Assignment 10B -- Class Wikis

For this assignment, I have chosen to focus on fragile X and autism. Students with both fragile X and autism require a lot of structure and routine in the classroom. The teacher must give clear directions and use concrete terms in order for students with either of these disabilities to understand. Any kind of visual cues are helpful for students with either fragile X or autism. As with all students, those with fragile X and those with autism learn best when they are engaged and interested in the subject matter. Social skills are often an area of deficiency for students with either of these disabilities.

Students with fragile X learn better when they are taught whole concepts, rather than smaller pieces of these concepts. They are more able to retain information when it has been repeated. For math, “manipulatives” should be made available to help the student understand concepts. Students with fragile X learn language concepts best when teachers use the “whole language” approach. Because of motor impairments, writing is difficult, so students with fragile X may require a scribe or a keyboard.
Students with fragile X need to be taught more than academics. Life skills are equally important if these students are to live independent lives. Students with fragile X learn better when their teachers speak clearly. When giving praise, it is important for the teacher to praise the specific behaviour that they are encouraging, not the student in general. Students with fragile X should be seated close to the teacher, as well as being close to door so that they may leave the room if they become overwhelmed. Having a good relationship with the student’s parents is important. Students will be more comfortable if the school and home environment can possess as many similarities as possible. Students with fragile X can be easily distracted by noise.

Students with autism often have sensory sensitivities. Excess noise may bother them. When teaching students with autism, skills must be taught and practiced in different contexts, as they often have difficulty generalizing skills.
Research has shown that students with autism are more likely to follow directions from an adult when the adult is in close proximity to the student. Another study found that students with autism were more able to stay on-task when their chair was replaced with a therapy ball for part of the day.
Students with autism may require more time to process language. Teachers need to accommodate this by giving providing these students with more “wait time” after asking them a question.

As with all students, the most important thing for teachers to remember when teaching students with autism or fragile X is that each student is an individual and should be treated as such. Not all teaching strategies will work for all students. As teachers, we need to get to know our students and discover how they personally learn best.