Making learing happen for a student with Asperger syndrome

Here, following up on my previous posting, is the abstract submitted for the 2009 Roehampton
University Learning and Teaching Conference.

‘It’s all Greek to me’:
Making learning happen for a Classical Civilisation undergraduate with Asperger Syndrome

Susan Deacy, School of Arts
Bridget Middlemas, Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit

The session’s title aims to get across the bewilderment that can be a feature of initial forays into the study of Humanities subjects. During the past decade or so, an increasing number of students with disabilities have entered higher education, including those with Asperger syndrome (AS). AS is an autistic spectrum condition, which can result in often subtle differences in aspects of social behaviour, communication and application of mental flexibility. It is more common in male students (Brown & Miller, 2004; Martin, 2008).

Humanities subjects, Classical Civilisation included, are among the programmes found appealing to many autistic students. The session will discuss the various challenges faced by disability coordinators, tutors, student services and the programme team in creating an accessible and inclusive learning environment for students with AS, and also reflect on the student experience from the viewpoint of such students. Teaching methods pioneered in Classical Civilisation at Roehampton encourage and even expect students to take an active role in the learning process e.g. though group work and oral presentation, a focus which risks alienating autistic students. The session will consider what support might be required to enable successful completion of one of the modules offered to first year students, 'Introduction to the Study of Greek Literature'.

The module outline will be discussed in the light of ensuring that sessions are able to address the learning needs of all students in the group. What is the most effective way for us to ensure that the learning outcomes have been met? How will the students’ voices be heard? Is there anything that we might do differently? Good practice guidelines will also be made available for review:

• an explanation of Asperger syndrome/autistic spectrum disorder



• what might be done before the student starts the course



• promoting independent learning and study



• how the learning environment affects an individual's ability to learn



• a social needs checklist for students with autism



• a realistic approach to academic/learning needs



• coursework and examination issues (after NAS, 2009; Jamieson & Jamieson, 2004)

References

Brown, M. and Miller, A., 2004, Aspects of Asperger’s: success in the teens and twenties. Bristol: Lucky Duck Publishing

Jamieson, J. and Jamieson, C., 2004, Managing Asperger syndrome at college and university. London: David Fulton Publishers

Martin, N 2008 REAL Services to assist students who have Asperger Syndrome, Sheffield Hallam University Autism Centre, available from SKILL at http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=61&p=150#HE

National Autistic Society (NAS), 2009, University – How to support students with Asperger syndrome available at: http://www.autism.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1011&a=12205

The image at the head of this posting shows a Roman fresco showing Alcestis and Admetus: alcesti_e_admeto.JPG/200px-Affreschi_romani_-_pompei_-_alcesti_e_admeto.JPG

It's all Greek to me

While I seek to meet the delivery date for my book for OUP, I anticipate making postings to this blog frustratingly sporadically before, from next autumn, being able to launch myself into the project, aided by some research-led teaching that I am envisaging for Sept-Dec 2009 that will incorporate dramatherapy into a first-year module. In this posting, I’m going to provide some information on how I am considering recasting this module. In one of the nice connections that has been a feature of this research, I’ll also be able here to give information on a session that I am co-organising on the learning experiences of students with autism.

I’m currently recasting the first-year course, which I have taught for several years now, prompted by various factors including my initial forays into dramatherapy that I’ve summarised in previous postings. I’m using the possible new format of this course as the focus for a session that I am preparing in collaboration with a colleague in the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit for this year’s Learning and Teaching conference at Roehampton which takes place late next month.

Ideas, which are still provisional for the autism session, are given below. I’d love feedback in the run-up to the event, which takes place on 28 April.

An increasing number of students with an ASD are coming to University and Classical Civilisation is one of the subjects found appealing to autistic students, for reasons I hope to be able to explore. The session will discuss the role of disability coordinators, tutors, student services and the Classical Civilisation programme in creating an accessible and inclusive learning environment for students with an ASD. Teaching methods pioneered in Classical Civilisation at Roehampton encourage and even expect students to take an active role in the learning process e.g. though group work and oral presentation, a focus which risks alienating autistic students. The session will consider what support might be required to enable successful completion of one of the modules offered to first year students, 'Introduction to the Study of Greek Literature'.

Envisaged module outline:

• Week 1: Introduction: Why Roehampton? Why Classical Civilisation? [to involve ice breaking session where students introduce themselves to the class]


• Week 2: What is Greek literature? [to include group discussion: ‘what is the best kind of Greek literature?’]


• Week 3: What is Greek tragedy [discussion topic: ‘why do we enjoy watching tragedy?’]


• Week 4: Tragedy and catharsis [including research-led discussion of dramatherapy’s use of Aristotelian theory in reaching autistic people – would this potentially draw in or alienate a student with an ASD?]


• Weeks 5, 6, 8, 9: sessions on particular tragedies which will combine informal lectures with group discussion of specific passages.


• Week 10: preparation for the in-class test: to involve group work planning a commentary or essay


• Week 11: a play reading of one of the set texts, Euripides’ Medea, possibly following methods employed in dramatherapy.


• Week 12: In-class test.

The session’s title -"‘It’s all Greek to me’: Making learning happen for a Classical Civilisation undergraduate with autism" – aims to get across the bewilderment that can be a feature of initial forays into the study of the classical world. The selected image to accompany this posting, Evelyn de Morgan’s Medea, struck me as getting across the difficulty connected with any attempt at reaching an understanding of Medea, one of the heroines to be discussed during the course, whose unreadability (I may have just made up that word) might perhaps stand for the issues to be raised at the session.