Hi Spencer,
Thank you for your response.
We have spoken to the parents about the students use of the computers/tablets into the early night and it seems the student is watching videos on YouTube rather than playing games. We have asked the parents to monitor the students usage and set limits but they don’t want to go into the students bedroom and remove the tablet encase the student is sleeping and they wake the student, they also want the student to be independent and set their own limits…
We feel there would be an improvement with the student if they had a good nights sleep but unfortunately we can’t control what happens at home.
We will try a different way of asking the student about their course to see if we can get anything different from them.
Emma
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Spencer Segelov
Sent: 05 November 2015 08:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice for student with Aspergers
Hi Emma,
Apologies if my advice below is all very obvious -
It sounds like the student may have got addicted to one of those online multiplayer games. Most of those seem to be played at night UK time because that’s when most players are online (many of them are based in the USA). Can the parents intervene to limit hours or set rules regarding computer use?
These types of games play into the difficulties of students on the spectrum because they have a lot of games or quests that need to be completed within a group of people in a time sensitive way. These are often happen at night and so if a student is on the spectrum, he may not feel able to sleep because he is breaking the “rules” of the game.
Also have you tried a more directed more of questioning in regards to the course? Perhaps there’s a module or an aspect of it (such as writing of essays or attending lectures or coming in for meetings) which a student doesn’t like?
I once had the following conversation with one of our students-
· ‘Do you like sci-fi films?’
· ‘No’
· ‘Do you like action films?’
· ‘No’
· ‘Do you like films at all?’
· ‘No’
· ‘Do you like star wars films?’
· ‘yes!’
Without meeting the student, I couldn’t say is he was like this of course, but I just thought I’d mention it.
Kind regards
Spencer
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Emma Elliott
Sent: 04 November 2015 19:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice for student with Aspergers
Hi Sue,
Thanks for your response.
Yes we have thought of all those things. The students communication isn't great, very rarely a full sentence, one word answers are the norm. Several teachers and staff have asked the student are they enjoying the course and the response is always "yes". We
will keep trying though!
I feel maybe there has been a change at home but the student hasn't mentioned anything and parents haven't mentioned anything either or haven't been forthcoming with information.
Emma
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2015 17:45:52 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice for student with Aspergers
To: [log in to unmask]
Hi Emma,
Well it certainly sounds like you've been thorough in your efforts to help this student.
I wonder if s/he is no longer enjoying the course, and doesn't know how else to express that? Or might there be evidence of depression? Is something going on at home? Is there someone the student seems to really trust who could try to get to the bottom of things?
Sorry I'm raising more questions, but it sounds like a big change in their behaviour.
Best wishes,
Sue Green
Support for University Students with Asperger's
07810430037
[log in to unmask]
Sent from my Sony Xperia™ smartphone
---- Emma Elliott wrote ----
Hi everyone,
I have a student with a diagnosis of Aspergers undertaking a full time FE BTEC course, the student has been a student of this college for over a year and things have gone downhill this year. We have run out of ideas of things to try. Suggestions please - happy to receive messages off list!
The student arrives in the morning at 9am and normally not make it further than the door, the student is usually spotted by a member of staff who prompts them to go to the library or go to class. The student will occasional go straight away but normally stand there on their phone/staring into space for anther 20 minutes - half an hour.
The student is frequently late to class, not being able to remember where any of the classrooms are, falls asleep during class and needs to be woken by teachers every few minutes. The student is prompted by teaches what work needs to completed, it is broken down into small tasks and frequent prompts/help given but the student will generally just stare at the work or the screen and not complete anything or very little. The teachers assess what the student has learnt during the class and re-check it at the start of the next class but again very little if anything is remembered.
The student works with a teacher one on one several times a week to break down coursework, complete tasks towards assignments, etc but frequently the student is late, not remembering what time or where they are meeting the teacher (same place, day times every week), needs prompting to take out work, log onto computer, answer questions and again falls asleep regularly.
The student has been provided with a 'to-do-list' of tasks to complete in free time or with the one on one teacher but the student needs prompts to take this out, use it and tick off when tasks have been completed. The student has also been given a card with the day, time and location of the one on one class but is still late for this. We have tried suggesting setting alarms on the students mobile phone to remind them when classes start/location but it is often out of battery. We have purchased some clocks that highlight time passed so the student can see when e.g. 10 minutes passed as suggested by the parents to help the student focus on tasks. I am also doing up a visual timetable with images of the teachers/room and day/times in the hope that might prompt the student to get to the right class on time.
This is a big change from what they student was like last year. The parents have reported that the student is frequently awake until the early hours on the computer which probably explains why the student is falling asleep in class.
Apologies if this is a big vague, I don't want the student to be easily identified.
Thanks,
Emma