Comments on: Asperger’s http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/ Providing HOPE for educators since 2007 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Pamelahttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-5859 Pamela Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:31:29 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-5859 I have a similar request as Holly. I am a SPED teacher taking a graduate course on narrative analysis which means I'm looking for stories. I plan to analyze stories of regular education teachers' experiences with having special education students in their classroom. I was wondering (especially Magister L. post #4) if anyone would mind if I used their stories they mentioned above or if anyone would mind telling me their story. The use of narrative analysis allows me to search for meaning in stories. That's all I'm interested in; I'm not looking to judge anyone's personal beliefs. You, the teachers, are the experts on what it's like to have special education students in your classrooms! I think it is so important to get regular education teachers' views so that improve the quality of education for all students. If you wouldn't mind sharing a story, think about the first student with special needs you had in your classroom. Tell me what it was like from beginning to end. Or think about a student or an experience that is most memorable (whether good or bad). I'd greatly appreciate it! I think this is a wonderful website and have enjoyed seeing the willingness of teachers to share. I have a similar request as Holly. I am a SPED teacher taking a graduate course on narrative analysis which means I’m looking for stories. I plan to analyze stories of regular education teachers’ experiences with having special education students in their classroom. I was wondering (especially Magister L. post #4) if anyone would mind if I used their stories they mentioned above or if anyone would mind telling me their story. The use of narrative analysis allows me to search for meaning in stories. That’s all I’m interested in; I’m not looking to judge anyone’s personal beliefs. You, the teachers, are the experts on what it’s like to have special education students in your classrooms! I think it is so important to get regular education teachers’ views so that improve the quality of education for all students.

If you wouldn’t mind sharing a story, think about the first student with special needs you had in your classroom. Tell me what it was like from beginning to end. Or think about a student or an experience that is most memorable (whether good or bad).

I’d greatly appreciate it! I think this is a wonderful website and have enjoyed seeing the willingness of teachers to share.

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]]> By: Joelhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-4958 Joel Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:55:14 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-4958 Holly: You raise some great points here! As a band director, I simply haven't had a whole lot of special education students. Even the ones that I have taught, the methods would be unlikely to help in most classroom settings. So instead of answering this, I'm going to throw it out to the rest of the readers. In fact, I've also just posted another article on the site asking for suggestions from readers on this issue. Thanks again to all of you for your concern and help with these kinds of things! Check out the other article: <a href="http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/effectively-dealing-with-special-education-students/" rel="nofollow">Effectively Dealing With Special Education Students</a>. Holly: You raise some great points here! As a band director, I simply haven’t had a whole lot of special education students. Even the ones that I have taught, the methods would be unlikely to help in most classroom settings.

So instead of answering this, I’m going to throw it out to the rest of the readers. In fact, I’ve also just posted another article on the site asking for suggestions from readers on this issue. Thanks again to all of you for your concern and help with these kinds of things!

Check out the other article: Effectively Dealing With Special Education Students.

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]]> By: Hollyhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-4920 Holly Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:52:40 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-4920 I am a nineteen year old (3rd yr) secondary education student (yrs 8-12 ) at the University of Queensland in Australia. I have read the above comments and would love with your permission to use some of your comments as a reference (In which you will be quoted) in a case study /research report I am writing on Asperge's (Task Outcome: A written Report reporting the procedures for preparing and conducting a face-to-face interview and integrating the outcomes/findings of the interview with the ideas from the academic literature and research.) On this blog I have found your opinions to be very informative and would be very appreciative if you could tell me some teaching method's you have used in the past which have had a positive influence on sped student's. I am an English Literature and History student teacher and am undertaking Special education classes because I have grown up in a community where I have been "sheltered" in a private school (and am only familiar with adhd) and would like to be rid of my ignorance. I have interviewed a few parent's with children who have asperger's and would now like to get some teacher's opinions possible. Thank you so much for your time! I am a nineteen year old (3rd yr) secondary education student (yrs 8-12 ) at the University of Queensland in Australia. I have read the above comments and would love with your permission to use some of your comments as a reference (In which you will be quoted) in a case study /research report I am writing on Asperge’s (Task Outcome: A written Report reporting the procedures for preparing and conducting a face-to-face interview and integrating the outcomes/findings of the interview with the ideas from the academic literature and research.)
On this blog I have found your opinions to be very informative and would be very appreciative if you could tell me some teaching method’s you have used in the past which have had a positive influence on sped student’s. I am an English Literature and History student teacher and am undertaking Special education classes because I have grown up in a community where I have been “sheltered” in a private school (and am only familiar with adhd) and would like to be rid of my ignorance. I have interviewed a few parent’s with children who have asperger’s and would now like to get some teacher’s opinions possible. Thank you so much for your time!

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]]> By: Joelhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3333 Joel Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:10:49 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3333 What a cool resource, Margaret! Thanks for including that. :) What a cool resource, Margaret! Thanks for including that. :)

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]]> By: Margarethttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3324 Margaret Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:14:03 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3324 I was cleaning out my email in-box this morning & found this link I'd saved few months ago. If you have or know of any students with Asperger's who are college candidates or ready for that post-secondary transition statement portion on their IEP, this link from Marshall University in WV may help. This program is geared toward Aspies. Granted, it may be too far from home for many, but it also may give you ammo to prod a local university to design a similar program for your student. http://www.marshall.edu/coe/atc/modelcollege.htm I was cleaning out my email in-box this morning & found this link I’d saved few months ago. If you have or know of any students with Asperger’s who are college candidates or ready for that post-secondary transition statement portion on their IEP, this link from Marshall University in WV may help. This program is geared toward Aspies. Granted, it may be too far from home for many, but it also may give you ammo to prod a local university to design a similar program for your student. http://www.marshall.edu/coe/atc/modelcollege.htm

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]]> By: Frankhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3250 Frank Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:57:31 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3250 I'm fairly experienced with Autism having served as an advocate for impoverished inner city people seeking Social Security disability benefits. I was one of the only people willing to accept Children's cases as they are inherently far more complicated and difficult to prove to agency. I worked with quite a few Autistic Children as well as Children allegedly suffering from ADD/ADHD. I typed "allegedly" because after encountering so many cases of ADD/ADHD I noticed that all of the Children were in the same small groupings of neighborhoods. Kind of aroused my curiosity and I began to dig into the matter through their medical records. What I thought I discovered was shocking ... damned outrageous is more like it. I went to ACORN seeking assistance and it all came together. The City had intentionally sat on over $4,000,000 earmarked for lead paint abatement and an attempt at accounting for the funds a couple of years after they were set aside revealed that the money had simply disappeared. Bottom line: NONE of the Children I had as clients were ADD/ADHD per se; they were all suffering from lead paint poisoning. Of course, this all came to light after most of them had been on Ritalin for quite some time and greedy pharm. corps disinformation aside, Ritalin causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system over time. I wish I could say this situation had a happy ending. It didn't, and once again the Children suffer. Generally, I enjoy working with Autistic Children and it seems I have something of a Gift in this regard. Good for them say I. I’m fairly experienced with Autism having served as an advocate for impoverished inner city people seeking Social Security disability benefits. I was one of the only people willing to accept Children’s cases as they are inherently far more complicated and difficult to prove to agency. I worked with quite a few Autistic Children as well as Children allegedly suffering from ADD/ADHD.

I typed “allegedly” because after encountering so many cases of ADD/ADHD I noticed that all of the Children were in the same small groupings of neighborhoods. Kind of aroused my curiosity and I began to dig into the matter through their medical records. What I thought I discovered was shocking … damned outrageous is more like it. I went to ACORN seeking assistance and it all came together. The City had intentionally sat on over $4,000,000 earmarked for lead paint abatement and an attempt at accounting for the funds a couple of years after they were set aside revealed that the money had simply disappeared. Bottom line: NONE of the Children I had as clients were ADD/ADHD per se; they were all suffering from lead paint poisoning. Of course, this all came to light after most of them had been on Ritalin for quite some time and greedy pharm. corps disinformation aside, Ritalin causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system over time.

I wish I could say this situation had a happy ending. It didn’t, and once again the Children suffer.

Generally, I enjoy working with Autistic Children and it seems I have something of a Gift in this regard. Good for them say I.

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]]> By: Nancyhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3229 Nancy Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:23:37 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3229 I wasn't wacky--here's one article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article2272080.ece I wasn’t wacky–here’s one article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article2272080.ece

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]]> By: Nancyhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3228 Nancy Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:20:05 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3228 Thanks for the article. I saw something (I thought it might be in the article you cited since I'd read that article) that contended that anorexia might be part of the Asbergers/Austism spectrum. The calorie counting, exercising, weighing etc. an example of obsessive "interests". I'll see if I can find the article online (I think it was Time or US News?) Thanks for the article. I saw something (I thought it might be in the article you cited since I’d read that article) that contended that anorexia might be part of the Asbergers/Austism spectrum. The calorie counting, exercising, weighing etc. an example of obsessive “interests”. I’ll see if I can find the article online (I think it was Time or US News?)

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]]> By: Joelhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3226 Joel Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:21:26 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3226 I was digging through old emails today and found an article from Newsweek. <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/168868" rel="nofollow">Why Girls with Asperger's Might Not Be Diagnosed</a> I was digging through old emails today and found an article from Newsweek.

Why Girls with Asperger’s Might Not Be Diagnosed

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]]> By: Head Monkeyhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/aspergers/#comment-3213 Head Monkey Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:37:27 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=733#comment-3213 Hey everyone. Great discussion going here. I wish more teachers would have it in a safe environment where misconceptions could be clarified and people wouldn't be judged for feeling the way they do. Unfortunately, I don't think many schools have that kind of environment in place. So I guess the blogosphere is the next best thing! Just wanted to recommend Rick Wormeli's book "Fair Isn't Always Equal". It is about how to get our head around differentiation and giving kids what they need in the classroom. It has helped me form the "culture" of my classroom as well as instructional and assessment practices. Enjoy! Hey everyone. Great discussion going here. I wish more teachers would have it in a safe environment where misconceptions could be clarified and people wouldn’t be judged for feeling the way they do. Unfortunately, I don’t think many schools have that kind of environment in place. So I guess the blogosphere is the next best thing!

Just wanted to recommend Rick Wormeli’s book “Fair Isn’t Always Equal”. It is about how to get our head around differentiation and giving kids what they need in the classroom. It has helped me form the “culture” of my classroom as well as instructional and assessment practices.

Enjoy!

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