1. Autism Spectrum
1.1. Social
1.1.1. Lack of interest playing with other children
1.1.2. Difficulty in social interactions and communication
1.1.3. Increased difficulty to understand and express needs and emotions (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017)
1.1.4. May to a greater or lesser extent unable to interpret and understand needs and emotions of others, including facial expressions, gestures, and body language (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017)
1.1.5. Avoidance of social interaction can lead to withdrawal, usually into repetitive play or behaviour (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017)
1.2. Behaviour
1.2.1. Delayed speech
1.2.2. Repetitive behaviours
1.2.2.1. Twirling
1.2.2.2. Rocking
1.2.3. Intent focus on one thing at a time
1.2.4. Sensory (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2019)
1.2.4.1. Avoids loud noises
1.2.4.2. Sensitive to sound
1.2.4.3. Difficulty processing some tastes, sounds, colours, smells and/or textures (Better Health Channel, 2019)
1.2.5. Difficulty coping with change (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017)
1.3. Varying levels of support (Health Direct, 2018)
1.3.1. Requires support (level 1)
1.3.2. Requires substantial support (level 2)
1.3.3. Severely affected, requires very substantial support (level 3)
1.4. 1 in 150 Australians affected by Autism (Health Direct, 2018)
1.4.1. Boys are x4 likely to be affected than girls
1.5. Cognitive
1.5.1. Fascinations in certain topics
2. English as an Additional Language
2.1. For teachers it is important to establish a good relationship with the parents/carers. Collaboration between the two parties will help in giving the Lee consistency (Amaze, 2015).
2.1.1. This may be difficult for the teacher and parent of Lee because of the language barrier. This will in turn affect the planning and collaboration aspect of constructing a learning plan that is geared towards catering for Lee's needs.
3. Socio-economic Background
3.1. Children living in lower SES areas were less likely to be diagnosed with ASD than children in higher SES indicators (Chakravorty, 2017)
3.1.1. It is likely that children from low SES backgrounds are not receiving the right diagnoses and support. It is a supported idea that families living in poorer and less educated areas have lower rates of ASD diagnoses because they have less access to healthcare providers.
3.1.2. Given the financial strain that comes with having a child on the autism spectrum combined with the fact that Lee's parents are struggling in a low SES area, it may be difficult for teacher-parent collaboration due to time constraints of parents' working schedules.
4. Teaching Implications
4.1. Structure (Amaze, 2015)
4.1.1. Designated learning areas
4.1.2. Clear and consistent rules and instructions
4.1.2.1. Timetables
4.1.2.2. Checklists
4.1.2.3. Predictability and routine
4.1.3. Structured activities
4.1.4. These structural things help to give the student a sense of stability and help them focus on their tasks
4.1.5. Consistency in teaching approaches and strategies
4.1.5.1. This is particularly important for behaviour related strategies
4.2. Communication (Amaze, 2015)
4.2.1. Understand how Lee best communicates. Given he comes from an EAL/D background, it may be useful to provide visual cues to help him remember or stimulate cognitive function in conjunction to verbal communication
4.3. Positive reinforcement (Amaze, 2019)
4.3.1. Reward positive behaviour
4.3.2. Identify strengths
4.3.3. Identify what motives Lee. Understand that not all motivational cues will work for every student, particularly those on the autism spectrum
4.4. Classroom (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2019)
4.4.1. Designated safe spaces for Lee to retreat to when feeling overwhelmed
4.4.2. Sensitivity to noise will have implications for whole class teaching and learning
4.4.3. Learning may need to be modified
4.4.3.1. Extended or enabled
4.4.3.2. Fewer words, more visuals
4.4.3.3. Templates used for structure
4.4.3.4. Activities broken down into manageable and sequential steps
4.4.4. Scheduled breaks to help maintain focus and motivation