Dziecko z ASD w szkole masowej – dostosowanie form i metod pracy - E. Śniegowska, A. Mitoraj-Hebel

Agnieszka Mitoraj-Hebel and Ewa Śniegowska introduce their presentation on supporting children with ASD in mainstream schools, drawing from their extensive experience. Agnieszka works at Primary School No. 44 in Gdańsk, and Ewa works at a rehabilitation and educational center for children with autism in Gdańsk, with over 20 years of experience.

Ewa discusses the ideal preparation for children with ASD entering mainstream schools. This includes individual therapy, small group work, and then integration into a larger preschool group. Key readiness skills expected are toilet training, communicating basic needs (physiological, hunger, pain), and basic self-care activities like dressing and eating independently. She emphasizes the importance of managing challenging behaviors and establishing motivational systems.

Agnieszka highlights the importance of preparing the classroom environment. This involves minimizing visual overstimulation by reducing decor, using calm colors, and having blinds to control light. She also mentions avoiding strong scents from cleaning products or perfumes, eliminating distracting sounds, and teachers wearing less distracting clothing or jewelry. The concept of a 'quiet place' in school for children to de-stress during breaks is also introduced.

Ewa details how to communicate effectively with students with ASD. This includes approaching the student, gaining their attention (e.g., eye contact, gentle touch, calling their name), giving short and concise commands, and checking for comprehension by asking them to repeat instructions. She advises giving children a few seconds to process and answer questions, using open-ended questions, and speaking slowly. Offering choices (e.g., between two games) can also be helpful.

Agnieszka and Ewa discuss the importance of visual supports, especially when children transition to subject-specific teaching. They emphasize that children with ASD are often visual learners. Using presentations, charts, diagrams, maps, globes, and concrete manipulatives (like counters or blocks) can significantly improve comprehension. They stress connecting new skills to already acquired ones and intertwining easier tasks with more challenging ones to maintain motivation.

Agnieszka advises on preparing teaching materials for students with ASD. This includes selecting the most important content, providing concise ready-made notes after lessons (ideally with visual elements), and breaking down complex tasks (like math problems) into smaller steps. She also suggests encouraging students to highlight important information in texts and using simple, clear language, explaining difficult vocabulary beforehand. The importance of good quality illustrations and sufficient space on worksheets is also highlighted.

The discussion moves to homework, emphasizing its potential to be a source of stress. The speakers suggest assigning homework that children can complete independently, is short, pleasant, and related to practical skills. They also discuss the challenge of remembering assignments, especially in subject-based learning, and recommend students keep a dedicated notebook for tasks. The importance of immediate, specific, and positive feedback to reinforce desired behaviors is stressed, avoiding general praise and focusing on concrete actions.

The presenters conclude, acknowledging that their allotted time has run out, but reminding the audience about the range of additional activities children with ASD are involved in, and the need for teachers to be understanding. They invite questions for a post-presentation session.