What would an education system for autistics be like?

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For me, obnoxious noises in bedrooms, such as high-pitched hissing from heating and plumbing systems, are often the problem.

I also think that some staff need to hold the keys to the dorms, to be able to come in in case of emergency. The issue here is trust. Staff must be trusted not to abuse the situation.

Seconded!

I'm on a university course at the moment, it's distance-learning, Internet-based, and it's great for exactly the reasons that you are mentioning.

I used to find it very difficult to concentrate on my work at school when desks were pushed together in a grouped arrangement.

I found it very off-putting to have someone sitting directly opposite and facing me.

It was a distraction everytime I looked up to take a breath.
The person sitting opposite me didn't mean to be irritating. I like people. I just don't like to to be forced to have someone in my face for a whole hour.

Advocates of the grouped desk arrangement say that having people (especially) friends sitting opposite each other encourages comaraderie and discussion.

This set up does encourage discussion, about what people are doing at the weekend or who's with whom. It doesn't seem to encourage productive conversation about the task at hand.

On the one hand, I can see why it might be useful for moral support in difficult subjects like Mathematics. However, the noisy, chatty environment generated isn't always useful for solving complex mental Maths problems. In fact it encourages disengagement with the task and copying/chatting with your neighbours.

It's almost like trying to come to a committee decision on whether 1 + 1 really equals 2 while talking about TV, people's social lives and football. In the end, it's just easier for people to look in the back of the textbook or copy the answer off of someone who is trying to work in all of the disruptive noise.

Teachers told the kids to stop chatting and being disruptive.
Well duh, if you push a lot of tables together where everyone's facing each other, what do you expect?

I have found these kind of environments exhausting and inefficient for getting work done. Many other people were too distracted by conversation to work so chatted all lesson.

For complex topics like Maths, I would've prefered my own sound proofed pod to work in. The pod would've looked like a glorified toilet cubicle with Walls and a door touching the floor. The cubicle would be lockable from the inside like a pool changing cubicle. There would be an indicator on the door stating that the pod was occupied or vacant.

The inside of the cubicle would be equipped with a daylight lamp, a desk and an ergonomically designed chair. On the desk there would be a red button that one could press if assistance was required. A bit like the button you can use on an aeroplane to call the air hostess lady if you need extra blankets, snacks or drinks.

When you pushed the button, a Maths assistant would enter the cubicle using a master key. There would be a small fold out bench for him/her to sit on beside you and mentor you on the problems you were encountering. When you were done, the bench could be folded back into place.

I would've worked more efficiently and been less exhausted with this set-up.

Use of physical manipulatives to help with calculations.


Japanese Soroban Abacuses.

Objects

Coins

Weights

Volumetric Flasks

Montessori equipment

Fraction batons

Concur with AmberEyes.

I discovered and bought myself a wooden Tower of Hanoi after I had finished my advanced level Mathematics course.

This was clearly a mistake: I should've bought the Tower while I was doing my course!

When I was playing with the wooden Tower, I found that the total number of moves required to complete the puzzle was 2^n - 1, where n was the total number of discs. So, by playing around with a deceptively simple "toy" I was exploring the idea of exponential growth!

Also I was investigating sequences and puzzling out why odd numbers of discs had to be moved using a different algorithm to even discs.

So basically, a wooden toy was teaching me the topics of Discrete Maths Algorithms; Exponential Growth and Sequences in a concrete way. Topics that I had already sweated over during the exam using a pencil, paper and a calculator. I used to flounder in class because these topics seemed so abstract and "in my head".

With the benefit of hindsight, I should've been given this wonderful "toy" to play with at the beginning of my course, it would've saved so much heartache and confusion later on.

Also, who knew that "stimming" around with wooden "toys" and graphing the results could be so educational and dare I say it...fun?

Mancala

A hands on game to introduce counting and division.
Also one to one social interaction.

Communicating with others using the language of objects.


Guidance with social logistical issues.
A support network and living planning.

Still concur. I'm devoting fewer words to you only because I don't disagree on anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montesori

Will Wright (creator of "The Sims" and "Sim City" amongst others), goes on and on and on about the Montesori school all the time in his presentations, you should look into it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3NA-aKpgFk[/youtube]

Fair enough.

In my country, the teaching of History in schools seems to be heavilly biased towards socio-political events.

I often struggled when I was asked about what would happen next in the love life of King Whatisname. I was baffled to find that other people would seem to instinctively know what would happen next in monarchs' political lives without having to refer to the textbook.

I was often marked down because of my difficulty in predicting things like this. This wasn't because I was stupid at all. I was great at describing what different objects and weapons were used for. Social dyslexia clearly has an effect on how someone interprets historical events. Similar issues crop up in English Literature: I'd be brilliant at writing narrative description (what the Manor house looked like, pathetic fallacy etc.), but I wasn't so good at interpreting the social interactions in the story/play. My dialog writing often came out very comedic and "dry".

I've noticed also, that the further forward in time you go, the more political and social the History teaching becomes. The sources used to teach don't tend to be artifacts and weapons so much. Modern history is basically looking at a lot of newpaper cuttings, photographs of people and political documents. Unfortunately, the documents that ancient people's left are often hard to dicepher or missing. Studying ancient peoples involves looking at ruined cities, artifacts and remains of technology.

The teacher would often start the lesson from a sociopolitical perspective first.
This would often confuse me:

"King Whatisname was with his tenth wife Queen Whatsername when he sent out an army to conquer Whereeveritis in the year... King Whatisname was jealous of another King...why was this?"

I'd have probably understood the History much better if I'd been presented with an object first. This would've been like a "touchstone" and anchored my understanding of the event:

"This is a model replica of a Trebuchet that was used by King Whatisname's soldiers in the battle of Whateveritwas to conquer Whereveritis in the year...The Trebuchet worked like this...This is a spear...this is a soldier's helmet...King Whatisname wanted to seek revenge on another King, so he invested in large quantities of these weapons...quantities listed..."


Maybe a History of Techology course could be taught in a similar style as "What the Ancients did for us", but with smaller scale models/replicas of artifacts.

Starting from an object orientated perspective first, then using these artifacts as "vehicles" to lead onto socio-political events? The ethics of technology and weaponry could be discussed. Perhaps students could be given materials to make their own models.

Perhaps museum trips could be organised where students look at the pots and weapons first? If this isn't possible, perhaps photographs of artifacts?

Perhaps students could visit a church. The lesson could start by discussing an image detail on a stained glass window. Then the focus could "zoom out" to discuss symbolism. Then architecture, then the sociopolitical events which led to the building of the church.

I would've found this object first perspective much easier to grasp than launching straight into the socio-politics.

Last edited by AmberEyes on 19 Sep 2010, 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thank you.

That was inspiring.

Now I understand why kids get so addicted to computer games: it's a self directed learning experience.


Surprisingly, one of the best lessons I had at school was about Hinduism. I say this and I'm an atheist. The reason why the lesson was so effective was because it was:

-An object first approach

-Learner driven


The Religious Education Teacher set out several workstations for us to explore independently. Each workstation was covered in paraphenalia to do with Hinduism.

One station contained photographs of paintings and statues of Hindu Gods; another contained Diwali lamps; there was a box filled with sparkling Saris; another had a shadow puppet making kit; another had masks; another had copies of translated sacred texts...

She said that we could choose freely what we did, as long as we did something.

I found the whole thing so fascinating. For a while, I forgot that I was at school and held the Diwali lamp. It was delightful. I drew a comic strip showing Rama defeating a demon. I was drawn, like a moth to all of the pretty sparkliness that was Diwali and laughed heartilly when one of the boys tried on a Sari. I was using the objects and materials as tools to help me understand the culture of Hinduism, without even realising that I was learning!

Several people asked me what I was doing. We had a lot of productive and fun discussion. It wasn't like forced groupwork at all. I didn't feel humiliated, embarassed or left
out because I couldn't find a group to work in. That wasn't an issue: the whole class was my group to work in! People who wouldn't normally talk to each other were debating and asking questions. It was much more relaxed and we exchanged ideas in casual, friendly conversation. It was at my own pace and I found myself interacting with a diverse range of people. People helped each other out and were very supportive.

One lad gawped at the amount of "work" that I had done. I felt really sorry to have to leave for break. I was enjoying myself so much in a subject that I'd often have difficulty connecting with.

He said that I'd get a very high mark for my work: which I did, it was one of the best in the class. Not bad for someone who's an atheist.

If only Mathematics could've been this fun!

Use of Computer Simulation Games to teach Science Concepts.

E.g. The "OE-Cake" Physics Simulator.

Use of Physics "Games" on portable touch screen devices.

We gonna do this or just shoot the breeze?

I used to be obsessed with tying knots as a child.

Lots of people said that I was "silly" for doing this.

Perhaps my interest could've been directed towards scoubie doo or macrame?

Nobody thought of those hobbies back then and I didn't know about them.
I was just left in front of the TV for hours on end or ferried to organised activities.

Knot tying was stress reliving for me. I clearly enjoyed wanting to develop my fine motor skills. But I was told that this wasn't "educational" and I was forced to watch Maths videos. I was told not to fiddle and to concentrate on abstract concepts in worksheets.

Knots are Mathematical! They can form geometries, structures and patterns.
I see this now.

Parts of organic chemistry that I really enjoyed involved coils of protein molecules: molecular knots!

Knots are useful in sailing and camping.

There are knots in weaving.


I think that I would've benefitted from a "Tinkering School"'or a hands on approach.


The issues and anxieties seem to come from the teaching methods, the overcrowding, the living conditions and the filling in of forms.

Also being made to feel like I am defective if I struggle to talk with more than one person at a time. The humiliation of not being able to find a group to work in. The fear of being ostracised for not "joining in" in the way that people want me to.

It wasn't the learning material that I struggled to cope with, it was the hypersocial expectations. I was rarely allowed to be myself, study on my own and tell the group what I had found. People frowned at me because I couldn't keep up with the fast social pace of "brainstorming sessions" or because no one wanted to work with me.

It's the social groupwork and living conditions that have caused me difficulties, not the content of the course materials.

I don't know, I've been away for a while...

Do we have anyone with Comp-fu skills who wants to help, by setting up a forum and wiki? Get down a concrete plan first, then maybe people can talk to their local educational authority thingamabobs? For whatever reason, I imagine the golden coast would be the most fruitful place, given their government (which would be the most likely to go for something like this) and the (alleged) higher frequency of autism due to the presence of silicon valley...

I dunno. Some of the California school districts are nasty. And by that I mean I only have experience with some, so I can't say for sure.

We're talking legal action against parents who volunteer at the school for the chance to keep a closer eye on their special-needs child. I don't want to mess with them. I mean, I really don't want to mess with them.

I do know that there are plenty of private schools, though. And it's definitely needed.

I don't have any thoughts on what has to happen next...