L ifelong Learning & The Autism Spectrum:
Download
Report
Transcript L ifelong Learning & The Autism Spectrum:
Lifelong Learning &
The Autism Spectrum:
My Growth Through Adolescence & Adulthood
March 16, 2007
Scott Michael Robertson
Ph.D. Candidate, Penn State University
[email protected]
The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
My Contact Information
Questions are always encouraged & very welcome
Email: [email protected]
Instant Messaging:
AIM: hppalm
MSN: [email protected]
YIM: psuresearcher
Google Talk (Jabber): [email protected]
Website: http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
Telephone: available upon request
My Favorite Quote
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Overview
My Background
How Experiences Leads To Growth
My Experiences & Lifelong Learning
My Background: Multiple Hats
26 year-old Adult on the Autism Spectrum
Ph.D. student at Penn State University
Self-Advocate for the autism community
A Son
Multiple Hats: Autistic Adult
Self-diagnosed in 1999
Minds & Machines course
Mindblindness (Simon Baron-Cohen, 1997)
Clinically diagnosed in 2005
Penn State psychological clinic
Multiple Hats: Ph.D. Student
Program: information sciences & technology
Research focus: use of information
technology to empower advocacy &
educational efforts for neurologically diverse
populations & their communities
Thesis research: how online IT can support
educational & advocacy efforts for the autism
community
Multiple Hats: Self-Advocate
The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)
nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2006
Focus: increasing understanding, acceptance, & support for all
autistic individuals
Me: ASAN’s Pennsylvania Regional Director & Vice President
Speaker
autism conferences
organizations, groups, classes, & seminars
Teacher
taught computer programming, writing, and social skills to autistic
adolescents & young adults (summer program, Pittsburgh)
volunteered for autistic support high school class (Pittsburgh)
educational consulting
Multiple Hats: A Son
Youngest of 3
Grew up in northern NJ
Sister: special educator in Washington D.C.
Brother: web developer in NYC
Pines Lake community of a town called Wayne
Born in same hospital as baseball player Derek
Jeter
Parents: huge influence on my life
own a second-generation family business in
Pompton Lakes, NJ
Side Note
I’ll be giving the opening keynote speech @ Penn
State’s National Autism Conference this summer
2007
Happy Valley (aka State College, PA)
Monday, July 30 from 9 to 10:30 am
Five-day Conference runs from July 30 to August 3
Free registration for Pennsylvania parents of
individuals on the autism spectrum
http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/Autism/National/
(Online registration in late spring/early summer)
Experience & Growth
“I’ve never let my school interfere with my
learning.” — Mark Twain
Learning
Classroom
Explicitly defined skills
Explicitly defined knowledge
Ex. arithmetic, geometry, reading, writing
Ex. history of U.S., planets in the solar system
Situational
Implicitly defined (or less explicitly) skills
Ex. socializing at school/work, flying to another city
Implicitly defined (or less explicitly) knowledge
Ex. social norms (for eating in public), hallway
conversation topics
Experiences: Learning for Life
Always having experiences throughout life
Experiences influence You
Always changing
Shape your identity, personality, knowledge
Empower your learning for the future
You influence your experiences
You (identity, personality, knowledge) shape what
happens
Your past learning empowers future action
Experiences & Growth:
Adolescence Thru Adulthood
My Social Experiences
Elementary school
Secondary school
Friendships & Social Relationships
Traveling (Abroad & Domestically)
College Living
Self-Advocacy
Conversations
“Conversation is an art in which man has all
mankind for competitors.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
My Social Experience:
Elementary School Years
Had Friendships
Bullied by peers
1 Best friend
Two other friends
2nd Thru 5th Grades
Taunted, Threatened, Called names, Pushed
around
Bullied by gym instructor
Yelled & screamed for inability to perform
(dyspraxia)
My Social Experience:
Secondary School Years
No friends
Overwhelming Environment
Best friend & I lost touch
Didn’t know how to make friends
Confusing Navigation (hallways)
Sensory overload
Worse Bullying (6th Grade)
Tormented me daily
Led to:
Hating school
Deepening depression
My Social Experience:
Secondary School (Cont.)
Transferred to private school for 7th grade
Less bullying, teasing
Calmer, more accepting environment
Still no friendships
School acquaintances
Stayed home most of time
Reading, Computer Games, TV, etc.
Yearbook (Social outlet)
Solutions: Bullying
Teaching assertiveness skills
General assertiveness & understanding of
nonverbal communication
Anti-bullying strategies for autistic children &
teens (Myles & Smith, 2003; Dubin, 2007; Gray, 2004)
Encouraging anti-bullying policy
State laws on bullying (no law in PA yet)
Proposed law: http://www.bullypolice.org/pa_law.html
District policy on bullying
Mentor/buddy pairing
Solutions: Social Exclusion
Promote environment of acceptance
Establish social support & mentoring
Encourage school board to introduce diversity
understanding (esp. neurological) into curriculum
Encourage teachers to promote diversity
Mixed autistic & non-autistic social group
Autistic-only social group
Peer mentors for autistic students
Pen-pals for autistic students
Augment w/ volunteering & club activities
Volunteering opportunities w/ local community
Clubs at school & around community
Friendships
“Friendship is born at that moment when one
person says to another: ‘What! You too? I
thought I was the only one.’” — C.S. Lewis
Friendships:
My Experience Thru The Years
Best friend & friends in elementary school
No friends in secondary school
Except for school acquaintances
Friends in college+
Friendships:
Elementary vs. Secondary
Friendships in elementary school
Focus: shared play
Conversation only while playing (mostly)
Small to Moderate emphasis on comm. skills
Small emphasis on interpersonal skills
Friendships in secondary school
Focus: shared feelings/beliefs, shared time, common
interests, personalities, social norms
Conversations w/ & outside of activities
Large emphasis on comm. skills
Moderate to Large emphasis on interpersonal skills
Friendships:
My Post-secondary Experience
Peers changed in college
More mature & accepting of differences
“Cool to be smart” in college
Social environment changed in college
Many more social outlets
Sports, activities & events on campus, dorm life
Flexibility of time & location
Many clubs to fit an interest
Joined newspaper as reporter (sophomore yr.)
Stayed on as editor & reporter for 3 yrs.
My Social Network (Current)
Undergraduate friends
Graduate school friends
Penn State & Carnegie Mellon
Autism advocacy
Online friends
Student newspaper
Class
Autism communities & mailing lists
Secondary school & elementary friends
Back in touch w/ peers I used to know
Connected w/ former teachers
Friendships: A Two-way Street
Autistic student learns social skills
Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Initiation, reciprocation, topic expansion, etc.
Concept of friendship, listening, interest in other, trust,
conflict resolution, respect & concern
Environmental accommodation
Physical (including sensory)
Social (peers, adults, others)
Learning Friendship
Practice & model w/ same age peers
Take perspective of the specific social world
Peers understand their social world best
Include non-autistic peers in practice
Social conventions differ for age levels
Social conventions differ by place & culture
Provide mentoring
Encourage seeking social advice & guidance
Promote mentoring reciprocation
Communication Skills
Procedural Conversation Skills
Initiation of conversation
Responding
Topic expansion & shifting
Turn-taking
Content
Vocabulary words
Literal meaning
Figurative meaning
Contextual use of vocabulary
Interpersonal Skills
Much more abstract, less tangible
Essential to social relationships
Personality & identity influences
Not as easily defined or represented
Friendship attractiveness
Employment
Some Key Interpersonal Skills:
Concept of friendship (& social relationship)
Interest in other & POV
Conflict Resolution
Trust
Interpersonal Skills (1)
Understanding Concept of Friendship
Common interests & hobbies
Shared time + feelings, ideas, dreams, etc.
1-10 Scale (level of social relationship)
Listening to Other’s POV & Needs
Actively listening to what’s said
Showing interest in other person
Conversational equilibrium (approx. 50/50 control)
Interpersonal Skills (2)
Conflict Resolution
“I” statements
Active Listening
Compromise
Development of Trust
Time & Interactions: >Trust
Openness, honesty, loyalty
Benefit of doubt
Interpersonal Skills (3)
Respect & Concern
Respect for other’s differences
Concern for safety & well-being of other
Compliments
Respect for boundaries
Assertiveness
Nonverbal Communication
Expressive (output) & Receptive (input)
70-90 % of face-to-face communication & phone
Less for electronic comm. (ex. email, IM)
Understanding Nonverbal Comm.
Games & Activities
TV Shows & Movies (audio-visual)
Comedy shows
Songs & Show tunes (Singing to music/clips)
Radio shows & podcasts
Lines & Groups (audio-visual)
Watching w/ sound turned off
Listening but looking away from picture
Recordings (audio)
Charades, Miming, acting games (Davies, 2004; Schneider, 2007)
Observing others’ facial expressions & body language
Artwork, Photographs, & Drawings (visual)
Travel
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is
a change that goes on, deep and permanent,
in the ideas of living." — Miriam Beard
My Traveling
(Abroad & Domestically)
Exchange Trip to France
Post-secondary School Traveling
Exchange Trip to France
3-Week trip
1 week in Tours, France (adjusting to culture)
2 weeks w/ host family in Paris
Attended classes w/ host student
Lived & ate w/ host family
Visited sites w/ H.S. peers from U.S.
Challenges: Exchange Trip
Foreign Language
Not a native speaker
Trip Speaking Expectations
First Week: Some French & Some English
Second Week: Mostly French
Third Week: Entirely French
Foreign Culture
Different conventions, customs from U.S.
Challenges: Exchange Trip (2)
Academic Requirements
Missed one week of school
Completed missed assignments during trip
My Differences (Being Autistic)
Knew about challenges
Didn’t know how to advocate for assistance
Didn’t know about autism yet
Growth: Exchange Trip
Strengthened interdependence skills
Preparation for college life
Living away from parents
Expanded perspective
Understanding of differences in living
Diversity of social-cultural experiences & POV
Postsecondary School
Traveling
Buses, Trains, & Planes
Planning & Packing
Buses (since ’99)
Trains (since ’02)
Planes (since ’02)
Easier when done systematically w/ checklists
Review trip days in advance
Pack days in advance & night before
Social constraints to trip planning
College
“I learned three important things in college:
1) to use a library,
2) to memorize quickly and visually, &
3) to drop asleep at any time given a
horizontal surface and fifteen minutes.”
—Agnes DeMilles
My College Living Experience
Undergraduate Years
Dorm room w/ roommate (4 yrs.)
Dining hall for food
Shared living experience (RA, floormates, etc.)
Graduate School Years
Apartment w/ no roommate (4 yrs.)
Eating on campus, around town, at apt.
Individualized living experience
College Living: Fun
Undergraduate Years
Newspaper (3 years)
reporter & section editor (news, features, contributing)
Concerts & Sports
Graduate School Years
Friend’s parties & get-togethers
Weekly Bar excursion (sometimes)
Dinner w/ friends
Other activities
College Living: Academics
Extra time on tests (& separate room)
less anxiety, less need to panic
there whether I needed it or not
Extra notes
No autism-specific support
No social support
No support for navigating life on the autism
spectrum
College Life:
Challenges & Growth
Challenges
Learning to become interdependent
Becoming comfortable w/ the social world
Finding my career & life path
Growth
Focused my path
Gained understanding of myself & identity
Gradually learned subtleties of social life
Ongoing process
Advocacy & Life
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do
everything, but still I can do something; And
because I cannot do everything I will not
refuse to do the something that I can do.”
— Helen Keller
Self-Advocacy
Disclosure of neurological difference
Autism Spectrum
Other Co-occurring conditions
Anxiety, Depression, Epilepsy, Dyspraxia, Learning
Disabilities, Panic Disorder, etc.
Advocating for your unique needs
Advocating for others’ needs
Your experiences & knowledge=guidance
Disclosure
Benefits
Reduce misunderstandings & misperceptions
Strengthen social connection & bond
Challenges
Potential discrimination based on difference
Protections from ADA
Taking advantage of weaknesses
Disclosure Thru My Lifespan
Pre-school & Elementary School Years + 6th
Private School Years (7th-12th)
Parents did not disclose (fear of discrimination)
Undergraduate Years
Parents advocated & disclosed when needed
Not developmentally able to advocate for my own needs
I disclosed for my own academic needs
I gradually learned to disclose to friends
Graduate Years
I disclosed more readily to friends & co-workers
I moved toward becoming public about being autistic
Advocating For Your Needs
Must understand individual needs
All individuals on autism spectrum have:
Common needs
Individualized needs
Can learn advocacy through practice
K-12
Attending your IEP meetings
Directing IEP meetings in H.S.
Advocating For Others’ Needs:
My Influences
Paying it forward for those who had helped
me over the years
Understanding myself & meaning in my life
Fun
Enjoyable experience to help others
Higher self-esteem
The Autistic Self-Advocacy
Network (ASAN)
Started by autistic adults in 2006
Collaborative effort
Primary Initiatives:
autistic individuals, parents, educators, professionals, etc.
Educational Support
Transition to post-secondary education
K12 & Postsecondary education support
Social/Support Groups & Mentoring
Public Policy & Advising
Speaker’s Bureau
Website: http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
My Contact Information
Questions are always encouraged & very
welcome
Email: [email protected]
Instant Messaging:
AIM: hppalm
MSN: [email protected]
YIM: psuresearcher
Google Talk (Jabber): [email protected]
Telephone: available upon request
Recommended Resources:
Social Relationships/Friendships
McAfee, J. (2001), Navigating the Social World: A
Curriculum For Individuals with Asperger Syndrome,
High Functioning Autism, and Related Disorders
Lawson, W. (2006), Friendships: The Aspie Way
Gabor, D. (2001), How To Start A Conversation And
Make Friends
Canfield, J., Hansen, M. V., Reber, D. (2005):
Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul: The Real
Deal Friends
Grandin, T. & Barron, S. (2005), The Unwritten
Rules of Social Relationships
Recommended Resources:
Assertiveness & Self-Advocacy
Yoshida, Y. (2006), How To Be Yourself In A World
That’s Different: An Asperger Syndrome Study
Guide for Adolescents
Palmer, P. (2000), Teen Esteem: A Self-Direction
Manual For Young Adults
Joyner Hayne et al. (2004), Ask And Tell: SelfAdvocacy and Disclosure for People On The Autism
Spectrum
Murray, D. (2005), Coming Out Asperger: Diagnosis,
Disclosure, And Self-Confidence
Recommended Resources:
Anti-Bullying Strategies
Myles, B. & Heinrichs, R. (2003), Perfect
Targets: Asperger Syndrome & Bullying
Dubin, N. (2007), Asperger Syndrome &
Bullying: Strategies & Solutions
Grey, C. (2004), Grey’s Guide to Bullying
Field, E. M. (2007), Bully Blocking
Recommended Resources:
Social Relationships/Friendships
McAfee, J. (2001), Navigating the Social World: A
Curriculum For Individuals with Asperger Syndrome,
High Functioning Autism, and Related Disorders
Lawson, W. (2006), Friendships: The Aspie Way
Gabor, D. (2001), How To Start A Conversation And
Make Friends
Canfield, J., Hansen, M. V., Reber, D. (2005):
Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul: The Real
Deal Friends
Grandin, T. & Barron, S. (2005), The Unwritten
Rules of Social Relationships
Recommended Resources:
Acting & Nonverbal Comm.
Schneider, C. (2007), Acting Antics
Davies, A. (2004), Teaching Asperger’s
Students Social Skills Through Acting
Nowicki, S., & Duke, M. (2002), Will I Ever Fit
In? The Breakthrough Program For
Conquering Adult Dyssemia
Recommended Resources:
Traveling
“Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome &
International Exchange: What, Why, & How”
http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/autismtips/
Debbaudt, D. (2001), “Autism & Airport Travel
Safety Tips”
http://urlcut.com/autismairportsafety