There are several learning theories that have proven effective in working with autistic children. In dealing with autism I have learned that there are many expressions of this disorder; autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder. In interacting and engaging with my son who is autistic, I have learned that these children learn in a different ways from their non-autistic counterparts. Children with autism employ through their senses differently than their non-autistic counterparts in the learning process. This can, however, present problems; some autistic children struggle to process sensory experiences.
For example, an autistic child may have trouble with the color red ” it may agitate the child. Or, the child may go the other way and search out their favorite color and will do anything to get that color, refusing to engage with other colors. This may negative interfere with their daily life. For instance, if the child”s favorite color is blue they may do anything to get to it; if a ball across the road is blue they will run and get it without even looking for oncoming traffic. Autistic children may also have trouble with other senses like touch, smell, and, at times, taste. They may struggle with textures.
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Despite their struggles with textures, many autistic children in my experience learn effectively through movement and touch. This is often called kinesthetic, or tactile, learning. They need to have physical experiences to learn. They need to interact with their physical environment. One of the benefits of this learning style is that it often happens in groups. Autistic children need contact with others if they are to fit into the society. Kinesthetic learning offers these children more than an excellent opportunity to engage in learning; it also provides an interesting way of socializing.
Autistic children and adolescents can also learn through conditioning. Pavlov is responsible for developing the theories associated with conditioning. In classical conditioning, the individual learns through a process that pairs conditioned stimulus with unconditioned stimulus. The challenge with the autistic child is determining what kind of stimuli will make them respond. Parents want their children to respond in some way. Unfortunately, some autistic children are so engrossed in their own worlds it”s difficult to get them to respond at all. Whether or not they will respond depends on the type of stimulus presented to the child. In working with autistic children, their caregivers will learn what will make the children respond. Stimuli such as colors or words can be identified and paired with other stimuli to produce meaningful learning experiences.
Autistic children like movement, and they learn in this way as well. Some of these children like to watching spinning tops, like to roll balls, and even the rocking motion that some of these children perform show learning, as well as coping skills. They are able to learn through making observations of their surroundings. They also learn through repeating various sounds that they hear. They can learn to make patterns and learn rhythms. These experiences serve as stimulation which is a big thing when working with these children. As mentioned before they use their senses to learn, but that learning will depend on the variables that are present. Another variable will be the manner in which these ideas and items are presented to them and at what time.
Theories That I Believe Help Understanding
The work done by Bandura provides a framework for working with autistic children. Bandura studied reciprocal interaction (a give-and-take between two individuals) with regard to personal factors, behaviors, and environmental events. Bandura”s work suggests that when working with autistic children, their education should be more individualized, should take place in a structured environment, and in the company of other children and people. Autistic children learn through observation to learn how to behave in appropriate ways. Autistic children process information differently, but they can still learn and be taught. Autistic learners need of a variety of activities throughout the day to keep them motivated and engaged in these activities. If an autistic child seems to do well in one-on-one engagement to learn math, their individualized education might incorporate one-on-one math teaching.
According to Pavlov and his ideas of conditioning, autistic children and adolescents will respond and can learn when they are given a particular stimulus. In the classroom I have observed these children exhibiting Pavlov”s theory. Part of that process is the use of private speech, a concept identified by Vygotsky and Piaget. Private speech is basically talking to one”s self; children in particular do it as part of the learning process, reinforcing or reiterating what they”ve learned by talking themselves through it or talking to themselves about it. These children perceive what is going on around them; private speech becomes a way of working through what they are experiencing. Private speech may serve as a coping mechanism for autistic children. Private speech also contributes to self-regulation and learning how to think and use their various experiences to show what they feel and learn. A child engaging in private speech may talk to themselves to remind themselves of the steps of solving a math problem.
Skinner”s theory of learning and its effect on autistic children and adolescents reveals how they can solve various educational problems. In working with autistic children reinforcement is very important. The teachers or the caregivers should use both positive and negative reinforcement to show them in small steps to make understanding easier. Positive reinforcement includes using rewards for performing target behaviors. Negative reinforcement can be executed in two ways: (1) the removal or something negative or unpleasant or (2) the avoidance or prevention of something negative or unpleasant. Autistic children learn in an active sense, and they respond to feedback given whether positive and/or negative. Positive reinforcements may be candy or other small rewards determined to be meaningful to the child. Negative reinforcements may be connected to withholding privileges, such as TV watching time or computer access.
Skinner also introduced the theory of shaping, which is a method of conditioning that uses successive approximation. Autistic children need to learn at their own pace, and shaping can provide them with a structured and paced framework. They learn the steps and the appropriate behaviors that go along with what the skills they are learning. These children learn the necessary objectives to get to a set goal. Autistic children and adolescents need goals for their learning to progress, just like non-autistic children. Shaping could be an excellent way to teach an autistic child how to solve a math problem.
Conclusion
In this short paper on working and living with autistic children I have observed that they need goals and objectives to keep them learning the skills they need to live in society. They also need to have the proper reinforcement to keep them motivated and stimulated to learn. The adults around them and they themselves must work together to learn appropriate behaviors in various situations and to keep learning what they need to know. We all learn in different ways; some of us learn by shaping, learning the steps to progress through an activity or project. Some people learn through modeling and making observations of what is around us in various circumstances. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that individuals with autism may experience and exhibit the disorder differently. One might say that every autistic individual experiences autism differently. Nevertheless, they can all learn in their own ways. We just have to be creative and give them love and understanding.
