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Autism Awareness Month: Advice for the Classroom

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April is Autism Awareness Month. One of the more mysterious developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder presents itself in many different ways from child to child. In an effort to raise awareness about the many learning styles of students with autism and effectively support them, it is important that educators receive valuable, current information and strategies to help empower students in the classroom. With diagnostic data indicating a rising rate of more than 1 in 70 births, it is likely that this information is vital for parents and educators.

No two students with autism are alike. This disability is unique in the sense that it manifests differently from person to person. The age of onset varies, as well, with most children exhibiting symptoms by age three. However, there are some consistent findings: boys are almost four times more likely to have autism, and language regression and sensory sensitivity are often the first reported signs or symptoms.

Because early intervention is paramount for treating and managing an autism diagnosis, students in your classroom that are affected by autism are likely to have certain routines or practices already in place. The key then becomes streamlining the successful practices and strategies from home into the classroom environment. Be proactive when asking parents about successful strategies that they implement at home. Be sure to make contact with families early in the school year to ensure that the classroom transition is smooth. As much as possible, reinforce the successful practices from home in your classroom. The more consistency that your students experience, the better. Parents are a teacher’s greatest assets when finding ways to best serve your students.

Plan to maintain consistent and positive communication with parents of your students with special needs. Parents of a child with autism may be hesitant or anxious about their child’s acclimation to a new classroom environment. This is 100 percent understandable, as some past experiences may have been unfortunate or stressful for the child. Put parents at ease by maintaining a communicative relationship—one based on positivity and growth. Of course, weekly reports may vary in positivity, but remember to lead with the pros. What did the student do well this week? What growth have you seen of late? What social milestones did you witness in class or at recess? And so on.

Since students with autism frequently experience a sensitivity to sensory stimuli, teachers should be sure to maintain a calm and consistent environment. This is much easier said than done, however. A classroom of 35 boisterous children does not necessarily lend itself to calm and consistent. In an effort to best accommodate your students with special needs, consider keeping a cozy corner or quiet spot in the classroom. Use cushions, pillows, and bookcases to create a somewhat private “cool down” area if a student is experiencing stress from the classroom. Bright lights or darkness, loud noises, commotion, or unexpected changes in the routine, like a fire drill, can totally throw students with sensory sensitivity for a loop. Students on the spectrum are most comfortable when routines are maintained and expectations are met. So consider giving your student a heads-up if the daily norm is going to be disrupted. Knowing what is to come is immensely helpful for students that rely on continuity.

Be careful about praise, criticism, and sarcasm. Generally speaking, sarcasm should be avoided in the elementary classroom because of the students’ inability to read those cues. However, with students on the spectrum, sarcasm and dry humor can be even more confusing or misleading. Similarly, comments of support, praise, or reassurance may actually come across quite differently, depending on a student’s social perceptions. Be careful when recognizing a student’s achievements. Some may loathe the limelight and attention. If you know that your student is particularly shy, consider writing him a congratulatory letter, or recognizing his accomplishment in a small group of his friends.

Phonemic Awareness Pt. II

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Phonemic awareness, which many experts say should be mastered before first grade, is just the first layer when introducing a child to reading. While the terms sound very similar, moving from phonemic awareness to phonics instruction is actually a rather involved leap. A child who has mastered phonemic awareness is able to understand that sounds are represented by letters in the alphabet, whereas phonics is more complex. It requires the reader’s knowledge of blending those sounds together to form syllables within words.

Closed Syllables

Closed syllables are the most common form of English syllables—over 50% of all syllables in the English language are closed. But what does this mean? A closed syllable is a syllable with one vowel—typically a short vowel sound—followed by one or more consonants. Examples of one-syllable words that fall into this category include:

  • Cup
  • Cat
  • Bet
  • Dot
  • Sin
  • Log 

This is by no means an extensive list; however, the point of starting with examples of closed syllables is to familiarize children with short vowel sounds and the patterns of letters that consistently create those sounds. When children move on to look at multisyllabic words, the same rules apply for those syllables. Take the word napkin. It is comprised of two syllables, nap and kin, both of which include a single, short-vowel, followed by a consonant.  Other examples to introduce multisyllabic words with short vowel sounds include:

  • Magnet
  • Submit
  • Content
  • Epic
  • Picnic 
  • Sandwich 

Non-examples, where the syllable is open, meaning that the vowel phoneme is not “closed in” by a consonant, include:

  • Ta ble (table)
  • Ba by (baby)
  • Fro zen (frozen)
  • Pro test (protest)
  • Ho tel (hotel)

Syllable Segmentation

In order for children to identify how words are made up of different sounds (or phonemes), we must help them to explicitly hear the different components or syllables within those words. We are likely familiar with the “clapping” method, in which educators model how to “chunk” words into their separate sounds (syllables) by clapping for each syllable. For example, clapping out the syllables for people’s names would look like this:

  • Sarah = Sa-rah (2 claps)
  • Bethenny = Be-then-ny (3 claps)
  • Jake = (1 clap)
  • Felicity = Fel-i-ci-ty (4 claps)

Another option for syllable segmentation involves the use of an abacus, a tool that is typically used for counting and other math skills. Children will slide a bead to the other side for every syllable they hear in the word. Some reading programs suggest a strategy similar to clapping, in which students “tap” or “finger stretch” the syllables in a word. Either way, the process should begin as an auditory practice—no written words or word cards are necessary in this stage. You really are asking children to simply hear the phonemes before they delve into written words. 

Hear the difference: Vowel Phonemes

Short vowel phonemes are introduced organically when children learn about closed syllables. However, the long vowel phonemes are another story altogether; they follow a myriad of different rules when combined with other letters. This is partly what makes the English language so complex! Stay tuned for part III!

Phonemic Awareness Pt. I

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Most adults do not remember learning how to read. We likely remember fumbling through picture books and sitting crisscross applesauce during story time while the teacher pointed word by word on a giant-sized story. We probably remember counting the pages to the next chapter in our first chapter books. We may remember all of these initial interactions with literacy, some fond, some agonizing—but few of us remember how, exactly, we learned to read. 

Besides the good ole “sound it out” adage that my parents and teachers would push, I honestly do not remember much of my own initial reading instruction. And while methodology and strategies have evolved, the struggles with reading still exist for many children. There is no magical answer when it comes to learning how to read; however, there are a couple of strategies that parents and educators can employ to ease the journey.

Hear it out

It turns out that the antiquated advice to simply “sound it out” while struggling to read a word is not too far off. However, some key components are missing that would make all the difference—and it starts with phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is a fancy way to describe one’s ability to identify, manipulate, and distinguish units of sound—phonemes—and how those units work together to make words. For instance, a child does not need to know how to spell cake to know that it is different from the word bake. Their ability to distinguish the different sounds or phonemes—“c” vs. “b”— is the first step to understanding written language. 

Start simple

Before even putting written words in front of a child to read, try activities that build phonemic awareness just by listening. They can be hugely beneficial, and also much less intimidating than trying to read text right off the bat! 

An easy way to start measuring and improving upon a child’s phonemic awareness is to list 3-4 words orally, such as spoon, step, salt, and dot. Pronounce the words clearly and deliberately several times. Then ask your child if the beginning sound is the same for each word. Ask which word has a different beginning sound. Then isolate just that sound—“d” vs. “s.” Prompt your child to simply repeat the individual phoneme “d,” as opposed to “duh,” as this pronunciation could complicate things later. Model how that isolated phoneme sounds, for instance “m” sounds like “mmmm,” not “muh.”

Once they have identified the beginning phoneme (sound) that doesn’t fit the others in the list, ask your child to think of another word that starts with the “d” sound. You can also use image cards to represent the one-syllable words from your list. Have your child sort the picture cards by beginning phonemes. Remind them to orally say the word that the image depicts while they sort. Just remember that the card should contain only the picture—no word or label, as that will come later. With this method, the focus really is on letter sounds in isolation to familiarize beginning readers with letter sounds, then syllable sounds, then words. 

Stuttering Awareness

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Just before Halloween each year, speech pathologists and educators recognize International Stuttering Awareness Day as a way to bring attention to a widely misunderstood condition. While families dealing with a stuttering condition often feel alone in their frustration, it is important to highlight the many strategies and resources available to ease the stress of this temporary, or sometimes lifelong, journey.

Fact vs. Fiction

  • The onset of stuttering symptoms typically occurs in the early toddler years, around 2-4 years old; however, there is no single known cause of stuttering.
  • Boys are more likely to develop a stutter than girls. And while many children (about 5%) develop a stutter for a short period of time, a small percentage of those children will experience lifelong stuttering issues.
  • Children whose stuttering persists for 3 or more years will likely deal with the condition throughout their whole lives.
    There are no psychological or intellectual factors related to stuttering. Many people believe that stuttering is a result of high anxiety; however, this is untrue. Stuttering may contribute to anxiety because of the social implications, but it is not caused by anxiety.
  • Similarly, a child who stutters is often viewed as excessively nervous or insecure, but this is also untrue. What is true is that high stress environments or stressful circumstances may cause a child to stutter more noticeably, much like how symptoms of Tourette’s can be triggered or exacerbated by stress.
  • Frequency and severity are not consistent; a child’s stutter could improve or worsen as days, weeks, or months go on.
    Speech therapy will not cure a child’s stutter. However, therapy can provide children with strategies for managing and/or easing the stress associated with stuttering.
  • Stuttering is not indicative of a learning disability, but may contribute to poor performance in school because of a child’s unwillingness to participate, engage, and ask questions. In some instances, a child will answer with “I don’t know” even when they do know the answer, but are insecure about the possibility of stuttering while speaking out loud.
  • Insecurities surrounding one’s stutter might cause social withdrawal and/or an inability to participate in group activities. Stutterers may also feel limited by their speech difficulties and therefore might not take academic or vocational risks that others would.
  • When children are struggling to produce a sound, their stutter may result in what experts call “secondary behaviors.” These include tight blinking, jaw clenching, pursing lips, unintentional spitting, etc. In essence, the child is battling to spurt out the word or syllable.
  • Stuttering might be limited to word/syllable repetitions or prolongations, but some children experience both patterns. Repetition occurs when the sound or syllable is repeated in isolation, whereas prolongations are long, continuous, drawn out forms of a beginning syllable. “I-I-I want that!” vs. “Sssssss-top that!”
  • Telling a child to “slow down” or “think about your words before speaking” is not helpful advice. In actuality, those pointers often make children feel more self-conscious in that moment and could aggravate their condition, increasing their likelihood of stuttering.

Autism Awareness Month: Advice for the Classroom

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April is Autism Awareness Month. One of the more mysterious developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder presents itself in many different ways from child to child. In an effort to raise awareness about the many learning styles of students with autism and effectively support them, it is important that educators receive valuable, current information and strategies to help empower students in the classroom. With diagnostic data indicating a rising rate of more than 1 in 70 births, it is likely that this information is vital for parents and educators.

No two students with autism are alike. This disability is unique in the sense that it manifests differently from person to person. The age of onset varies, as well, with most children exhibiting symptoms by age three. However, there are some consistent findings: boys are almost four times more likely to have autism, and language regression and sensory sensitivity are often the first reported signs or symptoms.

Because early intervention is paramount for treating and managing an autism diagnosis, students in your classroom that are affected by autism are likely to have certain routines or practices already in place. The key then becomes streamlining the successful practices and strategies from home into the classroom environment. Be proactive when asking parents about successful strategies that they implement at home. Be sure to make contact with families early in the school year to ensure that the classroom transition is smooth. As much as possible, reinforce the successful practices from home in your classroom. The more consistency that your students experience, the better. Parents are a teacher’s greatest assets when finding ways to best serve your students.

Plan to maintain consistent and positive communication with parents of your students with special needs. Parents of a child with autism may be hesitant or anxious about their child’s acclimation to a new classroom environment. This is 100 percent understandable, as some past experiences may have been unfortunate or stressful for the child. Put parents at ease by maintaining a communicative relationship—one based on positivity and growth. Of course, weekly reports may vary in positivity, but remember to lead with the pros. What did the student do well this week? What growth have you seen of late? What social milestones did you witness in class or at recess? And so on.

Since students with autism frequently experience a sensitivity to sensory stimuli, teachers should be sure to maintain a calm and consistent environment. This is much easier said than done, however. A classroom of 35 boisterous children does not necessarily lend itself to calm and consistent. In an effort to best accommodate your students with special needs, consider keeping a cozy corner or quiet spot in the classroom. Use cushions, pillows, and bookcases to create a somewhat private “cool down” area if a student is experiencing stress from the classroom. Bright lights or darkness, loud noises, commotion, or unexpected changes in the routine, like a fire drill, can totally throw students with sensory sensitivity for a loop. Students on the spectrum are most comfortable when routines are maintained and expectations are met. So consider giving your student a heads-up if the daily norm is going to be disrupted. Knowing what is to come is immensely helpful for students that rely on continuity.

Be careful about praise, criticism, and sarcasm. Generally speaking, sarcasm should be avoided in the elementary classroom because of the students’ inability to read those cues. However, with students on the spectrum, sarcasm and dry humor can be even more confusing or misleading. Similarly, comments of support, praise, or reassurance may actually come across quite differently, depending on a student’s social perceptions. Be careful when recognizing a student’s achievements. Some may loathe the limelight and attention. If you know that your student is particularly shy, consider writing him a congratulatory letter, or recognizing his accomplishment in a small group of his friends.