series of almost painfully honest and blunt encounters. Perhaps the most surprising of the kids profiled is Neal, the son of Elaine Hall, who founded the Miracle Project. Profoundly autistic, he hardly speaks, and is prone to violent tantrums, but when he is finally fitted with a keyboard voice box, a sweet, intelligent personality is revealed. A complete triumph! Read more.
The Black Balloon (2008)
Thomas is turning 16. His dad’s in the army and they’ve just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who’s autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother’s keeper, or is Charlie’s disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle? Read more.
God’s Ears (2007)
Alexia, working in the sex industry, her perspective on men soured by her job, can’t seem to find her way out. When she encounters Noah in a restaurant, he can barely look at her, not because she’s beautiful, and she is, but because it’s simply just too painful to gaze upon a face, any face. His autism, though seen as a handicap by others, is the condition that causes him to “see” Alexia not as a sex object, but as she wishes to see herself–as good and worthy to be loved just as she is. He captures her attention and her heart. It would seem an unlikely meeting, but Worth creatively draws the parallels of human loneliness and longing that bring these two people together in an unforgettably touching story of the heart. Read more.
Mozart and the Whale (2005)
A dramatic-comedy, inspired by the lives of two people with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, whose emotional dysfunctions threaten to sabotage their budding romance. Donald is a good-natured but hapless taxi driver with a love of birds and a superhuman knack for numbers. Like many people with AS, he likes patterns and routines. But when the beautiful but complicated Isabel joins the autism support group he leads, his life – and his heart – are turned upside down. Read more.
Temple Grandin (2010)
Biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who overcame the limitations imposed on her by her condition to become an expert in the field of animal husbandry. She developed an interest in cattle early in life while spending time at her Aunt and Uncle’s ranch. She did not speak until age four and had difficulty right through high school, mostly in dealing with people. Her mother was very supportive as were some of her teachers. She is noted for creating her ‘hug box’, widely recognized today as a way of relieving stress and her humane design for the treatment of cattle in processing plants, even winning an award from PETA. Today, she is a professor at Colorado State University. Read more.
Walking in the Dark : Finding the Light in Autism (2010)
In the documentary, “Walking In The Dark: Finding The Light In Autism” hope is restored. The primary purpose of this documentary is to serve as an educational tool to help parents seek those unanswered questions, find ways to network and to get involved. And, through meeting the families, find hope. You will come into their lives, their homes, and see how they live day to day. See how they cope, how they search for the best therapies and medical attention they can find for their children. And, most of all, through the eyes of their children, see the hope. Read more.
