Autism

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AUTISM
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This page is hosted by Vivienne Wire, formerly Principal Teacher of the Communication Centre at Loudoun Academy in East Ayrshire, Scotland.

In recent years the numer of pupils being diagnosed with autism has increased considerably. Some of them are included in modern language classes, perhaps with support, and some are withdrawn specifically from this subject. Yet all are young Europeans, entitled to an opportunity to learn a foreign language and to acquire some cultural awareness. My experiences have convinced me that pupils with autism should be offered the same opportunities as other young people and can benefit from them.

The material on this page provides the evidence which underpins my conviction and describes some of the strategies which have proved useful. I shall from time to time add other resources which seem to me to be hepful in this context, and I should be glad to hear of any other resources or strategies which teachers, parents or carers have found helpful. Please contact me.


	Learning a second language - everyone's right, or not right for everyone? This is an account of research I carried out as part of my Masters Degree. I set out to explore the experience of foreign language learning for pupils in Scotland who have a communication disorder of the high functioning autistic type.

Introduction:
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:

Epilogue & Post Script

Abstract, Acknowledgements, Contents & Prologue

Literature review and general background

The research questions

Methodology

Case Study

Results from data collection

Discussion and evaluation of results

References

Appendix 1:

Appendix 2:

Summary Planning Grid:

Questionnaires

Gaelic medium education

Learner characteristics and implications for MFL learning and teaching


	Communication & Interaction Difficulties
	My contribution to the EU report mentioned on the news page can be downloaded here as a PDF file.


	A difficulty, oui, a deficit, non
	Link to an article published by the Times Educational Supplement Scotland in May 2002.


	Autistic Spectrum Disorders and learning foreign languages

	This is an electronic version of my article published in Support for Learning, the British Journal of Learning Support, Volume 20, Number 3, August 2005. © NASEN 2005


	DfES resource Children with autism: strategies for accessing the curriculum: modern foreign languages Published in 2004 by North West SEN Regional Partnership. Available to download at: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/teacherlearningassistant/ ASDKS34 /


	AUTISM-EUROPE A portal linking related sites in 31 European countries. Includes the EU Charter for Persons with Autism. http://www.autismeurope.org/portal/Default.aspx?tabid=469


	Times Educational Supplement online staffroom A thread about teaching languages to children with autism was started on 11th May 2007 http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/thread.aspx?story_id=2379703&path=/modern%20languages/&threadPage=1


	The National Autistic Society (http://www.nas.org.uk) has launched a page on working with an Asperger pupil in secondary school. See: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1393&a=12212 See also the page on support during lessons and breaktimes: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1393

17.12.08 Mini case studies

We've been contacted this month by two different families who have similar stories to tell:

My son is 8 years old and lives with autism. We have used a range of different therapies for all but two years of his life. The reason for my writing is that just in the last week we have come to realize that he has an understanding of French and Spanish that we had no knowledge of. He has in the last few months been changing the language on the videos he has been watching to French, Chinese, Spanish, etc. but I was sure this was just to make his little sister get out of the room. I guess he has picked up a considerable amount from these videos; enough that his lead therapist and his mother and I have quizzed him and he has yet to be wrong. Even in the spelling he has been correct.

The following story was passed to me for comment by the education officer at Eurotalk, a UK firm that publishes interactive language learning software:

My remarkable son, who is autistic, has difficulty with expressive language, which makes it both ironic and fascinating that at the age of five he had an inexhaustible passion for foreign languages. Your products were perfectly geared toward my son's particular learning style: visual images in conjunction with audio and the written word. My son immediately absorbs that which he reads, and is able to crack reading codes without any formal reading instruction. I particularly appreciated that the words in your products are written in the native language rather than a phonetic translation. They helped him to speak, understand and read in numerous languages. We heard so much more of his beautiful voice. He went from speaking very little to talking all day, in numerous foreign languages. He has other obsessions now, but I keep hoping his interest in languages will return.

Do you know of similar stories? Is this linguistic phenomenon more prevalent than we had thought? - Hilary McColl


	22.12.08 Read about French in Ruchill Autistic Centre in the November 2008 of Scottish CILT's Newsletter, page 13: http://www.scilt.stir.ac.uk/newsletter/


	23.1.09 Question and Answer No 1 We frequently receive requests for information or advice from parents, teachers and student teachers who are interested in the - sometimes unexpected - abilities of children with special educational needs. A recent example of this was an email from a teacher in Italy. We thought her experience, her questions, and the answer provided by Vivienne, might be of interest to other visitors to this website and to this page in particular. Thanks to both, and to the family involved, for allowing me to post this edited version of their exchange.
		Download


	15.2 09 Concepts "Some autistic children may have difficulty with abstract concepts. The more concrete you can make your lessons (by using physical objects and experiences), the better the child is likely to do. Depending on the degree of the autism, the child might need to move progressively from working with objects, to working with 2-dimensional pictures, and finally, to working with words." From Language Links 2006: http://languagelinks2006.wikispaces.com/Autism For some further thoughts on introducing concepts, see:
		Introducing concepts (pdf)


	17.2.09 Going abroad The benefits of going abroad for people with Asperger's Syndrome and autism and the steps and questions to ask when planning an inclusive group exchange. http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/autismtips


	8.4.09 Rote learning I came across some interesting ideas about Asperger's and rote learning. I wonder what the implications might be for learning languages other than Latin? Has anyone come across research that confirms this? - Hilary http://blog.xanthippas.com/2008/09/14/aspergers-and-memory-part-2-rote-memor y-vs-reasoning/


	14.4.09 Autism toolbox A resource to help local authorities and schools in Scotland who provide for children and young people with autism. All schools, partner provider nurseries and local authorities have been provided with a copy of the new guidance, to coincide with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. http://register.scotland.gov.uk/bulkmail/clickTrack.ashx?url=b1f037ea-f2a8-45e8-a1cb-2f6cc636366f&iid=10442791


	29.6.09 Discussion Link to this recent discussion on the Times Educational Supplement forum for reports of MFL successes by youngsters with Asperger's Syndrome: http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/328997.aspx


	29.6.09 Scottish Languages Review: Modern Languages and Autism Issue 19 (1/6/09) carries an article by John Lumsden, class teacher at Ruchill Autism Unit in Glasgow. Follow the links here: http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/slr/iss/2009/19/#d.en.196164


	18.11.09 Higher education Practice Guide: Supporting students with Asperger's Syndrome. The Guide aims to provide support for the academic who has little or no experience of teaching students with AS. Download here: http://escalate.ac.uk/6446


	20.2.10 Children with Asperger's Syndrome in primary school: difficulties with foreign language learning This dissertation was written by Fabrizia Baso for the final part of her degree in Modern Languages at the University of Venice. It is written partly in Italian, partly in English. With thanks to the author, to the University and to the family who inspired this study for their permission to publish here.


	Download dissertation


	30.3.10 Read about language learning activities at Ruchill's Autism Unit http://www.strath.ac.uk/media/departments/curricularstudies/scilt/news/2010jan/GCC_ML_Newsletter.pdf


	This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.


	This page updated: 30.2.10		TOP
	This page updated: 30.2.10