Introduction

The urgency of the problem. Distorted development is a type of dysontogenesis in which complex combinations of general psychological underdevelopment, delayed, damaged and accelerated development of individual mental functions are observed, which leads to a number of qualitatively new pathological formations. One of the clinical variants of this dysontogenesis is early childhood autism (RA) (I.I. Mamaychuk, 1998). The word autism comes from the Latin word autos - itself and means detachment from reality, fenced off from the world.

The main signs of RDA in all its clinical variants are:

Insufficient or complete absence of the need for contacts with others;

Fenced off from the outside world;

Weakness of emotional response in relation to loved ones, even to the mother, up to complete indifference to them (affective blockade)

Inability to differentiate between people and inanimate objects. Often such children are considered aggressive;

Commitment to preserving the immutability of the environment;

Neophobia (fear of everything new) manifests itself in autistic children very early;

Monotonous behavior with a tendency to stereotypes, primitive movements;
- various speech disorders in RDA;

Children with RDA have various intellectual disabilities.

Insufficient response to visual auditory stimuli leads many parents to turn to an ophthalmologist or audiologist.

But this is an erroneous opinion, children with autism, on the contrary, are very sensitive to weak stimuli. For example, children often cannot stand the ticking of a clock, the noise of household appliances, the dripping of water from a faucet; do not tolerate a change of residence, rearrangement of the bed, do not like new clothes and shoes.

Chapter I. Theoretical substantiation of the problem of identifying an autistic child

1.1. autistic child

How to identify an autistic child.

Autism is a medical diagnosis, and of course, only a specialist has the right to make it. Since an autistic child often has a whole range of characteristic behavioral features, the first task is to determine which violation is the leading one in each case. After all, it is impossible to correct all violations at the same time. However, the diagnosis of disorders often causes difficulties even for specialists.

Perhaps this is due to a very wide range of manifestations of autism, perhaps - with insufficient knowledge of the causes of this disease. And until scientists determine more precisely why this disease occurs, problems will arise every time autism is detected in children, and therefore, when drawing up a correctional program for each child. We still have little experience of such work, since in practice we usually meet only with children with certain features of autism.

However, these difficulties do not relieve us from the difficult work of identifying an autistic child in a kindergarten group or in a classroom. Of course, only a doctor should make a diagnosis. The task of the teacher is to identify such a child, help him adapt in the children's team and refer him to specialists. In our practice, there were cases when relatively "well-off" autistic children got to the doctor just before entering school. If teachers had noticed the problems of these children earlier and advised parents to contact specialists, the child's adaptation to school would probably have gone more smoothly.

Since, unfortunately, there are almost no special developments in the arsenal of the teacher to identify autistic children, the best assistant in such work will be personal experience of communicating with children, patience and the ability to observe.

The main directions of work to identify the symptoms of autism in a child will help determine the data shown in Table 1. Comparative characteristics of the development of normal and autistic children are taken from the book of Belgian psychologists C. Gilbert and T. Peters. However, in our opinion, these data should not be taken too literally. This is just a scheme containing certain guidelines for working with children.

1.2. Comparative characteristics of the development of children in normal and with autism

Speech development

normal development

Development in autism

Pronunciation of vowels, humming.

"Dialogues" in the form of making vowels, turning towards the parents.
appearance of consonants.

Crying is hard to interpret.

Various intonations in cooing, including intonations of a question.
Syllable repetitions: ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma.
Pointing gestures appear.

Limited or unusual cooing (squeals or screams).
Do not imitate squeals, gestures, expressions.

The appearance of the first words.
Use of vocabulary with sentence-like intonation.
Playing with vowels.
Uses gestures and vocalizations to attract attention, point objects, and make requests.

First words may appear, but are often not used with meaning. Frequent loud crying that remains difficult to interpret.

Vocabulary 3-50 words.
Begins to form 2 word combinations.
Transferring the meanings of words (eg. dad- an appeal to all men).
Use of language for comments, requests and actions.
Trying to get people's attention.
Frequent echolalia and imitation are possible.

Combinations from 3 to 5 words ("telegraphic speech"). Asks simple questions (eg: "Where is dad?", "Go?").
Use of the word this accompanied by pointing gestures.
Calls himself by name, but not as "I".
Can briefly repeat sentences.
Can't keep the topic of conversation going.
Speech is focused on the present time and place.

Usually the vocabulary is less than 15 words. Words appear, then disappear. Gestures are not developed; there are several gestures pointing to the object.

Vocabulary about 100 words.
Many grammatical morphemes (plural, past tense, prepositions, etc.) are used properly. Echolalic repetition is rare.
There is an increasing use of speech to mean "there" and "then".

Asks a lot of questions, mostly to continue the conversation, not to get information.

Word combinations are rare. Can repeat phrases, echolalia, but use of language is not creative. Bad rhythm, intonation.
Poor articulation in about half of speaking children.

In half or more of the children, speech is not meaningful (without awareness of meanings).
Takes the parents by the hand and leads to the object, approaches its usual location and waits for the object to be given to him.

Uses complex sentence structures. Can keep the topic of conversation and add new information.
Asks for explanations of statements. Adjusts the level of speech depending on the listener (eg, makes it easier for a two-year-old listener).

Can creatively create multiple combinations of 2-3 words.
Echolalia remains: can be used in communication. Copies leading TV shows. Makes requests.

Uses a wide range of speech structures.
Mainly owns grammatical structures. Can evaluate sentences as grammatical/non-grammatical structures and make corrections.
Develops an understanding of jokes and sarcasm, recognizes verbal ambiguities.
The growth of the ability to adapt speech depending on the listener.

There is no understanding or expression of abstract concepts (time).
Can't carry on a conversation. Uses phrases incorrectly. Echolalia is present.
Rarely asks questions; if they appear, they are repetitive.
Violated the tone and rhythm of speech.

Development of communication and games

in months

normal development

Development in autism

Turns head and eyes to sound. Smiling when interacting.

He holds out his hands, waiting to be picked up.
Repeats actions imitating an adult.

Less active, demanding than a child with normal development.
Some children are very excitable.
Weak eye contact.
There are no reciprocal social manifestations.

Distinguishes parents from strangers. "Give and take" games with the exchange of objects with adults.
Hide-and-seek games ("cuckoo") and others similar in scenario.
Shows objects to adults.
Waving goodbye.
Crying or crawling after mom after she leaves the room.

It is difficult for a child to calm down if he is upset. About 1/3 of children are excessively withdrawn and may actively reject interaction.
About 1/3 of children love attention, but show little interest in others.

The child initiates games more often.
Leading to the same extent as the responsible role in the interaction.
Increases eye contact with adults while playing with toys.

Contacts usually decrease as soon as the child begins to walk, crawl.
Does not worry when separated from his mother.

Something similar to a game appears: shows, offers, takes toys.
Self-play or parallel play is more typical.

There are episodes similar to the game.
Play-like activity occurs during vigorous activity (eg, catch-and-touch games rather than general play with toys).

Usually distinguishes parents from others, but does not express great affection.
Can hug, kiss, but does it automatically if someone asks him.
Does not distinguish between adults (except parents). There may be strong phobias. They prefer to be alone.

Learned how to interact with peers. Episodes of maintaining relationships with peers.
Often quarrels with peers.
She loves to help her parents with housework.
Likes to make others laugh.
He wants to do something good for his parents.

Does not allow other children.
Let's get overly excited.
Doesn't understand the meaning of punishment.

Distributes roles with peers in a socio-dramatic game.
Prefers game friends. Interacts with peers verbally, sometimes physically.
Excludes unwanted children from the game.

Unable to understand the rules of the game.

Development of the imagination

normal development

Development in autism

Undifferentiated actions with one object.

Actions are differentiated according to the characteristics of the objects.
Use of 2 objects in combination (such use of them is not socially acceptable).

Repetitive movements dominate activity while awake

Socially acceptable actions with objects (functional use of objects).
Uses 2 or more objects.

Frequent symbolic activities (imagining talking on the phone, drinking, etc.).
The game is connected with the daily routine of the child.

Active role in a play-like activity.

Often uses the rules of the game in relation to dolls, toy animals, adults (eg, feeding the doll).
Performs actions similar to unrestricted own activity (imagines ironing clothes).
Several successive imaginary actions develop (feed the doll, rock her and put her to bed).
An imaginary game is set in motion with the help of game objects.

A little curiosity/exploration of the environment.
Unusual use of toys and arrangement of objects in a line.

Redesign of the symbolic game, announcement of the attempt and search for the right items.
Replacing one object with another (for example, a car is replaced by a cube).
Objects are perceived as having an independent activity (eg puppets raise their own mug).

Often says the names of objects.
Does not own symbolic game.
Long repetitive movements of rocking, circling, walking on toes, etc. A long look at the light, etc.
Many are good at visual/motor manipulation, such as the 'Put the picture together' puzzle.

Sociodramatic play is a creative play with two or more children. Using pantomime to present an item in need (eg, imagining pouring from a non-existent teapot).
Real life and fantasy themes can play an important role for a long time.

Functional use of objects. Some actions are directed at dolls, etc.; Basically, the child acts as a leading person.
Symbolic play, if any, limited to the simplest, repetitive pattern.
As creative play skills develop, continues to spend a significant amount of time not engaging in play activities.
Many do not combine toys in the game.

Speech is very important in presenting a topic, assigning roles, and acting out a drama.

No ability for pantomime.
There is no sociodramatic play.

1.3. How to help an autistic child

Before starting a conversation about correctional work, it is necessary to make a reservation: since in our practice children with "classic autism" are rare, but quite often we have to interact with children who have only individual autistic features, then we will continue to talk specifically about them. We will talk about some of the methods of working with such children. These techniques have been proven in practice and give good results. Of course, every encounter with an autistic child is truly unique. But, knowing the general patterns of development of autistic children and having a “set” of techniques for working with them, you can always find the key to them, even in the most difficult and unpredictable cases.

First of all, as when working with ordinary children, it is necessary to "follow the child", to be flexible in the construction and conduct of each lesson. In addition, it is necessary to be consistent, act step by step, without forcing events, and remember that working with an autistic child is a delicate, even delicate matter that requires significant time costs. According to K. Salib, a colleague of the psychotherapist V. Oklander, in order to achieve positive results in working with such a child, an adult must, first of all, show flexibility. Do not force him to do what you have planned, it is better to follow his interests and aspirations.

Here is how W. Ocklander describes a case from the practice of this psychologist:"Sean (5 years old) stood in front of the mirror in full growth, ignoring the calls to work together on the puzzle. Then she approached him herself, sat down near the mirror, without saying a word, and began to watch how he, examining himself in mirror, felt his face. She understood that he was really contemplating himself. Suddenly he noticed that her reflection was also in the mirror. This surprised him and delighted him. For 20 minutes, K. Saliba did not utter a single word, did not gave no command. Then she began to name the parts of his face as he pointed to them in the mirror, but remained silent when he reached his mouth. He looked at her expectantly in the mirror and then called out: "Mouth!" ". Using this method allows you to teach children a lot.

Correctional work with any child, and even more so with an autistic child, will be more successful if it is carried out comprehensively by a group of specialists: a psychiatrist, neuropathologist, psychologist, speech therapist, music worker and parents. But only under one condition: the work of specialists and parents should take place according to one program.

Knowing what medications and for what purpose the child is prescribed, teachers and psychologists, together with parents, can purposefully monitor him, inform the doctor about positive or negative changes in the child’s behavior, so that he, if necessary, corrects the course of treatment.

Teachers and psychologists work together to achieve a common goal: to help the child adapt to kindergarten or school. Together they develop an individual program for the development of the child. The teacher sets specific educational tasks, and the psychologist, relying on the general patterns of development of autistic children, helps to solve emerging problems. In the process of observing the child, the educator or teacher can consult with a psychologist on emerging issues. For example: "How to help a child get rid of fears?", "How should a teacher react to outbreaks of aggression and self-aggression?"

The main task of the teacher is to involve the child in individual and joint activities. To this end, it is necessary to use as many different forms of interaction as possible in working with him, enriching his emotional and intellectual experience.

In order to understand where to start corrective work, it is necessary to determine the leading direction: the development of speech; social interaction skills; imagination. In turn, the choice of direction will depend on the needs of a particular child. In one case, it is necessary first of all to teach him self-service skills, in the other - to reduce the level of anxiety, to work on removing fears, establishing primary contact, creating a positive emotional climate and a comfortable psychological atmosphere for classes. At the first stages of work, it is often more important for a teacher to form a desire to learn in a child than to achieve mastery of educational material.

Autistic children see the meaning of any activity only when it is clearly pre-programmed: children must know what to do first, what sequence of actions to perform, how to finish. For example, during a physical education lesson, they do not understand why and for how long they need to run in circles. But their activity will be more meaningful if several toys are laid out on the floor in the hall and a specific task is given to the child: each time, running past the toys, take one of them and throw it into the basket. When all the items are collected, go from running to walking and, having completed another circle, sit on the bench. Thus, the child will see the plan of his actions and become more calm. Such meaningfulness must be achieved in the performance of any task. The child should always know why he will perform this or that action.

For this purpose, in the room where the autistic child is located, so-called operational cards can be placed, on which a clear sequence of actions is indicated in the form of symbols. So, a diagram reflecting the desired sequence of actions of the child when getting ready for a walk can be drawn on the locker. Examples of such cards are, for example, instructions for collecting toys from the Kinder Surprise series. We provide options for such benefits for organizing various activities and fulfilling the daily routine (Fig. 1, 2).

Fig 1. Operational map "Lunch".

Fig 2. Operational map "Going for a walk"

Autistic children enjoy putting together puzzles and puzzles. They are accessible and understandable to them. Working according to the scheme, children see the end result to be achieved.

Children with communication disabilities love to collect, so they can and should be involved in the work of sorting objects. They can become invaluable assistants to the educator, in cases where it is necessary, for example, to arrange pencils by color, cubes by size, cut out templates by shape. At school, you can involve such children in the creation and sorting of herbariums, collections of stones, shells, and photographs. They do a good job of keeping daily records-observations of animals in a living corner (but not in the early stages of work).

An autistic child is not aware of his body. He may have a spatial orientation disorder. Therefore, it is useful to place group room multiple mirrors at eye level. From time to time, the caregiver or teacher may draw the attention of the child to his reflection. This technique, which has already been described above, gives positive results.
Example.

Andryusha M. is studying in the second grade of a comprehensive school. He was lucky: the teacher tries to understand him and supports the slightest initiative to establish contacts with others. Andryusha sometimes even recites poems by heart, though one on one. Mainly in cool magazine marks are given for written work. The boy has already learned to sit at his desk during the whole lesson and perform some of the teacher's tasks. But at the sound of the bell for recess, Andrei shudders and begins to cry thinly and piercingly. This is understandable: he absolutely cannot stand it when one of his peers touches him, and this cannot be avoided during the break. A ten-minute break turns into a nightmare for both Andryusha and the teacher.

But today it was completely different. The teacher, as soon as Andrei began to cry, led him to the mirror. The boy continued to cry, but not so loudly. At first, he simply contemplated his reflection, but then, seeing a tear rolling down his cheek, he touched it, looked at his wet finger, brushed off another tear, and then came up with a game for himself: as soon as another drop appeared on his face, he picked it up and in a circular motion smeared on the cheek. "Hunting for tears" continued throughout the break. And by the end of the break, the boy even smiled through his tears.

He went to class reassured. Since then, Andryusha, at the sound of the bell for recess, did not cry, but stood up to the mirror. The teacher, having felt the possibilities of using the "magic glass", during the breaks carried out stage by stage corrective work. A few weeks later, the child was ready to communicate with the teacher and complete tasks without the help of a mirror.

An exercise that is successfully used in kindergartens will help an autistic child to better understand his body: putting the child on a large sheet of paper, the teacher or children from the group trace the contour of his body, and then together, naming parts of the body and items of clothing aloud, paint over this contour.

For the development of tactile, visual-tactile, kinesthetic perception, you can use games such as "Magic Bag", "Guess the Object". It is useful to invite children to fold puzzles by touch, with their eyes closed (instead of puzzles, you can use "Montessori Frames").

At the first stages of work with autistic children, it is recommended to offer them games with a strict sequence of actions and clear rules, rather than role-playing games, where dialogue speech is necessary. To consolidate skills, each game should be played more than a dozen times, then it can become a kind of ritual that children of this category love so much. During the game, an adult must constantly pronounce his actions and the actions of the child, clearly indicating in words everything that happens to them. At the same time, the teacher should not be discouraged by the fact that the child does not show the slightest interest in words. Do not despair: repeated repetition of the same game, the same words will bear fruit - the child will be able to join in the common activity.

Example.

Danya did not want to take part in a group game. He usually stood near the children, watching them indifferently. And then one day, when we were playing the game "Tiger Hunt" with the guys, Danya came up to us a little closer than usual. And then, unexpectedly for everyone, he resolutely stood in a circle. When he was "caught" by the driver, the boy silently walked out of the circle and prepared to "lead", as the children before him had done. And after a few seconds, Danya began to count out loud to ten! These were the first words in a few months of the child's stay in kindergarten that he uttered in front of children and adults. Until this momentous day, we were forced to communicate with him by means of cards and signs.

In order to help the child navigate the workplace, it is advisable to make markings on the table or desk: draw the outlines of a notebook or sheet, rulers, pens. Then it will be easier for him to get used to his desk and comprehend what is required of him.

If the child works in prescriptions, you can indicate the direction of movement of the hand with arrows. Autistic children are encouraged to give graphic tasks in which you need to learn and finish some detail of the subject, and not draw it completely.

In order to increase the child's motivation for learning and cause the need for dialogue, an adult can change roles with him for the duration of the classes, with his consent. Let the child try to explain to the “dumb” adult how to perform this or that task. In this case, he will feel his importance (I - how big!), Will understand the purpose of his actions (so that an adult "understands" the explanations and does everything right), realizes that only through speech can you establish contact with a partner.

Sometimes an autistic child needs physical help in organizing an activity: an adult literally "works" with the child's hands, writes or draws with him, holding one pencil.

We must not forget that physical contact, as well as relaxation exercises, will help reduce the level of anxiety in the child. Therefore, some relaxation games will be useful in working with autistic children. Can be used for this purpose finger games.

It is difficult for autistic children to master any the new kind activities, but they always strive to do everything well, therefore, at the first stages of work, it is necessary to select such tasks that they will definitely cope with. Your help and your praise will help build success and boost your child's confidence. Even if there is no outward reaction to your words, a friendly tone and words of support will create a positive emotional atmosphere that will help make your interaction with your child more effective over time.

Autistic children are characterized by mental satiety, they are quickly exhausted physically, so they need an individual rhythm of work, more frequent switching from one type of activity to another. Teacher elementary school, who worked with an autistic child at home, noted that he can, without being distracted, perform one type of activity for no more than 10 minutes, although this, of course, is very individual. In kindergarten, this problem is easy to solve: the child does not need to be loaded with tasks that are overwhelming for him. And at school, the teacher should think in advance and write individual tasks on cards that he will give to the child at the slightest sign of fatigue or discontent on his part.

To improve the spatio-temporal orientation of an autistic child, the patient work of the teacher is necessary. You can draw up a plan for a group, class or entire school, indicating the location of objects; draw up a daily routine using symbols and drawings. However, it is not enough just to draw up and hang diagrams, it is necessary to “travel” with the child through them as often as possible, recognizing and naming objects (in the early stages, if the child does not want to repeat the names, the educator or teacher can do it himself).

As noted above, aimless monotonous movements and swaying are characteristic of children with autism. You can distract them from the stereotypical rhythm by using emotionally rich rhythmic games and dance moves.

Regular exercise will help reduce movement disorders.

If the child does not accept the instructions and rules that you offer him, in no case do not impose them by force. It is better to look at what and how he wants to do himself, play along with him, do what he is interested in. This will help you connect with your child.

Psychologists recommend that autistic children study foreign languages. Perhaps, due to the fact that when studying them, teachers use a large number of schemes and algorithms, it is easier for children to assimilate educational material.

Example.

Grisha was diagnosed with autism several years ago. In addition, he has serious deviations in intellectual development. Grisha enjoys learning English. At the same time, communication in his native, Russian, language is given to him with great difficulty. He can hardly answer the question addressed to him in monosyllables, and he himself does not need to enter into a dialogue at all. However, Grisha learns a foreign language with interest. In a few months, he mastered the algorithm for composing simple phrases. He likes to say them out loud. And he is also attracted to classes by the fact that close people began to show interest and sincere admiration for his achievements.

Apparently, this allowed him to finally feel successful and significant to others.

With autistic children, it is necessary to engage in physical exercises, since such activities help them feel their body better, improve coordination of movements.

Drawing with paints (with brushes, stamps, and especially with fingers) helps children relieve excessive muscle tension. For this purpose, it is also useful to work with sand, clay, millet, water.

1.4. Working with parents of an autistic child

Parents of autistic children often turn to specialists for help only after deviations in the development and behavior of the child become obvious to everyone. And sometimes more than one year passes before the final diagnosis is made. Hearing the terrible and unfamiliar conclusion, many mothers and fathers are dismayed. Turning to reference books for clarification, they completely despair, because they do not find not only anything comforting for themselves, but also answers to the most pressing questions. In some publications, autism is almost equated with the giftedness of the child, in others - with schizophrenia.

In addition, in some articles one can come across the opinion that autistic children usually appear in families where mom and dad are people with a developed intellect and a high social status. And although such a point of view has long been rejected by experts, parents, having accidentally come across such an interpretation of the causes of autism in the literature, for many years feel guilty before the child and before society.

And most importantly, after hearing the diagnosis, many mothers and fathers feel powerless and unarmed, because they do not know how to help the child. Therefore, when working with parents of this category of children, it is necessary to acquaint them with the developmental features of autistic children in general and their child in particular. Having understood what exactly distinguishes their child from others, seeing his "strong" and "weak" sides, mothers and fathers, together with a psychologist and teacher, can determine the level of requirements for him, choose the main directions and forms of work.

Parents must understand how difficult it is for their child to live in this world, learn to patiently observe him, noticing and interpreting aloud his every word and every gesture. This will help expand the inner world of a small person and push him to the need to express his thoughts, feelings and emotions in words. In addition, parents must understand that their child is very vulnerable. Any fleeting word spoken by adults can cause an "emotional storm". That is why parents should be very careful and delicate when communicating with the child.

Outwardly, an autistic child often does not even react to the people around him, behaves as if he is alone or, in extreme cases, is "near" children or adults, but not with them. Such a child does not allow anyone into his inner world. Sometimes, only by a random phrase, instantaneous movement or sound, you can guess about his experiences, desires and fears. And of course, a caregiver or teacher, even the most kind and sensitive, does not always have the opportunity to conduct constant targeted monitoring of the child. That is why, in order to better understand the child and provide him with all possible assistance in adapting to the children's team, the teacher needs to work in close cooperation with the parents.

Family reading can help to establish emotional contact with the child and instill in him the skills of social behavior. It is best to read with the child in your arms (tactile sensations will help strengthen parent-child contact). Moreover, a slow, gradual, thorough, emotionally rich mastering of the artistic images of literary heroes is desirable. It is better to read and discuss the book more than once. This will help the child learn to better understand himself and others, and the newly formed communication stereotypes will reduce anxiety and increase his self-confidence.

If the child is very small, you need to take him in your arms as often as possible, cuddle him, stroke him (even if he resists this at first) and say kind words to him.

In order to strengthen contacts between teachers and parents, in order to provide more effective assistance to the child, it is desirable that his relatives visit the kindergarten group or the class that the child goes to as often as possible. Since an autistic child is typically afraid of a change in environment, separation from loved ones, it is desirable that at the beginning of schooling, mom (or dad, grandma, grandpa) be next to the child during breaks, and in some cases in the lesson.

Parents can use individual games recommended for teachers to work with their children.

Working with autistic children, educators and parents can work together to develop their imagination, teach effective ways communication with peers, and therefore, to adapt the child to the conditions of the world around him.

Chapter II. Structured learning for children with autism

2.1. Structured learning for children with autism is the most well-known method of organizing the learning of children with autism.

Structured Learning is a learning strategy developed by the TEACCH (Treatment and Education for Children with Autism and Other Communication Disorders) Division of the University of North Carolina. Structured learning is an approach to teaching children with autism. The strategy uses a variety of skills training methods (visual support, PECS - communication system using picture exchange, sensory integration, applied behavioral analysis, musical / rhythmic strategies, Greenspan's play therapy method). Below is a detailed rationale for the use of structured learning as one of the approaches in working with autistic children.

Eric Chopler, founder of the TEACCH Chapter in the early 1970s, provided the rationale for structured learning in his PhD thesis. It consists in the fact that autistic people process visual information more easily than verbal information processing by ear.

Rice. 3. An example of a class organized according to the principles of structured learning, including division into different zones and visual support.

What is structured learning

Structured learning is based on an understanding of the unique traits and characteristics of learners related to the nature of autism.

Structured learning is the specific conditions in which the student must learn, and not "where" and "when" he needs to be taught (i.e., rather, teaches how to learn).

Structured learning is a system of organizing learning environments for autistic people, developing the necessary skills, and helping autistic people understand the requirements of the teacher.

Structured learning uses visual cues to help autistic children focus on relevant information, given that it can be difficult for them to separate important information from non-essential information.

Structured learning is a constructive approach to the complex behavior of autistic children and the creation of a learning environment that would minimize the stress, anxiety and frustration that are characteristic of these children. Difficult-to-control behavior may be the result of the following traits in autistic people:

difficulty understanding the language;

difficulty using the language;

difficulties with building social contact;

difficulties associated with impaired sensory impulse processing;

refusal to change;

preference for habitual patterns of action and routine;

difficulties in organizing activities;

difficulty concentrating on a subject that is relevant at the moment;

distractibility.

Structured learning increases the child's level of independence (completing a task without prompting from an adult), which is an important and versatile skill.

The article discusses the characteristics of this approach. It is important to remember that in order to use it effectively, it is necessary to assess the individual strengths and personal needs of the student.

Fig.4. A joint lesson with the support of tutors in a class organized according to the principles of structured learning.

2.2. Main Components of Structured Learning

Structured space

These are structures that allow organizing an individual material learning environment. In this regard, it is important how we arrange furniture and learning materials in different areas, such as classrooms, playground, workshop, bedroom, corridors, locker rooms/storage rooms, etc.

Attention to material structures is important for a number of reasons:

they provide space organization for autistic learners;

clear physical and individual boundaries help the student to understand that each environmental space has a beginning and an end;

this organization minimizes visual and auditory distractions.

The degree of structuring of space depends on the level of self-control of the child, but not on the level of development of his cognitive skills. As students become more independent, the level of structuring of space gradually decreases.

Example: A high-functioning autistic person may have a limited capacity for self-control. He needs a more structured learning space than a child with a lower cognitive level but better self-control.

Structured space consists of a number of parts:

Location. Structured space is essential in all spaces in which an autistic student spends time, including classrooms, playgrounds, workshops, bedrooms, hallways, dressing/storage rooms.

Design. Clear visual and material boundaries: classroom furniture (bookcases, panels, shelves, tables, rugs, dividing walls) should be arranged in such a way as to indicate the presence of several zones with different purposes. To visually mark the boundaries, you can use floor coverings of different colors or colored adhesive tape for the floor. As a rule, children with autism do not segment space intuitively, as neurotypical children do. In large and open spaces, it is difficult for an autistic child to navigate, because. it's hard for him to understand

what occurs in each specific zone;

where each of the zones begins and ends;

how the easiest way to get to the right zone.

If you arrange the furniture in such a way as to designate clear boundaries for zones of different purposes, this will reduce the child's ability to randomly move around the room. Visual boundaries can then be drawn within specific zones.

Rice. 5. The plan of the experimental ABA class, taking into account the principles of structured learning.

The plan shows a sensory corner for rest breaks and “unloading” students from stress, as well as desks with partitions.

Example: During the group listening to the story, the children are in an area limited by carpeting or colored adhesive tape on the floor. This makes it easier for autistic children to understand that this specific view activity takes place in this zone. Colored duct tape can be used in the gym to mark the area in which a certain type of exercise is performed, such as a warm-up.

Example: During meals, children can be placed in such a way that each child has his own place, indicated by a specific color. Such a designation will visually and physically limit the personal space of each child while eating at a common table.

Visual cues can help kids navigate space better and rely less on adult help.

Minimizing visual and auditory distractions

Visual distractions can be minimized by:

paint the entire room (walls, ceilings, boards, etc.) with a muted color (for example, cream);

minimize visual "noise" in the form of student artwork hanging on the walls, seasonal decorations, and spread out teaching materials;

use bedspreads/curtains to cover or fence off shelves with currently unnecessary materials and other distracting objects (computer, copier, TV/video projector, etc.);

storage of equipment and materials in another area. Example: In the play area, limit the number of toys that children can use, and then update the composition weekly: lay out the “new” ones and remove the “old” ones;

make use of natural light by reducing the runtime of distracting fluorescent lights. Use curtains and blinds if the sunlight is too bright, while still creating a warm and calm environment;

using student workspaces placed in the corner of the classroom or separated from group work tables will also reduce visual distractions;

careful selection of seats for an autistic child in a class with neurotypical children.

Example: Tony, a student with autism, is seated at the front of the class in such a way that he cannot see the door, windows, and shelves of study materials, minimizing visual distractions;

auditory distractions can be reduced by carpeting, lower ceilings in the room, acoustic tiles, headphones or a walkman;

in any structured environment there should be a zone for receiving instructions, a zone for independent work, a zone for rest and leisure. In the classroom, these can be the following zones: a small group work zone, an independent work zone, a one-on-one work zone for a teacher with a student, a recreation (games, leisure) zone, a calm zone in case of a tantrum in a child. All these zones should have clear visual boundaries so that a child with autism understands the purpose of this area of ​​space.

We repeat once again that all zones of a specific purpose must have clear visual boundaries. It is important to remember that distractions can be present in each of the zones, and minimize them.

Rice. 6. The plan of the experimental ABA class, taking into account the principles of structured learning.

Dividing and minimizing materials on the table reduces visual distractions.

Organization. To effectively apply the method of structured learning, the space must be highly organized. It is important that various teaching materials and teaching aids are kept out of sight of students, but at the same time so that the teacher can easily retrieve and apply the material he needs during the lesson.

Example: A storage area fenced off by high partitions directly in the classroom would be convenient way organize the space in compliance with the above requirements.

It is important for autistic students to teach order in the workplace, using pictures, colors, numbers, signs, etc. Example: In the play area, you can place pictures of toys that should be on this shelf on the shelves to help students arrange the toys in their places.

Visual Class Schedule

Definition: A visualized class schedule is one of the most important components of a structured learning environment that tells the student with autism what classes will be held and in what order.

Visualized schedules are important for children with autism for the following reasons:

Helps to overcome the difficulties resulting from poor sequential memory and organize the student's time.

Help children with language problems understand the requirements of the teacher.

Reduce the level of anxiety in autistic children and, therefore, the frequency of behavioral problems through a high level of predictability of what is happening for students.

Schedules make it clear what kind of activity is happening in a certain period of time (for example, recess after class), and also prepares students for possible changes.

Helps the student to independently move from one activity to another, from one zone to another, telling where he needs to go after graduation specific work. The visualized schedule can be used in all areas (classroom, gym, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home, Sunday school, etc.)

The visualized schedule uses a "first-then" strategy, i.e. “first you do ¬¬___, then you do ¬¬___” (but not “if-then”). Such a strategy allows you to modify, if necessary, to change what is expected of the student "at first" (exercise, activity, task). Modifications may be needed in terms of completion of the task, more or less help from the teacher, depending on changes in the student's condition and his ability to perceive information. Then the student can move on to the next activity, which is also visualized in the schedule.

Example: It is too difficult for the student to complete a series of math examples due to anxiety, sensory overload, difficulty generalizing, external and internal distractions, changes, and so on. The task can be changed so that he has to complete only 3 examples first, and then he will have a break, as indicated in the visualized schedule.

The schedule may include various types of social interaction (for example: showing completed work to a teacher/parent for reinforcement, which requires appropriate language forms of greeting and addressing the interlocutor).

You can increase the student's motivation to complete less attractive tasks by interspersing them with more attractive activities included in the visualized schedule. Example: By placing "computer" after "math" in the visualized timetable, you motivate the student to complete the math assignment as after completing it, it will go to "computer".

The student with autism needs to be taught how to use the visualized timetable and then it needs to be used consistently. It cannot be considered "crutches", the use of which can be abandoned over time. The visual schedule should be treated as a kind of permanent auxiliary technical tool. For a student with autism, the constant use of a visualized timetable is a very important skill, because. it can help him reduce dependence on other people throughout his life - at school, at home, in society.

Rice. 7. Visual schedule of the experimental ABA class for the day.

Visual schedule development

The timetable should be organized in a top-to-bottom or left-to-right format, and should include the ability for the student to mark that an activity has been completed.

Example: cross out or mark a task as completed, move the task card into an envelope or “done” box, draw a line separating completed from not completed, etc.

At any particular moment in time, two points of the schedule should be presented to the student so that he gradually understands that the activities follow each other, and not each one on its own.

Many different formats can be used to visualize the schedule, depending on the individual needs of a particular student.

Example: the schedule can consist of separate objects, it can be sheets of paper with the designation of activities fastened together, a folder with files, a board from which you can erase the completed task, sticky tape along the edge of the desk with cards with activities attached in a certain sequence, etc. .

You can use different systems of notation for activities: real objects, photographs, pictures in a realistic style, commercial picture systems.

Individual schedule

For an autistic child, it is necessary to develop an individual timetable in addition to the general class timetable.

A customized timetable will give the student important information in a visual form that they are prepared to understand.

When compiling a visualized schedule for an autistic child, care must be taken in the length of the schedule (number of activities included). The number of items in the schedule can be changed if any of the upcoming activities causes anxiety in the student, if there is an overload of information at a particular point in time.

Example: the student is excited by the prospect of "rest time" in the schedule. If at the very beginning of the day he saw “rest time” in the schedule, his attention is absorbed by this prospect and as a result, throughout the morning he will be impatient, unable to focus on relevant activities. In this case, the visualized schedule given to the student should consist of only a few items preceding the rest time. Individual approach is the key to successful work with child.

Schedule check

Some students may need cue reminders to check their schedule, what activity follows the one they just finished, and where to go to do it.

Example: Such visualized cues might be laminated strips of color with the student's name written on them, sticks or pieces of cardboard with a check mark painted on them, etc.

These visual cues help the student, independently of the adult, move from one activity to another while keeping track of the timetable.

A child who relies on adult prompting rather than cues in addition to a schedule will not fully understand the importance of a schedule and will not use it successfully.

Rice. 8. An example of individual visual timetables for students in a class based on structured learning.

Transitions

Some students need to pick up a card or object indicating the next activity and physically move it to the location where the next activity will take place. This may be necessary due to the fact that the child has increased distractibility during the transition from one work area to another. This feature is not directly related to the cognitive or verbal level of development of the child.

Example: There are non-speaking autistic students whose development corresponds to the cognitive level of the younger age group, however, they are able to hold their attention better and do not need to transfer the card with the next activity indicated on it to a new zone. On the other hand, there are children with a higher level of cognitive development who are easily distracted and need a reference object to move on to the next activity in the zone intended for it.

Components of the learning process

The components of the learning process includetask presentation system And visual structure.

Task presentation system is called a systematic and organized submission of tasks / materials with the aim of teaching the child to work independently without the help of an adult. It is important to note that presentation systems can be used for tasks of any type and any kind of activity (work on academic skills, daily practical skills, leisure activities and entertainment). Each system, regardless of the type of activity, should include answers to the following questions:

What work needs to be done? What is the task? (for example, sort objects by color, do two-digit addition and subtraction examples, make a sandwich, brush your teeth, etc.)

What is the scope of work? It is necessary to visually present to the student exactly how much work he has to do. For example, if a student needs to cut out 10 labels for jars of soup, you do not need to give him a whole pack and wait for him to understand that first you need to count, and then cut 10, and then the task will be considered completed. Even if an autistic child is told that only 10 labels need to be cut out, seeing a whole stack can make them frustrated and anxious because they don't understand exactly how many labels they should cut out.

It must be remembered that autistic children primarily process information coming through the visual channel, so it can be unsettling to see a large amount of work, for example, a whole pack of labels to cut out. Offer him only those materials that are strictly necessary for a particular assignment to avoid misunderstanding the exact scope of the work.

When will I finish this type of work? The student must himself understand when the task is completed. This can be clear from the task itself, you can also use timers or visual signals, for example, put a red dot on the task sheet, indicating the end of the tasks in this lesson.

What will follow this? The student is motivated to successfully complete the proposed task if reinforcement should follow: direct material reinforcement, some favorite activity, a change, an activity at the request of the student. In some cases, the student is motivated by the very prospect of the lesson being completed.

Experience with structured learning and the use of task presentation systems suggests that overall student productivity is enhanced if the student is able to understand how much work they need to complete and when they need to finish. The use of presentation systems helps to organize the independent work of an autistic child through a structured and systematic approach.

Rice. 9. An example of a visual presentation of a task in an experimental ABA class, taking into account the principles of structured learning.

Examples of different presentation systems, from simplest to most complex:

The sequence is from left to right, the box/folder for completed work is in the right corner. This is the most concrete embodiment of the presentation system, when tasks are located to the left of the workplace (on a shelf, in a folder, basket, etc.). The student is explained that he needs to take the item with the task on the left, complete the task and put it on the right in the box (folder, box, etc.)

Designations using symbols (color, shape, letters, numbers). Such a presentation system requires mastery of a more complex skill, since the student must complete work tasks in a sequence indicated by symbols.

Example. The student has a strip with a sequence of numbers from 1 to 10 attached to it with Velcro. On the left are tasks, also marked with numbers. First, the student must stick the numbers from the strip onto the tasks. Thus, the student establishes for himself the order in which he will continue to perform these tasks.

Inscriptions. Such a system requires a more advanced skill of self-organization and is a list of tasks in the order of execution.

visual structure. Visual cues should be included in the student's task/activity so that the student does not have to wait for verbal or physical cues from the teacher to understand exactly what to do. The student can use a well-developed visual recognition skill to understand the task/activity content without the help of a teacher. Thus, visual supports create the best opportunities for successful independent work of the child.

Students with autism have difficulty processing the sometimes obvious information in their environment and at times focus their attention on unimportant details. To help the student focus on the essentials of the assignment, their daily activities/assignments should include the following components:

Visual instruction. The student needs to present the task in such a way that he can complete it sequentially, based on visual instructions. Visual instruction helps the student to take a series of sequential steps to achieve the goal.

Visual instructions can take many forms:

The task materials themselves determine the necessary actions (for example, to assemble a pyramid: the rings are in the box on the left, the rod is on the right, i.e. the sequence is again observed from left to right).

Graphic image (for example, the outlines of plates and eating utensils are drawn, on which the student must put real objects).

Drawings of objects (for example, pictures of toys or clothes in the places where the child should put them when teaching the child to keep his things in order).

Written instruction (a step-by-step description of the task or sequential actions, for example, morning routine or the correct spelling of a word).

A sample of a completed task (for example, a picture made by another student).

Visual organization - this is the presentation of educational materials and the organization of space in such a way as to minimize the influence of extraneous sensory stimuli. Visual organization may include the use of containers to organize materials (for example, materials for each activity are placed in a separate box, the letters of the alphabet are not thrown into the box, but are attached to a special tray, etc.), the visual boundaries of the zone included in which or an assignment (for example, using duct tape to limit the area of ​​the floor that the student must vacuum).

visual clarity. The purpose of visual clarity is to highlight important information, main concepts, parts of instructions and key materials. The assignment should be structured in such a way that the construction itself contains a hint to the student on which details to focus on. Such details are distinguished by color, pictures, numbers or letters. Visual clarity promotes independent work of the student without the guiding role of an adult. At the most concrete level, visual clarity is manifested in the restriction of objects in the student's workplace to only those materials that are necessary for him to complete a specific task (unnecessary or additional materials should be removed from his workplace). Other examples of visual clarity: the use of a color code (each child has his own color identifier and by color he finds his workplace, chair during group activities, as well as a locker for storing his things, work materials, a place at the table during lunch, etc. .d.); use of labels (when sorting items).

Rice. 10. Communication cards of a non-speaking student of the experimental ABA class, which are also used for visual organization.

Using the method of visual structuring makes it possible to teach a child with autism to perform tasks on their own without prompting and the guiding role of an adult. Students will be able to work independently for various lengths of time in any environment (at home, at school, in the workshop) on the development of any skill, academic, practical, etc.

Conclusion

A structured learning strategy will allow the student with autism to learn to focus on visual cues in a variety of environments and situations and thus increase independence in a variety of activities. It is important to note that various systems of education and therapy: sensory integration, picture exchange communication system, Greenspan play therapy, ABA, successfully combine with a structured learning strategy.

List of used literature

Babkina N.V. Joy of knowledge. The program of classes for the development of cognitive activity of younger students: A book for the teacher. - M.: ARKTI, 2000

Varga A.Ya. Psychological correction of communication disorders in younger schoolchildren \\ Family in psychological counseling \ Under the editorship of A. A. Bodalev, V.V. Stolin.- M., 1989

Klyueva N.V., Kasatkina Yu.V. We teach children to communicate. - Yaroslavl, 1997

Kagan V. E. Autism in children. L., 1981

Lubovsky V.I. Psychological problems diagnosis of abnormal development of children. - M., 1989

Mamaichuk II Psychocorrective technologies for children with developmental problems. - St. Petersburg, 2003

Ovcharova R.V. Practical psychology in elementary school. - M., 1998

Yalpaeva N.V. Socio-psychological work with families of children with disabilities. M. Enlightenment. 2002

Ludmila Yaroshenko
Early childhood autism. Approaches to the problem of teaching children with early autism

early childhood autism

Approaches to the problem of teaching children with early autism.

early childhood autism special anomaly mental development, in which there are persistent and peculiar violations of communicative behavior, emotional contact of the child with the outside world. Main feature autism, non-contact of the child, usually manifests itself early, already in the first year of life, but especially clearly at the age of 2-3 years during the first age crisis.

In a child with autism the formation of all forms of preverbal and verbal communication is disturbed. First of all, he does not form eye contact, the child does not look into the eyes of an adult, does not hold out his hands with a silent request to be picked up, as a healthy baby does already at the first stage of social and emotional development.

At all stages of development, the child autism in communication with others, does not refer to the language of facial expressions and gestures, as children of the first year of life do, as well as children with hearing and speech impairments.

The most important feature children with autism It is the desire to avoid contact with other people. The child does not look at anyone, does not communicate with others.

visual attention children with autism extremely selectively and very briefly, the child looks, as it were, past people, does not notice them and treats them as inanimate objects. At the same time, he is distinguished by increased vulnerability, impressionability, his reactions to the environment are often unpredictable and incomprehensible. Such a child may not notice the absence of close relatives, parents, and react excessively painfully and excitedly even to minor movements and rearrangements of objects in the room. At autism game activity has a peculiar character. Its characteristic feature is that usually the child plays alone, preferably using not play material, but household items. He can play with shoes, ropes, paper, switches, wires, etc. for a long time and in a monotonous way. children do not develop. There are peculiar pathological reincarnations in one or another image in combination with autistic fantasy. At the same time, the child does not notice others, does not enter into verbal contact with them. For children with autism a variety of psychomotor disorders are characteristic, which manifest themselves in monotonous, stereotypical movements in the form of flexion and extension of the fingers, stretching, waving the hands, bouncing, rotating around oneself, running on tiptoe, etc. Rotating movements with the hands near the outer corners of the eyes are especially characteristic . Such movements appear or intensify with excitement, when an adult tries to make contact with a child.

The facial expressions of the child are inexpressive, a look past or "through" is characteristic

interlocutor.

Many children with autism characterized by increased shyness, impressionability, a tendency to fear, while the fear of novelty is especially pronounced, which is regarded as a painfully heightened self-preservation instinct.

The intellectual development of these children are extremely diverse. Among them may be children with normal, accelerated, sharply delayed and uneven mental development. Both partial or general giftedness and mental retardation are also noted.

Among the characteristic features early childhood autism a large place is occupied by speech disorders, which reflect the main specifics autism, namely, the lack of formation of communicative behavior. Therefore, children with autism First of all, the development of the communicative function of speech and communicative behavior in general is impaired. Regardless of the period of appearance of speech and the level of its development, the child does not use speech as a means of communication, he rarely asks questions, usually does not answer the questions of others, including people close to him. At the same time, “autonomous speech”, “speech for oneself” can develop quite intensively in him. Among the characteristic pathological forms of speech, echolalia, pretentious, often chanted pronunciation, peculiar intonation, characteristic phonetic disorders and voice disorders with a predominance of a special high tone at the end of a phrase or word, prolonged naming of oneself in the second or third person, lack of in the active dictionary of words denoting people close to the child, for example, the words mom, dad, or other objects for which the child has a special attitude: fear, obsessive interest, their animation, etc. Diagnose child autism is difficult. Even an experienced specialist needs a lot of time to observe and analyze the picture of this mental disorder. You should be calm about the appointment of repeated appointments, examinations and consultations. Some signs autism are found with deep and severe mental retardation, and severe underdevelopment of speech.

Therefore, without a sufficient understanding of the nature of the violations, treatment and corrective work may not be effective enough.

What should alert a parent in the behavior of a child under the age of two?

It is believed that about autism you might think, if child:

Does not hold any long-term eye-to-eye contact;

Doesn't respond to name intact hearing;

Detects a deficit of joint attention (that is, does not try to draw the attention of others to the subject of interest to him with a word or gesture);

Uses another person as if it were an inanimate object.

If these signs appear in the behavior of the child constantly, then you must definitely contact child psychiatrist.

Diagnosis and prognosis If the child does have autism, then parents need to realize that this is for life. Autism does not go away and is not cured. But there is no need to panic and look at the future as a continuous tragedy.

Sometimes parents do not believe that the diagnosis is correct, and visit specialists one after another. This is their right, and such behavior is probably not without meaning. After all, as you know, "one head is good, two - better." But often these searches acquire a chronic course and become an end in themselves, losing all meaning. There is even a special term for this category of parents - "pilgrim parents". What this: looking for a miracle? subconscious repression difficult situation? One way or another, but the time when the right upbringing and education can give significant results, goes away.

In other cases, parents pretend that problem does not exist. Communication disorders, speech Problems and stereotypes in behavior are explained by manifestations of individual character traits. However, if nothing is done, then with age, the cute quirks of the baby will become ridiculous and inadequate. But changing something will be much more difficult, if at all possible.

Flow autism may turn out to be very different, and a competent specialist will never talk about a long-term forecast either in a positive or in a negative sense. Such a child needs to be observed, worked with him, but for now patience and once again patience.

However, one can try to answer two question: about social status children with autism and the possibilities of family life. It is easy to guess that a lot depends on the severity of the disorders. In the most difficult cases, even with the most successful work, it is only possible to achieve adaptation to the conditions of life in the family (the ability to wash, dress, cook, clean the apartment, and sometimes this becomes no less difficult than preparing a child for school. It's not just about that in the most severe cases the question learning in the traditional sense for all may not arise. Uneven general development with autism and the wrong approach to education(to a greater extent) often they make such a child a kind of "smart uselessness": he, at least formally, learns the school curriculum, but he can neither go somewhere on his own, nor cook himself food, because none of the existing school programs implies " life learning". It happens that the owner of a school certificate or even a university diploma experiences great difficulties with how to apply this knowledge.

Reasons for the appearance autism Speaking about the problem as a whole, its reasons are rather ambiguous. The hereditary factor plays a significant role, although organic disorders of the central nervous system during fetal development, during childbirth and early childhood. Often these factors are combined. Sometimes autism it is a consequence of a past disease, sometimes a manifestation of the current painful process.

Answer the question about the reasons autism in each case is much more difficult. No one disputes the rights of parents to the most complete information on this matter, but what will this give from a practical point of view? Knowing that there has been a change in one of the preceding generations (mutation) a certain gene, will not change anything. And it won't help the baby. Wouldn't it be better to discard the past and direct all efforts to the present and future, to a more complete social adaptation of the child?

Corrective work should be carried out comprehensively, by a group of specialists in various fields, including child psychiatrists, neuropathologists, speech therapists, psychologists, educators, nurses, music worker (eurythmy).

1. Medical care is built on the basis of individual clinical verification of the child's condition "represented by various medical profiles: psychotherapy (individual and family physiotherapy, massage and its other types. Pharmacotherapy is aimed at stopping the psychopathological manifestations of the disease, vegetovascular and vegeto-visceral dystonia, at activating the child, at easing mental stress.

2. Corrective work should be carried out in stages, based on the severity autistic dysontogenesis of a child with RDA. Adapted and conventional programs were used for learning and organization of games for ordinary and specialized kindergartens. Two regime: gentle and activating. Assessment of the child's condition autistic, the level of its development, the stock of knowledge, behavioral skills is carried out comprehensively by all specialists and serves as the basis for the development of an individual plan of corrective measures. The directed activity of the RDA child is planned taking into account the dissociation of mental development.

Individual and later group game therapy is used.

At the first stages, the most important reaction of animation and tracking is worked out, the visual-motor complex is formed. Subsequently, in the process of manipulating objects, tactile, visual-tactile, kinesthetic, and muscle perception are developed. Connections are developed between certain parts of the body and their verbal designations, types of movements, as well as their verbal definitions. The child forms an idea of ​​his own body, its parts, members, sides. Then work is carried out to educate self-service skills, participation in directed activities.

Most children, at the initial stage of work, the stock of knowledge, the nature of gaming activity lagged behind by 2-3 age orders. They were dominated by manipulative play, there was no partnership, there was no correlation of play with the true purpose of toys, there was no orienting reaction to new toys, of persons participating in the game.

At the next stage, the task was complicated by the transition from a manipulative game to a story game. The most important aspect of the work remains the motivation for activity, the repeated repetition of games, the formation of game clichés, with the constant use of visual-motor, only gradually introducing from simpler to more complex forms of games and the motor activity itself, as well as concretely, consistently, repeatedly expounding the order of all game actions. Verbal comments should be brief.

Pedagogical programs were aimed at teaching children the concepts of number, counting, defining time categories, deepening orientation in the form of objects, in space. autistic with difficulty they moved from one type of movement to another, did not imitate, did not reproduce a consistent chain of actions, especially motor ones, combined with speech responses. They have difficulty reproducing newly learned knowledge, especially knowledge from long-term memory, on demand. They were able to decode words. The stage from the stage the task of complicating the activity is solved increases the proposed amount of skills and knowledge. Finally, attention should be paid to the fact that any tasks should be offered in a visual form, explanations should be simple, repeated several times, with the same sequence, the same expressions. Speech tasks should be presented in a voice of different volume, paying attention to the tonality. Only after mastering the same programs offered by different specialists does the child's primitive, monotonous activity begin to diversify and become directed. It is then that children move from passive to conscious mastery of regime moments and skills. In the process of holistic education autistic the awareness of "I" is formed, the ability to delimit oneself from other persons, the phenomenon of protodiacrisis is overcome.

And at the subsequent stages of work, the task of complicating the activity is still being solved, with a gradual transition from individual to directed group classes, even later to complex games, exercises in groups of 3-5 or more. children.

Speech therapy work began with the definition of speech pathology characteristic of children autistic. Appropriate correction is aimed at the development of auditory attention, phonemic, speech hearing. Sounds were staged, their automation was introduced, breathing and voice exercises were introduced. The task of expanding the vocabulary, developing the ability to make sentences from pictures, their series, as well as working on a coherent text consisting of conversations, retelling, "playing", dramatization of various topics, reproduction of poetic speech and a number of other tasks remained important.

Speech, as the youngest function of the central nervous system, suffers in the disease in the first place and is restored gradually, in stages, in reverse order.

Psychological correction also began with the diagnosis of manifestations of a child's mental dysontogenesis in the conditions of his general and play activities.

The main goal was to involve autistic into different types of individual and joint activities, the formation of arbitrary, volitional regulation of behavior.

Games with a strict sequence of events and actions, their repeated playing turned out to be adequate. Mastering the game stamp system autistic, contributes to the formation of their memory, attention, perception. In the process of training, it is created subsequently at autistic the possibility of transferring what has been learned, i.e., creative regulation of behavior and an increase in subject-practical orientation in the environment.

The basic principle learning consisted in the constant playing of speech communication on the topic under study in group classes with a speech therapist, consolidating the knowledge gained in the game with a teacher, psychotherapist, at home with parents.

As individual and group classes on the development of speech were carried out, the speech of patients became more understandable and communicative. At first, sounds appeared that had only a relation to the current context, then speech weakly corresponding to the context increased; From echospeech autistic children moved to the arbitrary use of words, from appeals, the simple name of objects, demonstrative phrases ("this is mom", "this is a doll")- to common phrases in the present tense. And yet, despite the ongoing correction, the majority children the accumulated fragments of speech were rigidly limited for a long time, the patients were unable to introduce already learned phrases-cliches into new sentences, to use them in a new context. At the social and symbolic level, there was almost no transmission of information. Temporal relations were formed with difficulty, there were no answers in the past and future tenses.

Special speech therapy is one of the most important in the correction autistic behavior, emotional and mental underdevelopment in patients with early childhood autism.

Speech therapist MBDOU No. 118

Yaroshenko Ludmila Yurievna

It is necessary to formulate all phrases and sentences exclusively in a positive way. Speak calmly and neutrally.

2. Never say too many words to an autistic child.

If you tell a child with autism long sentences of complex words, he will lose his thought after the third word, and on the fourth he will stop listening altogether.

For example, don't say:“And who messed with us? Come on, take the blue car and the cubes to the basket near the door, "for the child, the phrase is clearer:" Put the toys in the basket. For him, a long tirade is torment, a long speech turns into noise and ceases to be functional. You need to speak briefly, structured, clearly, and as clearly as possible.

3. Eye contact is important during a conversation.

In order to teach something to an autistic child, you must definitely sit opposite him and look into his eyes, after which you already demand to perform some action.

4. Visual perception is better than verbal

If you can show it, show it. If a child can read, then the written word is better for him than the spoken word.

For example, if you say autistic child- "Do the task, and you will play on the computer," he may not understand you. If you show with the help of pictures that by doing this you will get the game, he will understand you. PECS cards work well for this.

5. Never encourage bad behavior.

It often happens that parents react to bad behavior with words and actions - "Don't do it!", "Stop it now", "Don't touch", etc. As a result, it happens that the parent gives the child great attention, and the next time, if for some reason the child is ignored, he will do exactly what will attract the attention of an adult and precisely so that the adult reacts to this.

Example of wrong actions:

When the child is playing well, the mother washes the dishes, cooks or does other things, but if he breaks the cup, the mother will immediately run to the child.

You need to do it exactly the opposite, good behavior should be encouraged, bad behavior should be completely ignored. If the behavior of the child poses a danger to others or to the child himself, you need to silently, without looking into his eyes, firmly hold his hands. As soon as the child calms down, you can pay attention to him.

Parents and adults who surround the child should encourage the good and ignore the bad.

6. Reward your child when they don't do anything wrong.

It is necessary to make it clear to the child that when he has good behavior, he is noticed and loved. Even if he does nothing, you need to draw his attention, for example, by saying: “How beautiful you are”, “How smart you are”, “What a good smile you have”, you can think of anything. The main factor is to draw the attention of the child to himself at a time when he is not doing anything wrong.

“The principle of helping children with learning difficulties is simple: find out what the child is doing well, and use that strength to deal with the weakness,” writes professor of psychiatry Stephen Camarata in his book. - I can honestly say that I have not met a patient who could not be trained. The main thing is to proceed from the individual characteristics of the child. Why is it not enough just a diagnosis to educate a child with special needs, and what questions should parents ask specialists?

Most often, educational “problems” are caused by an educational system that uses a universal approach to learning: it does not have flexibility. Parents need to look for doctors and teachers who enjoy teaching children and who are willing to find solutions to problems for children with special needs, rather than trying to fit a rectangular block into a round hole. The specialist must find not only problems in the child, but also strengths. And on the list of what the child does not know how to do, he must name at least one thing that his ward does well.

Learning difficulties? Checking health

First of all, it is necessary to find out whether any diseases can affect learning difficulties. Routine physical examination and diagnostic tests (such as neurological tests) may not reveal a specific cause of the problem. But still, one cannot assume by default that everything is in order from a medical point of view. Brain tumor, epilepsy, celiac disease (wheat allergy), and traumatic brain injury are just a few of the diagnoses that came up when I referred my patients with learning disabilities to the pediatrician.

A few years ago, I worked with a patient in New York who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by another physician. I insisted that the boy be shown to the family doctor, who ordered a neurological examination. Shortly after that, the mother of the child called me and thanked me for saving his life! It turned out that the symptoms of ASD were caused by a brain tumor, and if it had not been discovered then, it would soon be too late to be treated.

To conduct a comprehensive examination, it is first worth visiting a pediatrician and making sure that learning problems are not caused by any disease. And then schedule a visit with a psychologist or developmental specialist. These may include speech therapists and special education teachers who specialize in, for example, teaching reading. When a child has difficulty with fine motor skills (say, writing), occupational therapists are often called in.

ADHD, ASD in Children and Learning Difficulties: Tests

Be sure to discuss any concerns you have with the specialist who will be examining your child. Ask what tests the child will be given and what learning problems will be assessed. Unfortunately, quite often tests are given only to "confirm" the intended result. Many parents tell how doctors tried to find ASD or ADHD in their children and did not even consider alternatives. After the test confirmed the diagnosis, the child was immediately sent to a ready-made correctional program. Please be careful when choosing places and specialists who will assess the condition of your child!

A series of tests must necessarily include an assessment of the non-verbal cognitive abilities of the child, because. tests with complex verbal instructions may underestimate a child's actual learning ability. The series of tests should include tasks for assessing auditory perception and vocabulary, as well as cognitive skills. The child must also be given tests in reading, writing and mathematics. And finally, the child must be checked with medical tests. For example, there is the Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS-2), which assesses a child for symptoms of ASD, ADHD, and learning disabilities.

Then all the data - cognitive abilities, achievements and barriers to learning of a medical nature - can be used to develop a suitable training plan. Testing should never purposefully confirm a suspected diagnosis such as ASD, ADHD, and learning disabilities. The main thing is to find a specialist who will not hang the same label on all children.

For example, if a child started talking late, this may be a symptom of diseases such as autism, mental retardation, hearing impairment, speech impairment, etc. Many years ago, local pediatricians sent late-speaking children to me for examination. Doctors were surprised that I gave patients different diagnoses and gave individual recommendations. In some children, I found a speech disorder, in others - difficulties with understanding, in others - autism, in others - mental retardation, and so on. And the specialists to whom these doctors had previously referred children gave everyone the same diagnosis and prescribed the same treatment, even if the symptoms were different.

What should parents do? The easiest answer is to ask experts questions: “What will you test? What types of tests will you use? If the child does not understand what is being said to him, how will this affect the test results? Ask to tell what diagnoses this center makes and what percentage of children in this center or clinic are diagnosed with such diagnoses? You can also ask what types of treatments they recommend.

Your doctor must provide you with a written report that includes all test results and recommendations. The doctor should be ready to discuss the reasons for the diagnosis with you. If, for example, it is ASD or ADHD, the clinician should explain what behaviors and characteristics were identified and what the tests showed. He should invite parents to ask questions and treat them with respect, even if they disagree with the diagnosis.

When I had to tell parents that their child had a mental retardation, many did not agree with this. They began to list everything that their child knows and can do, and I never tried to object to them or downplay the significance of their words. Instead of intimidating them into thinking I was right, I answered their questions and explained how and why I came to that conclusion.

If they still did not agree, I did not insist, but switched to areas where the parents saw the child as having problems, such as speech. I suggested: "Let's teach your child to speak and understand, because you do not deny that he needs help with this."

Treatment for autism and ADHD: what do you want to teach

Having made a differential diagnosis and explained to the parents the reasons for his statement, the doctor will proceed to discuss the treatment program. Here again, parents should ask questions. In general, treatment should be directed directly at improving the weaknesses and allow the child to learn the strategy of compensation.

A few years ago, I worked with a family where an autistic child was terrified of the noise of an air conditioner. He reacted so violently that he literally punched holes in the plasterboard walls when the air conditioner was turned on.

I recorded the sound of the air conditioner on a dictaphone and gradually reduced the susceptibility of the child. To do this, I slowly turned on the sound when the child was busy with one of his favorite activities - video games. The quiet noise of the air conditioner he endured easily. Over the course of several weeks, I gradually increased the volume until it reached the actual volume of the air conditioner noise. By this time, the child's susceptibility had decreased; these sounds no longer bothered him.

Together with my colleagues at the clinic, I taught this child to speak, but it seems that the parents were much more grateful to me that now they could turn on the air conditioner during the hot summer months! Scientific studies show that this reduction in susceptibility can be effective, as it is directed to a specific area. Likewise, parents need to determine exactly what they want to teach their child. And then he needs to be taught that.

Medical treatment, pros and cons

If a learning professional is pushing you to take medication for ADHD, ask them if they really want to improve their child's behavior and if they have tried alternative strategies. I have worked with many children with ADHD to get them to reduce movement, increase attention, and generally control their behavior without medication. I am not against medicines - but only when their use is justified. Thus, an analysis of school programs where children were taught, for example, to sit still for a long time, listen carefully in class, write down assignments, do homework, and so on, showed that attention increased, and the number of movements decreased.

If you do agree to medication, be sure to discuss the side effects with your doctor. Never agree to treatment without detailed explanations! Parents also have the right to know what the expected outcomes of treatment are and how long it will take to achieve those outcomes. Ask your doctor the following questions: “How will I know if the treatment is working? If treatment does not help, what other options can we try? Will we be able to stop taking drugs in the future?”

The physician should treat the child's parents as partners, not as hindrances or enemies. He should invite them to participate in the treatment in any way possible. Some parents cannot be mentors for their children, study with them, and there is nothing wrong with that. Parents should not feel guilty if they cannot provide treatment for their child at home. But they should definitely be offered the opportunity to participate in the treatment.

In any case, the doctor, mentor or teacher should keep the parents informed about the goals, activities and progress of the child. He should support them in trying to run home programs to the extent that they can. Numerous scientific studies confirm that activities with parents have a great effect on children with learning problems.

Learning Difficulties: What Parents Should Do

• If your child is struggling in class or the teacher suggests they have ADHD or another learning problem, it is important to look into the matter. Determine if the child really has ADHD, ASD, or another learning problem—or if the cause is a mismatch between the level and the universal learning style in modern schools. Find out if the problem can be solved simply by changing teachers, classes, or schools. Many of my patients have "cured" ADHD by simply changing the program to a better one.
• If a child has been assigned a pedagogical or psychological examination, the parents should insist on a differential diagnosis. The screening should explain why the child has learning problems, not determine if the child is eligible for programs for children with ASD or ADHD.
• The survey should identify not only weaknesses, but also strengths in order to develop an individual training plan.
• The correction program should be directed directly at the problem. It should not be typical or indirect. Treatment should be individualized and tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of a particular child - then it will be effective.
• And finally, don't turn your studies into an endless race. Don't lose sight of what's important to your child. Parents who raise children intuitively value not only their academic achievement but also positive relationships.

Comment on the article "Difficulties in teaching children: autism, ADHD, speech disorders. What to do?"

I read it to the end only to make sure that there will be absolutely nothing useful anywhere.
Lots of water, little use.
More about how cool the doctor works, self-praise, than the necessary information for parents.

28.11.2016 10:36:20, Grape sugar_discussion

Total 2 messages .

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