EDUC4020 Assessment 1: Essay 25%

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 88 births and is the fastest-growing developmental
disability according to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). It is
therefore very important that educators are aware and demonstrate effective use of the
strategies and approaches that are identified as effective in supporting their numeracy and
literacy development. As ASD is lifelong, it is crucial that appropriate interventions or
adaptations are planned and enacted in regards to the diverse levels of each student’s social
interaction, impairment in communication and their restrictive, repetitive, stereotypical
behaviors and interests (Spencer, Evmenova, Boon & ayes-Harris, 2014, p. 331). In knowing
that ASD ranges from mild to moderate and severe and that no two students with ASD have the
same learning styles or needs, teachers must know their students and how they best learn in
alignment with Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership standards and in the
students best interests (AITSL, 2017).

Holistically, when supporting numeracy and literacy learning for students with Autism,
focusing on an approach that incorporates a strengths based model is grounded upon the idea
that for example, with a student with Autism, teachers design tasks around their attention to
detail rather than their difficulty with social interaction; focusing on building strengths and
adapting for weaknesses (Ashman, 2014, pp. 77-79). Complimentary approaches to this model
include differentiating the curriculum, Response to Instruction (RTI), Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) and include explicit teaching and learning strategies (Ashman, 2014, pp. 141-
147). Overall, each student with ASD will present with different needs however when
considering a mild representation of ASD in a mainstream classroom, students may need
specific cognitive, behavioural and communication adaptations and teachers will need to plan
for this within literacy and numeracy (Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 332). Therefore, in a classroom
with a range of abilities an RTI approach is effective in using an 80–15–5 tiered system that
starts making adjustments and adaptations for 80 percent of students with the curriculum,
moves to 15 percent in small-group intervention and finally to 5 percent in a specialised and
individualised high risk intervention; with family supports (Ashman, 2014, p. 145). This ensures
adaptations and adjustments are already happening for all students in the learning
environment and offers students with ASD more specific literacy and numeracy supports within
the planning for and teaching stages for learning; depending on whether family’s wish to assist
in this process, dictates its success (Ashman, 2014, p. 145). Other important ideas that need to
be in place are supports to ensure literacy and numeracy success including those in figure one
and apply extremely to ASD learning needs; including considering if the students has another
family member with ASD, as behaviours detrimental to learning could possibly be in response
to home life, lack of sleep, changes in circumstances and cause dealing with stressors in
inappropriate ways.

Figure 1: Making adjustments to a teaching approach (Ashman, 2014)

Within the content area of Literacy, students with ASD typically have a range of concerns
relating to decoding, print awareness, word recognition and reading comprehension (Mirenda,
2003; Nation, Clarke, Wright, & Williams, 2006). Some of the strategies Spencer and associates
discovered to aid in learning include the use of computer-assisted instruction where programs
specifically targeted these areas in gradual steps and combined attention retaining strategies
with least intrusive prompts and modifying tasks to align with student’s interests and preferred
learning styles; mostly hands on experiential learning with aspects of explicit teaching (2014, p.
332). Text comprehension is one literacy skill that requires a more inclusive/structured
approach that employs peer-tutoring, cooperative learning groups, and procedure facilitation
where ASD students work towards individual skills within a group such as being a text
summariser in reciprocal teaching with aims to develop understandings about what happened
in the text before being scaffolded with questions for tuning into what a character said, felt or
implied (Ashman, 2014, pp. 149-152; Chiang & Lin, 2007, pp. 259–267). Other needs relating to
written language difficulties of students with ASD often result in spelling difficulties that result
in less complex writing samples according to Kinney, Vedora and Stromer (2003). Teaching and
learning strategies that might assist with these skills include using sight words and a scaffolded
computer presented video model to teach spelling skills in an explicit and differentiated way
where ASD students are in tiered spelling groups that aim to develop phonemic
awareness/decoding skills in a progressive and developmental order; inconjuction with reading
multimodal texts (Chiang & Lin, 2007, pp. 259–267).

Within the content area of Numeracy, students with ASD typically have a range of concerns
relating to mathematical computation skills, counting, time management and money skills
(Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 332). While students with ASD will demonstrate different levels of
mathematical abilities, planning and utilizing hands on learning strategies with concrete models
will effectively engage students with visual learning strategies to gain mathematical concepts
(Ashman, 2014, p. 283; Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 332). Another very effective strategy that breaks
down a mathematical process and links to independent mathematical thinking is the use of an
empty number line. Essentially, with direct instruction, students with ASD are able to follow a
series of slow steps that are visual and tactile, whilst utilizing their skills for repetition before
the process becomes automatised and through ‘think alouds’, students are able to copy the
thinking strategies and correlate this into a mental strategy (Ashman, 2014, p. 283). Specific
and intensive interventions are also useful in relation to schema based strategy where links are
made into other areas of mathematics and not taught in isolation (Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 333).
Some students may have issues with knowing where to start when given a mathematical
problem, a way to assist with the process, teachers are able to give students a road map or
questions to start solving problems along with various aides such as a timetables chart that is
weaned off over time (Ashman, 2014, p. 283; Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 333).

It is important to remember that students with ASD will have diverse learning needs and
styles including social interaction, communication impairments and restrictive, repetitive,
stereotypical behaviors and interests (Spencer et.al, 2014, p. 331). They may need
communication devices, extra time, aids, guided social interaction, explicit teaching, experience
collaborative peer group work and scaffolding. Therefore it is important to plan for each
student’s learning with a strengths based model whilst utilising complimentary approaches
such as RTI, ULD, direct instruction and differentiated curriculum. Including, in combination
with adaptations, adjustments and interventions; ensuring students best interests are met
considering their background and family values.

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 References
Ashman, A. (2014). Education for Inclusion and Diversity 5th Ed. Australia: Pearson
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2017). Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders -
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http://www.cdc.gov.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/Features/CountingAutism/
Chiang, H., & Lin, Y. H. (2007). Reading comprehension instruction for students with autism
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Kinney, E. M., Vedora, J., & Stromer, R. (2003). Computer presented video models to teach
generative spelling to a child with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Positive
Behavior Interventions, 5, 22–29. Retrieved from doi:10.1177/10983007030050010301
Mirenda, P. (2003). “He’s not really a reader. . . .”: Perspectives on supporting literacy
development in individuals with autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 23, 271–282.
Retrieved from doi: 10.1097/00011363200310000-00003
Nation, K., Clarke, P. Wright, B. J., & Williams, C. (2006). Patterns of reading ability in children
with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36,
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Spencer, V.G., Evmenova, A.S., Boon, R.T & Hayes-Harris, L. (2014). Review of Research-Based
Interventions for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Content Area Instruction:
Implications and Considerations for Classroom Practice. Retrieved from
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com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1554979792?accountid=10382