Educational Methods for Autism - Essay Example

Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL and number Research Proposal Research Proposal: Educational Methods for Autism Abstract There have been many studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the way that children with this spectrum should be taught. Some studies suggest art therapy while others suggest that behavior therapy, touch therapy or other ways of "reaching" the child are best. Still other studies show that teaching social skills is very important for the ASD child. This proposal seeks to study the various teaching methods, especially the alternative methods that are more prevalent today in order to develop a "best practices" set of teaching methods for ASD children. This research seeks to answer the question, "What are the best practices for teaching children with ASD?" Rationale There are several studies that support the use of non-traditional methods to teach children with ASD. These programs seek to move beyond the traditional classroom setting in many cases to create a more comfortable learning environment for the autistic child. Many studies were created by researchers who did scientific studies but many other programs were recorded by parents, teachers, psychiatrists or other professionals in the field. There are a variety of methods that have been used to teach and many alternative therapies to control specific actions of autistic children. Many parents are finding that using vitamins, minerals and other supplements coupled with an alternative learning modality creates a happier child and helps them have a more interactive life with their child (Adams and Holloway, 2004). According to Reed, Osborne and Corness (2007) using "real world" interventions are more affected in working with ASD children. They found that the alternative educational methods would help teachers deal with children more effectively. The challenge with this information is that there are several methods there are used but no specific "best practices" have been established. Methods The method chosen for this research is the case study method. The research will examine several case studies that have shown techniques that work when teaching autistic children. The researcher will interview parents of children with ASD through the local Autism Spectrum organization. This organization will be contacted for volunteers who are willing to participate in the research. Face to face meetings, telephone meetings and email will be used to interview parents. Participants This research seeks to interview 25 parents between the ages of 35 and 65. The reason this age group is chose is because they may have more information than younger parents because they have been working with their child longer. There will be a cross section of parents, chosen randomly from those who are wiling to participate. All parents will fit the criteria that they have at least one child or teenager who has ASD and that they are open to talking candidly with a researcher about this topic. The researcher seeks to find those parents who are not solely dependant on the traditional school system for their childs education. The research will look for parents who have children between the ages of six and 18. Setting There will be no single setting for this research because of scheduling. It is thought that some interviews will be over the phone, others will be through email and others will be face to face. Face to face meetings will be in a neutral place where parents are comfortable talking about their children. Materials and Equipment There are not special materials or equipment needed for this study. The researcher has a laptop computer that will be used for collecting and analyzing data. There will be a tape recorder for face to face interviews, email transcripts of email interviews and notes from the telephone. Response Definitions and Data Collection Parents will be given an initial 10 question screening instrument that is chosen from questions that were identified from the researcher. This screening instrument will be used to gather demographics and to make sure that volunteer parents fit the criteria for the interviews. Once this is established another questionnaire will be developed of 15 questions. In order to receive this information the researcher will study other research that may have already developed questionnaires. Data collection will be done through computer records of notes, email transcripts and face to face meetings. All of the information will be put into the computer for later analysis. Procedure The researcher will contact ASD organizations and inquire as to what they do and whether they work with parents. A letter will go to those who work directly with parents that tells the administrator about the project. A meeting will be scheduled with the administrator to talk more about it and a letter for parents will be given. Once parents begin to call regarding the study the researcher will meet with them to discuss the programs that work for their child. Research case studies will be used to establish a baseline of programs that are working for children. The independent variable will be the questionnaire designed for the project. Research Design According to preliminary research studies reviewed by this researcher those studies that show methods of teaching are in the form of case studies. This research will design a case study for best practices. There are several case studies to choose from in the research. As an example, Boutot (2009) created a study to observe how "I Will" cards and social coaches worked to improve the social behaviors of ASD children. Crooke, Hendrix and Rachman (2008) also studied social skills on a more scientific basis. McDevitt (2004) chose art therapy for children who were in a clinical setting. Whitaker (2004) used the method of "shared play" for the case study and this was a teacher who worked with his students. Case studies seem to be the most prevalent method of gathering information. Reliability The data from studies will be used for reliability and validity of the teaching methods. The dependant measure will be described within the studies that are collected. Conclusion The question, "Which teaching methods are the best to work with ASD children?" can be defined once this research is completed. Several methods are working for children in a traditional school setting but many parents find alternative methods that can work more effectively for their children. Implications for future research include clinical studies of some of these methods and a broader understanding of these children. References Adams, J. B. and Holloway, C. (2004). Pilot study of a moderate dose multivitamin/mineral supplement for children with autistic spectrum disorder. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine 10 (6), p1033-1039. Retrieved June 10, 2009 from EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier [AN 15805537]. Boutot, E. A. (2009). Using "I Will" cards and social coaches to improve social behaviors of students with Asperger syndrome. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44(5), 276-281. Retrieved June 11, 2009, from ProQuest data base. [Document ID: 1683529611]. Crooke, P. J., Hendrix, R. E., and Rachman, J. Y. (2008). Brief report: Measuring the effectiveness of teaching social thinking to children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(3), 581-91. Retrieved June 11, 2009, from ProQuest database. [Document ID: 1442057971]. McDevitt, K. (2004). Small wonders. Arts & Activities136 (3) p16-16, Retrieved June 11, 2009 from EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier [AN14744875]. Reed, P., Osborne, L.A., and Corness, M. (2007). The real-world effectiveness of early teaching interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Exceptional Children, 73(4), 417-433. Retrieved June 11, 2009, from ProQuest Database. [Document ID: 1293575881]. Whitaker, P. (2004). Fostering communication and shared play between mainstream peers and children with autism: Approaches, outcomes and experiences. British Journal of Special Education. 31(4) p215-222. Retrieved June 10 2009 from EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier [AN: 15373450] Read More