SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH AS IN HE.

Nicola Martin 01298-71100 ex 4418 • AS =Asperger’s • Objectives syndrome • To provide a brief overview of AS and • A form of autism associated with more discuss possible impact relevant HE (emphasising individuality) able people • To explore support strategies together focussing on mentoring and feedback

Background

• Research with 179 university staff who have worked with 110 students with AS in 17 institutions suggests that a package of support which is not dependant on one individual is most effective • Support structures which are reliable, have clear boundaries, and involve people in a range of roles (eg study skills tutor, home help, mentor to assist with personal organisation, work best) • A high level of parental support is common • Increased independence over time is not unusual • Early assistance is recommended • Some students are embarrassed about having AS-be sensitive

Mentoring

• What does this mean to you?

• Ideally • someone who can help the student with AS to find their way through the confusions and difficulties they encounter, particularly in the early days of university • has a clear role and defined boundaries • can help the student with AS to learn from experience • does not have a stereotyped view of AS

Feedback

• Mechanisms which facilitate learning , develop independence and confidence and help the student to make links between experiences • Learning goes beyond academic engagement

Triad of Autistic Impairment

(emphasis on individuality-continuum).

• Social • Communication • Rigidity and inflexibility

Prevalence -Gender

• More common in males (4-1) • Around 1 person in 500 (at least) • Dyslexia may also be present • Can occur alongside other disabilities • Puberty onset epilepsy, dyspraxia, Irlene’s syndrome, migraine can coexist • Able Autism is a slightly different manifestation • People change over time, and not everyone is comfortable with the idea of AS

DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA Gilberg 1991

• Severe impairment in reciprocal social interaction • All absorbing narrow interests • Imposition of routines and interests • Speech and language problems • Non verbal communication difficulties • Motor clumsiness

EMPATHY -THEORY OF MIND

• An inability to – • see the world from someone else's point of view • see self through the eyes of another • read faces • apply emotional intelligence • Insensitivity to other peoples feelings • Inability to take into account what other people know • Difficulty with reading others intentions/ motivation • Vulnerability

Individuality

• Emphasis on continuum • Effect of environment • Personality • Ability • Diagnosis may be recent • Reaction to diagnosis may alter over time • Difference v disability

BEHAVIOURS

•

Rigidity-

• Resistance to change • Imposition of rituals • Anxiety • Obsessive behaviour • Generalisation problems • Lack of imagination •

Obsessive behaviour (not OCD)

• Motivational problems • Social clumsiness • Narrow focus • Challenging behaviour • As a retreat from stress e.g. around changes in routine /sensory overload

COMMUNICATION

literal interpretation poor eye contact difficulty fitting in misunderstandings lack of sensitivity to limited vocabulary personal space boring people to describe feelings pedantic tone social isolation

Feedback-Planning

• Clarity is essential • A mentor may be an intermediary helping the student to make sense of what is required • Language may be interpreted literally so avoid ambiguous phrases (eg ‘Take a leaf out of his book’) • Be specific (eg ‘spend half an hour on this task’) • Assume organisational difficulties so provide back up and assist with planning (write things down, use email etc) • Don’t move the goal posts (and avoid this expression unless the student is taking Football Studies) • May need to feed back to student about aspects of their behaviour (eg ‘Even if you are bored don’t say so out loud’)

Academic Feedback

• Vague feedback is hard to interpret (eg ‘Beef this section up a bit’) • Support to develop an Action Plan for a referred piece of work may be needed • The student may not have a clear idea about the amount of effort required or the relative weighting of a piece of work • Making decisions-choices may provoke anxiety • Knowing who’s opinion /advice to take seriously may not come automatically • Relationships between aspects of learning may need to be pointed out as generalising across contexts can present a challenge

Social Feedback

• Be direct but sensitive to causing embarrassment (eg ‘You should take a shower every day’-NOT ‘You smell’) • Help the student to develop strategies to generalise advice (eg a list of daily things to do- which could include taking a shower) • The impact of a behaviour or the motivation of another person may need to be pointed out-sensitively (eg ‘Limit yourself to spending £5 a night on buying other people drinks in the bar. If you buy someone a drink, they should buy you one next time’) • Empathise –don’t catalogue flaws-think how that would make you feel

Further difficulties

sensory overload self harm depression sleep disturbance

Changes in routine

• Course related • Transitions • Change of modules • Preparation for exams • New staff • Visits -field trips – placements • Leaving • Life related • Moving into -out of halls • Changes at home /returning home • The first time the condition is explained • Unfamiliar routines /food /bed /people

Money

Practical

Cooking- eating Self care- personal hygene What to wear

Emotional

• low self esteem • anxiety • sadness • rejection • isolation • confusion • embarrassment

Strategies

• Manage transitions • Anticipate anxieties • Warn of changes • Make things clear • Communicate with the student before they start & with other agencies -parents • Keep in touch between interview and starting the course • Manage post college transition • Be reliable and empathic

Disclosure

• ‘Informed Consent’ under DDA • Establish what the student understands about their condition • Negotiate with the student about how the condition should be described • Involve residential staff (by negotiation) • Arrange positive staff development activities which give people confidence and emphasise abilities

Support Structures

• Must be reliable • Must have boundaries • Avoid dependency relationship developing with one person • Think of DSA as wider than technology • Think wider than the course • Avoid ambiguity

Reasonable adjustments

• Potential Issues • Lack of empathy may impact on understanding of what is reasonable • Not all students with AS are willing to accept support • Inflexibility arising from lack of problem solving skills may seem like unreasonableness • Potential Solutions • Provide guidelines on purpose and nature of support • Help with non academic areas to facilitate coping • Advocates /Buddies • Choice between limited options might be easier

EXAMS

anxiety separate room?

extra time?

practice paper unambiguous language & instructions oral questioning sensitive marking prompting to move onto next question dyslexia

Practical-Academic Support

• Do not assume that the student will understand how to solve problems relating to money management, public transport, the benefits system etc • Assume organisational difficulties • Make expectations absolutely clear • Make links explicit • problem solving skills involving generalisation may be limited