The Behavior of Children with Autism - Research Paper Example

Parent Interview Parent Interview Children with autism have very unusual and socially inappropriate behaviors (Ahearn et al, 2003). Some inappropriate behavior that children with autism display are tantrums, spinning objects, self control, and self stimulation (e.g., waving hands in front of face and rocking back and force in chair) (http://www.autism–society.org). Socially inappropriate behaviors such as these were characteristics displayed by the student whose parents I interviewed in a face to face meeting held on January 16, 2008. With their permission, I also observed this student in his school setting and met his teacher. Joe Smith is a 9-year-old African American boy who comes from the middle socioeconomic class, has no siblings and lives with both of his biological parents who are married. Joe is labeled as having autism; however he is also taking medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (i.e. ADHD). Currently, Joe is going to Harrison Elementary School in Livingston, Virginia. This school has grades from kindergarten thru sixth grade and in located in a middle- class area. Joe is in an autism self-contained class, and his classmates range in educational levels from third through sixth grade. Joe is in the fourth grade. He has been going to this school for five years and has been in the same autism program with three of his classmates for all of this time. Joe is well-known and liked around the school because he is very talkative and social. He also lives in a middle class neighborhood near his school. Joe is a very smart boy, but he is considered to be lower functioning because his test scores place him below grade level. Joe does not take the standard of learning tests (i.e. SOL); however he does qualify to take the Virginia Alternative Assessment Program test (i.e. VAAP). In school he does participate in general education activities, such as art, physical education, and music. In addition, he also has his academic work that is done in the general education classroom and his class. At this period in time, Joe has an Individual Education Program (i.e. IEP) in which he has several goals that he is working on, besides his general education activities and curriculum. His individual goals are in the areas of communication, fine motor/ writing tasks, classroom behavior, math, language arts and reading. Communication Joe interacts socially with his peers and teachers. He responds to questions willingly, participates in all activates and has an average sized vocabulary. However, he likes to use words that begin with the letter s, which sometimes impedes communication. Joe’s goals include developing a functional language, using correct pronunciation with words that begins with the letter s and initiating and maintaining a conversation with peers or adults with no outside help. Fine motor/Writing Tasks Joe also has very weak fine motor skills. He has a difficult time holding a pencil and staying on task. He is able to trace words and shapes without help; however, he is not able to copy words. Joe can cut accurately on straight line. Joe is currently working on accurately tracing the alphabet (both lower and upper case letters), cutting shapes and coloring in the lines. Joe’s imitations are very strong when dealing with behaviors; however some times they are not appropriate. Joe has such a high level of impulsivity throughout his school day it prohibits him in attempting to regulate his actions. His goals in this are to be able to keep his hands to himself, to refrain from inappropriate comments, to avoid repetitive talk and imitation of his classmates. Math Joe can identify and match coins to their appropriate groups, however he has a hard time distinguishing their values. For this area, his objectives are to be able to match the coins to their monetary values, to be able to add objects together and find the correct total number, and to be able to be able to count up to 100 using a variety of coins. Joe’s goal in math is to increase his knowledge of academic skills and concepts. Reading Surprisingly, Joe loves to read. He enjoys learning new words and objects and picks up them quickly. He is able to comprehend the story and answer questions based on what he read, but his reading level is lower than his grade level because he is easily distracted. Joe’s goal is to be able to complete level 1 in the Edmark Reading program. Since Joe has a hard time staying on task and paying attention, he has several classroom accommodations and modifications found in his IEP: Class setting: Preferential and small group Assignment: Reduced level of difficulty Instruction: Frequent and immediate feedback, reduced language and reading level Styles, Materials: Manipulative Behavior: positive reinforcement, clearly defined limits/ expectations and quiet time Other: token economy, visual strategies, and modified instructional. Parent questions 1. How do the parents view their role as a parent? Parents: They [the specialists] involved me in responding to the pervasive needs of my child and provided me with more effective ways of teaching my child and reducing maladaptive behaviors. They continue to work with me in identifying effective reinforcements for my child (i.e. assessing what consequence usually follows inappropriate behavior). Once the function of the inappropriate behavior is determined, it is often used to select an appropriate reinforcement that will serve the same function as the inappropriate behavior. 2. What do the parents see as their responsibility in terms of schooling? Parents: They [the school] take a good deal of educational responsibility toward my son. They design meetings and state the strengths and the weaknesses of my child and also what he needs to have appropriate and developmental challenges. They use assessments to formulate his goals and objectives. I am always satisfied on their goals and objectives, but sometimes I ask them to provide more attention to my son. 3. What are the parents’ philosophies in terms of Inclusion/collaboration? Parents: They placed my son in the correct instructional setting. Also, they work cooperatively with us and are considerate my son’s interests and needs. They introduce exciting goals typically specifying my desire for my son to succeed in living a functional and happy life. They accommodated my son in the regular education classroom as much as possible with aid to help him stay on task. Sometimes the special education teacher goes with him as an additional form of support. For example, my son’s teacher may plan a meeting with me and the IEP team as a related service and they discuss with me my son’s accommodations and modifications. These meetings are reasonable to enable my child to receive educational benefits. 4. How have the parents become an integral part of the IEP process? Parents: They determine what my son Joe needs and what he is eligible for his Individual Education Program (IEP) to meet his special academic, social behavior, physical and related service needs such as transportation or physical therapy. They also work to anticipate any other necessary service, aids, modifications or accommodations when he is in regular education class, including support for the personnel working with him. They discuss all of my son’s strengths and his unique characteristics and needs with me. In addition, they address all the types of services required for Joe. To assist in this process, I provide background information for the teacher and team about his medical history and his behaviors at home or with his sibling. 5. What do parents understand about their rights and responsibilities as part of the team? Parents: I need to understand the input from the IEP team and I share any concerns they have about my son’s educational program. They provide me with the best educational strategy to share at home and share his data to help me stay knowledgeable about opportunities available for my son. Also, I have full trust on my son’s teacher and the staff. 6. How do parents look at future options for their children? Parents: Using technology will help my son to have an opportunity for higher education and training. He may be able to use computers on an individual level, and alternative systems for writing or speaking to operate effectively in a higher education setting and within his community. Literature review No one has the opportunity to know a child as well as his parents, so parents will help their child to improve behavior through participating with teachers and providing all the background information about their child to help the professionals assess his accommodations and modification. Parents have proven to be effective in their child’s learning. The environment they create at home can prompt positive self-esteem and achievement (Heacox, 1990). When the teacher and parents meet to plan educational goals, they have to choose from many possible values as each defines progress in a different way. Teachers and parents might want to see progress in all of the behavior issues. Teachers involve parents in setting these priorities. It helps to choose between academic goals, language skills, and social development. It also helps to remember that a child spends more hours with his parents than his teachers, so cooperation and accommodation of parents’ ideas is important. Parents should be encouraged to discuss home life and their child’s behavior in the neighborhood and general community. However, it is also abundantly clear that every child deserves not only the right but the opportunity to receive the appropriate education given his or her characteristics, needs, and potential to learn and contribute to society. This statement not only reflects common beliefs, but also conforms to federal law. The IDEA (Individual with Disabilities Education Act) was enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997 and 2004; it replaced PL94-142, enacted in 1975. This federal law requires that to receive funds under the act, every school system in the nation must provide a free, appropriate public education for every child between the ages of three and twenty-one, regardless of how little or how seriously he or she is disabled (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006). The Individual Education program (i.e. IEP) is a living document that can be amended. Teachers, parents, administrators, support staff, and students act as team. The IEP process is the most important tool for establishing working relationships with parents of children who have disability. Everyone benefits when the IEP is vigilantly planned, followed, supported, shared, and translated to the classroom. IDEA 2004 requires that IEPs contain “a description of how the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals… will be measured and when periodic reports on the progress toward the annual goals will be provided” (Bateman & Linden, 2006). The IDEA requirement that children progress toward the IEP’s measurable annual goals be measured and reported to parents is absolutely critical to the success of IDEA. If parents are dissatisfied with placement or progress, then all parties can meet to plan for more effective change. If the parents believe that the IEP is still being violated, complaint can be filed with the SEA (State Education Agency), which must try to resolve the complaint within 60 days, unless extreme circumstance exist (Karten, 2005). Reflection Overall, while observing Joe and meeting with his parents, it seems that the child does have ADHD and shows some autistic characteristics. As I spoke with the parents, I realized they became very defensive if I referred to their son as autistic; however, they do not mind him having labeled ADHD. Meeting the parents was very informative and interesting. I was able to see how different the child acted when he was in front of his mother and father. What I found fascinating was that when Joe was around his mother, he was less impulsive, but still repetitive with his speech. Around his father he was quiet, stayed in his seat, did not speak unless he was spoken to and kept his hands to himself. It seemed to me that he received more punishment / negative reinforcement from his father because he would not step out of line if his father was present. That, to me, was sad, but at the same time it also seemed necessary because Joe needs structure and firm boundaries to learn and stay on task. In addition, Joe’s parents in my opinion need to consult Joe’s teacher and ask for help in education strategies at home and also ask for more participation in workshops focused on Joe’s issues such as helping with homework and enforcing his setting. Read More