SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH AS IN HE. Nicola Martin

01298-71100 ex 4418• AS =Asperger’s

syndrome

• A form of autism associated with more able people

• Objectives

• To provide a brief overview of AS and discuss possible impact relevant HE (emphasising individuality)

• 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 CRITERIAGilberg 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

literalinterpretation

poor eyecontact

difficultyfitting in

misunderstandings lack ofsensitivity topersonal space

pedantictone

limited vocabularyto describe feelings

boring people socialisolation

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

Practical

Money Cooking- eating

Self care- personalhygene

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 separateroom?

extra time?

practice paper unambiguouslanguage &instructions

prompting tomove ontonext question

oralquestioning

sensitivemarking

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