Students with Asperger

1
Students with Aspergers Syndrome Participating
in Group Work

• Rich Exchanges
• 21st July
• Olivia Sismey and Stephanie Brewster

2
Numbers of students with AS in HE
3
of students with AS/ASD in each faculty in Uni
of Wolverhampton
4
Aspergers syndrome can result in

• Difficulties in
• Social communication and interaction
• Restricted behaviour and interests
• Sensory sensitivities
• Planning/prioritising
• Often co-occurs with mental health conditions
  e.g. anxiety

5
Benefits of group work

• Can be used for both teaching/learning and
  assessment
• Responds to diverse learning preferences
• Development of subject knowledge
• Employability
• Transferrable skills
• Encourages autonomy and commitment
• Can be problematic for any student, but presents
  particular challenges for those with AS

6
Challenges for students with AS

• Admission into university use of interviews and
  group work
• Confidence physical presence in groups, busy
  places, with strangers
• Communication knowing what is appropriate may
  speak too much or not at all, or appear
  disengaged from the rest of the group
• Speaking when around strong personalities
• Group work within lectures without prior warning.

7
Challenges for students with AS

• The need for organisation, structure and time
  management other students may not follow along
  with it
• Stress from new situations especially if others
  in group dont know they have AS
• Lecturers implied expectations the hidden
  curriculum.
• Not fully understanding the task

8
Strengths of students with AS

• Using written media/electronic communication
• Attention to detail (e.g. Harvard referencing!)
• Following structure, meeting grading criteria
• Looking at things from a different angle
• Highly gifted in some specific areas
• May be good at organising other students
• Deep study and in-depth knowledge especially if
  it is a subject of interest
• Honesty - often bad at lying (can be a challenge
  too)
• Tendency to be logical so task may get done more
  efficiently
• Tendency for perfectionism (can also be a
  challenge)

9
Benefits of group work for students with AS

• Gives students with AS the same opportunities to
  participate in and benefit from learning through
  groups Subject knowledge, transferable skills
  etc.
• Helps build peer relationships
• Expansion of ideas (some students with AS have a
  very narrow focus)
• Development of flexibility
• Allows other students to have greater awareness
  of differences

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Strategies to try

• Allow time for development of skills
• Consider preferences for blended learning,
  classroom layout/size, choice of group members
  (personalities familiarity) and group size.
• Get to know the students strengths and
  difficulties. Dont presume...
• Provide independent study options
• Give clear instructions on task.
• Brain in hand app to help with situations - new
• Sensory room calm down if stressed

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Brain in Hand App
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References and further reading

• Centre for Accessible Resources (2015) Working
  with student who may have Autism or Aspergers
  online.Accessed 15 June. Available at
  lthttp//www.lanecc.edu/disability/working-students
  -who-may-have-autism-or-aspergersgt.
• Disability Resource centre (2012) Asperger's
  Syndrome in the Classroom online.Accessed 15
  June. Available at lthttp//students.ok.ubc.ca/dr
  c/__shared/assets/Asperger_s_Syndrome_In_the_Class
  room 31642.pdfgt.
• Hughes, M., Milne, V., McCall, A, and Pepper, S.
  (2010) Supporting Students with Aspergers
  Syndrome. HEA and UK Physical Sciences Centre
  https//www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/su
  pporting_students_aspergers_syndrome_rpg.pdf
• Madriaga, M and Goodley, D (2010) Moving beyond
  the minimum socially just pedagogies and
  Aspergers syndrome in UK higher education.
  International Journal of Inclusive Education Vol.
  14, No. 2, p115131
• National Autistic Society http//www.autism.org.uk
  /Working-with/Education/Education-professionals-in
  -FE-and-HE/College-and-university-supporting-stude
  nts-with-Asperger-syndrome.aspx
• A Quick Guide for Supporting Students with
  Aspergers Syndrome Lecturers / Personal Tutors
  http//find.jorum.ac.uk/resources/6844
• Smith, C, P. (2007) Support Services for Students
  with Asperger's Syndrome in Higher Education.
  College Student Journal, 41(3), pp.515-531