I am still looking for employment, but attended the conference in Redding last week. What has the reaction been in special ed. classrooms and/or general ed. with Asperger and Autistic students? I want to use WBT, but am unsure how to justify it in Special ed.
Thanks for all comments.
Freddie

Freddie,

I about fell over when I saw your heading! This is why. I have a child in kinder this year that is showing signs of this. I have had a conference with her previous teacher and her mom and grandmother as well as our special education department. Home and school are in process of getting some testing done which has to start with the pediatrician. I desperately want her to remain in class because she is responding to the WBT well. This is a child that is extremely bright and gifted but showing symptoms of several of the autistic syndromes...so I will keep you updated.

I have made some accommodations in the classroom such as moving her away from other students because she has a problem with her space being "invaded" however she will still "tell you neighbor" just from a distance LOL! So I think that this will help her with some social interactions. It will be interesting to see what others have to say from experience!

Farrah Shipley

Last year one of my students with Asperger's had difficulty participating in the gestures and would not partner during "teach-OK". This student would not look anyone in the eye, would mumble answers to questions, and often seemed to be on a "different planet" than we were on. Every day, I would assign a student to be his "buddy", and that student would teach, but not touch my special student. Then, one day in April, he actually "High-Fived" his partner! I truly believe that because we constantly included him, we helped him to feel like a part of the class, even though he didn't respond in the same way that the rest of the students did. Now this year, he has stopped in my room to visit and has made more conversation in these 2 weeks then he did in 180 days last year! I am not an expert in special ed, but I know that for this one child, he experienced acceptance and love.