senco-forum ASD/Asperger's advice

Hi All, If you remember a month or so back I mentioned the

Thanks for the link David, I don't think it appear in the English
edition.

I read with special interest as my own son (Asperger -almost 16)
is doing Spanish. He has always enjoyed it. He has relied heavily
on wonderful rote memory skills - see it once and can spell it
next time.  However, comprehension in this language is the same
problem as seen in all areas. Added to this  is the fact that he
will not apply any of his learning in real life situations. Given
that he finds it difficult to hold more than a 'one round'
conversation in his mother tongue , it is not surprising he is
reluctant to use his new found skills.

I would say that the method use to teach the language has helped
him with everyday greetings - and the gestures used. It has
caused him to stop and think about HOW to order something in a
shop.  So, if nothing else it has had some practical benefit.

He has now done his listening and speaking GCSEs and will sit the
reading element in the morning.  The teacher has been wonderful
with him, understanding perfectly, where his 'difficulties' will
cause extra problems and has taken the time to work some 1-1
sessions with him, using his rote abilities to 'memorise'many
chunks of text / speech to help him cope with the communicative
elements of the exams.  I think it also helps that he knows the
people testing - if it were a stranger on the day - it would have
had serious consequences for him.

He is only doing foundation level ----- but hopes are for a D/C

I would say, and I mentioned it to the Becta chaps yesterday - he
has a problem with the language being on tapes - which produce
lots of white noise and are difficult to find a start place
through .wind/rewind ---- why can't these language lessons be
delivered via CD rom and digital quality sound...... would it be
sooooo difficult?

Rosalyn Lord

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-senco-forum at ngfl.gov.uk
[mailto:owner-senco-forum at ngfl.gov.uk]On Behalf Of David Wilson
Sent: 22 May 2002 19:31
To: Nicholas Snape; SENCO Forum
Subject: senco-forum ASD/Asperger's advice

>Hi All, If you remember a month or so back I mentioned the
increase in
ASD/Asperger's diagnosis in our school.  I'm going to contact our
Outreach
Service and SLT service for advice on both individuals and making
the
'school' more ASD friendly (both environment, staff and pupils).
However,
I wondered if any of you had any definitive resource advice (or
just plain
advice) that would help a school team inexperienced with ASD
switch their
perspective/become better informed without overloading them-
including for
the support assistants. Thanks Nik<

To get the ball rolling, there was an upbeat report in the TES
Scotland of
10 May 2002 about MFL learners with ASD. You can view the online
summary at
http://www.tes.co.uk/search/search_display.asp?section=Archive&su
b_section=
Scotland&id=363363&Type=0

I hope this report signals a resurgence of books and articles
about school
subject learners with ASD. School-subject-specific SEN
publications are
more likely to be read and adopted by ordinary teachers at
secondary school
level than general, cross-curricular advice, which can so easily
be seen as
the responsibility of the SENCo and nobody else.

David Wilson
Harton School, South Shields