Seeking Guidance?

I had thought I’d use a definition sought out via the wonder that is Google Search as a starting point, but when I just did, I didn’t find what I thought I would find. Weird. Strategies (in the non-real mind of Google) seem to be more to do with military actions or are actions that have the intent to help an organisation achieve its goals or aims.

That’s not what I mean when I (as an educationalist) use the term strategy. Maybe I need to change the term. Or, maybe we need to look at more educational strategies. Let’s do that…

Okay. This is closer to what I mean:

“A learning strategy is an individual's way of organising and using a particular set of skills in order to learn content or accomplish other tasks more effectively and efficiently in school as well as in non-academic settings”. (Schumaker & Deshler, 1992)

Yes, that’s far more appropriate for the context. Thank you Schumaker and Deshler, whoever you are. I’ll leave you as the reader to do any further research on these two if you choose to.

It would make sense to further refine the search to focus on strategies for those with ‘Special Educational Needs” (which would include us autists).

There are lists of strategies that are stated as being positive for those with ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN). They are not lists I disagree with; however, I do believe we need to be careful how we use such lists. Before I write below some of what I’ve found (and have used or have seen being used in education), can I please ask you to read the list through a certain lens? That lens would be to analyse (within self) whether any of these strategies are only of use to those with SEN or whether they may well be of huge benefit to anyone who is human? The context is for children but is fully transferable to adults too.

Differentiated Instruction: Including being aware of a child’s unique needs, learning style and abilities. Breaking down tasks into achievable tasks that still challenge the pupil but tasks they will be able to achieve independently. Using a variety of teaching approaches, some of which are purely practical or multi-sensory. Using adult support appropriately to help a child access learning (but without completing the task for the child as that only leads to further issues).

Multisensory Learning: Where the learning process utilises more than one sense to make the learning experience more accessible.

Technology Integration: The use of specific technology to help with learning and the use of educational interactive games to further develop learning.

Peer Tutoring: I suggest that many children with SEN are reticent to use this kind of learning approach, unless they are the one ‘in charge’, but it is a skill to develop for life in general, FOR SURE. What is peer tutoring? It's a term used to describe one child (or adult) teaching another child (or adult) what they've learned themselves.

We learn more as we share what we think we have learnt with one who has not yet learnt it or who feels they have learnt it in a different way. We have to describe what we have learnt in different ways (and often in many ways) to help another understand what we've learnt. This deepens our own learning. It is (in my personal and professional experience) a highly effective model of expanding and developing learning for all learners.

Collaboration with Parents: That speaks for itself, does it not?

Taking into account the wishes or concerns of the child and their family: Okay. Yes. Which (I do need to write) does not equate to the parent or child dictating what will be best for the child but is one part of the wider picture which also involves specialists (if you can find one and don’t have to wait 18 months to find out whether you meet threshold to be able to speak to one).

In the government’s SEND Code of Practice, the following principles are written as two of those mentioned there:

• Focussing on inclusive practises and removing barriers to learning.
• Helping children and young adults prepare for adulthood.

And in the government's SEND Strategy:

• Have high aspirations for all children and young people.

It is my view that not one of the strategies or principles above (and you have the choice to search for others yourself) is of benefit only to those who are autistic or have any other labelled SEN need. ALL the above strategies have the potential of benefitting all humans, don’t they?

The aim of this section of earlyinthemorning.co.uk is to dig a little deeper into some of the issues we autists may experience (or for non-autists, may witness…or for autists, may witness in other autists) and it will make some suggestions as to approaches that could be tried.

Will there be mention of positive re-enforcement, controlled choice, tone of voice, body-language, phraseology used and mindset alongside many other strategies? Undoubtedly. Will they be fully unique as strategies useful for autists alone? No. But then, what if our needs as autists (within self or when existing in the world) are ‘just’ (I write ‘just’ with caution) a more concentrated version of what is needed for all humans anyway? What if we’re experiencing the same as humans generally are experiencing but just often at greater levels of intensity? It’s a thought for consideration; no more and no less.

Will this section of the website help all who look here for support? No.

Might it inspire some to try a different angle of approach to a situation or difficulty they face (or are having to manage)? Maybe.

It is for that potential that I write (alongside the self-counselling that will inevitably happen along the way).