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Using symbolic interactionism insights as an approach to helping the individual with Asperger's syndrome overcome barriers to social inclusion
Abstract
This article outlines a case for using symbolic interactionism as a tool to help individuals with Asperger's syndrome reconcile situations in which communication might prove challenging. This study builds on previous work carried out by the author which describes an autoethnographical approach to help the individual with Asperger's syndrome gain insights into ways to engage effectively with the social situations they encounter. It is well documented that those with Asperger's syndrome find many social situations challenging and that commonly understood verbal and non-verbal communication ‘signs’ and ‘symbols’ may be difficult for them to interpret in ways intended by others. It is within this context that the work seeks to examine communication issues in terms of the symbolic interactionism notion of the ‘Me’ and how this understanding can help the individual with Asperger's syndrome model their own behaviour from a symbolic interactionism point of view. The article begins with a discussion of the background to the research and how an inability to read the communication ‘signs’ and ‘symbols’ around them can make it difficult for the learner with Asperger's syndrome to have a commonly held understanding of the social setting in which he or she operates. The work gives a personal insight from a person with Asperger's syndrome into how symbolic interactionism coupled with autoethnography can be used as tools to enable the learner with Asperger's syndrome to explore the nature of communication patterns under such circumstances. The work includes vignettes which highlight experience from such a personal perspective.
... Specifically, learning how to read the facial expressions of those pupils who experienced communication difficulties was considered crucial for everyday interactions and knowing how learning activities in PE were received and experienced by the pupils. According to Hughes (2016), this is vital when working with children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) because teachers need to be able to read and react to social situations by modifying their behaviours to overcome barriers to learning. Similarly, the use of non-verbal cues is an established inclusive pedagogical approach when working with pupils with hearing impairments, many of whom require, according to Friedner and Block (2017, 293), teachers to draw upon 'a wider range of semiotic and communicative repertoires and communication modalities'. ...
... However, we acknowledge that our participants were not qualified teachers, who had never been situated in a special school space previously, and were on placement for only a short time, all of which may have influenced their learning about reading bodies. Indeed, this is a pedagogical skill that requires time and experience to develop (Hughes 2016). The longer students had been able to spend as members of the community of practice, the further they would have moved away from the periphery towards achieving legitimacy and with it the accumulated learning, not just of Borough woods school, but of working in special schools more generally. ...
Background
It is well-established that traditional approaches to initial teacher education do not adequately prepare physical education (PE) teachers for teaching pupils with disabilities. Consequently, pupils with disabilities participate less frequently and in fewer PE activities than their age peers. School-based placements, which form a cornerstone of the professional socialisation phase of teacher education, can help to prepare prospective and pre-service teachers for the demands of working in educational settings. We should not assume, though, that placing prospective or pre-service PE teachers in a school impacts positively on learning about inclusive pedagogies and, consequently, the educational experiences of pupils with disabilities.
Purpose
We used a special school placement and created opportunities for students to critically reflect on situated learning experiences to challenge normative perceptions of pedagogy and facilitate their learning about more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. Specifically, we explore the influence of a special school placement on prospective PE teachers’ learning about inclusive pedagogies.
Methodology
Twenty-six first year undergraduate students, all of whom aspired to become PE teachers, participated in focus group interviews and were selected because they had attended a placement in a special school. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.
Findings
The findings were underpinned by situated learning theory and suggested, for the first time in research terms, that through a special school placement prospective PE teachers learned about: adapting activities; breaking activities into smaller, more manageable parts; demonstrating activities; pacing the delivery of activities; when to repeat activities; non-verbal communication; and managing disruptive behaviours. We conclude by arguing that this pedagogical learning will contribute to preparing our participants for teacher education programmes and a career teaching PE, given that it aligns with the criteria used to judge the performance of pre- and in-service teachers in England (see Department for Education (DfE). 2011 Department for Education (DfE) . 2011. Teachers’ Standards . London: DfE. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665520/Teachers__Standards.pdf. [Google Scholar]. Teachers’ Standards. London: DfE. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665520/Teachers__Standards.pdf). Thus, we advocate for such placements to become a more frequent feature of the learning experiences of prospective and pre-service teachers. However, we do question and therefore call for future research that explores the longer-term influence and transferability of what is learned during special school placements.
... Some studies discuss nonverbal communication in healthcare contexts, but these primarily relate to communication between professionals and patients, where nonverbal communication has been found to play an important role in whether patients feel satisfied with their dialogue with hospital staff [3,6,9]. Even fewer study nonverbal communication related to the patients managing illness/disabilities related to progression of disease, significant others and/or to coping with social interactions; some however discuss how the nonverbal can be used to outline social models of care, and bring together concepts such as stigma and communication in relation to health and illness [16,17]. ...
Communication about life-threatening disease and palliative care is essential but often experienced as difficult by those concerned and has mainly been studied in terms of its verbal components. Despite the fundamentality of nonverbal communication, its dimensions in care, especially in the communication by patients and their significant others, has not been as extensively examined. Drawing on a secondary qualitative content analysis of data from 23 interviews—15 with patients in specialized palliative home care in Sweden and 8 with their significant others—this study aims at understanding and characterizing how patients verbally express experiences of conveying nonverbal cues about life-threatening disease and its consequences and how their significant others express perceiving these cues. Patients expressed experiences of nonverbal communication in the form of cues conveying meaning about their disease and its consequences, often beyond their control. Whether and how the patients reinforced these cues verbally, depended on individual needs, care for others, and evaluations of relationships. Significant others acknowledged the presence of nonverbal cues and tried to interpret their meaning. Both patients and significant others emphasized the importance of nonverbal cues and actively related to how cues in the form of bodily appearance, aids, objects and acts, serve communicative functions about disease and its consequences. These dimensions of nonverbal communication are characterized as: body talk, extension talk and action talk. This study contributes to an international knowledge base on the complexities of nonverbal communicative aspects in these dimensions and how it affects patients and significant others. Professionals should be aware that dimensions of care, such as prescribed aids, from the patients’ perspective can be perceived as nonverbal cues that might “speak of” disease progression.
هدفت هذه الدراسة التعرف إلى علاقة المستوى التعليمي والحالة الوظيفية بعوامل تأخر الزواج لدى السعوديات بمدينة الرياض، واستخدمت الدراسة منهج المسح الاجتماعي على عينة عشوائية من السعوديات العازبات البالغات بمدينة الرياض بلغت (402) فتاة، طبقت عليهم، وتوصلت إلى أن هناك عدة عوامل اجتماعية تساهم في تأخر الزواج لدى السعوديات منها: (الرغبة في الاستقلالية، وتحقيق الذات، والمخاوف والتحديات الاجتماعية..)، كما أن هناك عدة عوامل اقتصادية منها: (السعي للاستقلالية المالية، وتحقيق مستوى معيشي أفضل، ...)، بالإضافة إلى العوامل النفسية والذاتية ومنها: (الخوف من الالتزام، والخوف من الفشل..)، ولم توجد فروق دالة إحصائيًا بين استجابات المشاركات حول العوامل الاجتماعية، وفقًا للمستوى التعليمي، بينما توجدت فروق دالة إحصائيًا في العوامل الاقتصادية والنفسية، ووجود فروق دالة إحصائيًا في استجابات المشاركات حول العوامل الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والنفسية، وفقًا للحالة الوظيفية للمشاركات، وبناء على لك قُدمت بعض من التوصيات والمقترحات.
This thesis explores a humanistic intervention called Gentle Teaching and how a
special residential school has attempted to embed this into its school culture. This
thesis explores a range of concepts and as such a conceptual framework has been
created to link each of these areas together. The conceptual framework is based upon
Gentle Teaching, School Culture and Symbolic Interaction. Symbolic Interaction has
been employed as a lens to explore the concepts of truth through the understanding
of various factors that influence the understanding that people how regarding the
meaning objects, interactions and words have for us. This is true still for the unique
pupils within the school who express their own understanding of the school culture
and what this feels like to them.
This thesis has a series of sub-research questions to ascertain if Gentle Teaching is a
natural ability or if this can be taught/learned, it also seeks to identify if the recipients
of Gentle Teaching are aware of the process and finally, how Gentle Teaching can be
embedded within a school culture. A qualitative methodological approach is
employed to gather data from adult staff participants and the views and opinions from
the students within the school. This thesis contributes to a modern exploration of the
Gentle Teaching pedagogy. This thesis also gains insight into the views and opinions
of an often overlooked and marginalised group of students and offers an illustration
of what Gentle Teaching can offer to other schools as both a pedagogical and
behavioural approach that could become an alternative to less humanistic
approaches.
Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical framework with origins in sociology that addresses the manner in which individuals create relationships and a shared social world via language and symbolic gestures. Involving both theoretical propositions and methodological practices, social scientists use the “interactionist” framework to understand joint action and how individuals interpret and define their experiences. Focusing on social processes that occur in small groups and dyadic settings, scholars who work in the interactionist tradition have produced an extensive literature that helps us understand a variety of microlevel social phenomena and the nature of group life. Because of its efficacy in explaining the relationship between individuals and groups, symbolic interactionism is particularly useful for understanding family dynamics.
This study identifies and examines the relationship between technology leadership and technology integration in four public and private schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Despite large investments in technology for learning, barriers to technology integration still persisted. Many of these barriers could be related to technology leadership which was a significant component of the roles and responsibilities of school principals. The study was conducted using a survey instrument for school leaders and teachers. Four private and public primary schools were selected from the Caroni and Victoria education districts of Trinidad. Results indicated that the extent to which technology leadership was comprehended and enacted did impact the integration of technology by teachers in the classroom. School principals and teachers, though primary stakeholders of a modern education system, perceived themselves as incompetent in effectively integrating technology. Recommendations emanating from this study included a need for improvement in the quality and consistency of training for school leaders and teachers, the implementation and maintenance of supportive systems for technology implementation and integration in schools and the establishment and improvement of local and regional levels of leadership and technology policies that support education, through the planning and development of a unique ICT-based entity for Trinidad and Tobago.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty generalizing learned behavior to varied environments with independence. This review of 24 empirical studies compares self-management as a systematic procedure for modifying one's own behavior, to increase target behaviors in students with either autistic disorder (AD) or high-functioning autism/Asperger's syndrome (HFA/AS). Twenty-four single subject research studies are included in the review comparing methodological, demographic, procedural, and outcome aspects of self-management studies between the two disorders under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Results show that self-management procedures, regardless of components and age of child, are effective in teaching social, vocational, and communication skills, or decreasing restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviors for individuals with a PDD. General conclusions are made on how the procedures are used differently across levels of functioning within the autism spectrum and PDD. This literature should encourage researchers and practitioners to continue interventions using self-management procedures with this population to broaden the research base and improve methodological adequacy.
The distress and disability caused by Asperger syndrome are a consequence of the core syndrome itself, and any neurological or physical disorders which may be associated with it. Distress and disability are also influenced, to a much greater degree than has previously been recognized, by the personal reactions of the sufferer and the social reactions of those around him or her. One important type of personal reaction is the development of a psychological disorder secondary to Asperger syndrome. There is growing evidence that these reactions are commoner and more severe than has been thought previously. They include affective disorders, anxiety-related disorders and conduct disorders. Their manifestations may be altered by the presence of Asperger syndrome. Treatment usually involves a combination of psycho- education, social change, psychotropic medication and counselling.
This article discusses characteristics of students with Asperger syndrome (AS), especially those germane to educators, and methods most appropriate for supporting and enhancing the educational experiences of children and youth with AS. Effective social interventions and supports, behavioral interventions, and academic accommodations are described. (Contains references.) (CR)
This book provides basic information about Asperger Syndrome by addressing issues related to the characteristics of the disorder and outlining basic methods to facilitate the growth and development of children and youth with Asperger Syndrome. Chapter 1, "Understanding the Meaning and Nature of Asperger Syndrome," provides the diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome and describes social interaction impairments, speech and communication difficulties, cognitive and academic problems, peculiar sensory stimuli responses, and physical and motor-skill anomalies. Chapter 2, "Assessing Students with Asperger Syndrome," describes norm-referenced measures appropriate for students with Asperger Syndrome, informal assessment, levels of skill acquisition, and translation of assessment results into meaningful procedures. In Chapter 3 "Teaching Academic Content to Students with Asperger Syndrome," the discussion is on characteristics that affect academic performances, effective instructional methods that include using visual strategies and structural strategies, and student motivation. Chapter 4, "Planning for Social and Behavioral Success," presents social skills development and behavior management options available to professionals and families. Chapter 5, "Planning for Life after School," describes transition assessment and a life-plan approach to transition planning. Chapter 6, "Understanding Asperger Syndrome and Its Impact on the Family," presents case studies of families of a child with Asperger Syndrome. (Contains 94 references.) (CR)
The present paper investigated the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) in relation to recalled experiences of having been laughed at in the past in individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). About 45% of the individuals with AS (N = 40), but only 6% of the controls (N = 83) had at least a slight form of gelotophobia, which is the highest percentage ever found in the literature. Gelotophobia correlated with the frequency and severity of remembered teasing and mocking situations in the past. This indicates that gelotophobia is an important issue in individuals with AS. Furthermore, individuals with AS are less able to laugh at themselves (gelotophilia), but enjoy laughing at others (katagelasticism, a more hostile form of humor) to the same extent as controls do.
This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of friendship faced by teenagers diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. This research aimed to provide teachers with an insight into the social world of Asperger syndrome from a student perspective. A multiple-case study approach was used to collect data from 5 secondary school students in Australia. Data were collected through the use of semistructured interviews. An inductive approach to data analysis resulted in a number of broad themes in the data: (a) understanding of concepts or language regarding friendships, (b) description of what is a friend, (c) description of what is not a friend, (d) description of an acquain¬tance, and (e) using masquerading to cope with social deficits. The insights provided by the participants in this study are valuable for teachers, parents, and anyone else involved in inclusive education.
The purpose of this study was to identify the sensory processing patterns of children with Asperger syndrome.
Researchers compared the performance of 42 children with Asperger syndrome and 42 children without disabilities on section and factor scores of the Sensory Profile.
As reported by parents on the Sensory Profile, the children with Asperger syndrome were significantly different from children without disabilities on 22 of 23 items. This result was obtained with good power estimates (.997-1.00) and large effect sizes (02 = .267-.732). Both groups of children performed the same on modulation of visual input affecting emotional responses and activity level.
This study provides initial evidence that clear differences exist in the sensory processing patterns of children with Asperger syndrome when compared with peers without disabilities.
The use of sensory integration therapy (SI-therapy) is important in the treatment of autistic children. Besides parent consultation, the core of this treatment involves dealing with the heightened senses that are often seen in these children, as well as with the difficulties in the areas of practice, communication and interaction. Based on a specific case study from their practice, the authors describe the theoretical concept of this therapeutic approach from the perspective of the therapist and the mother.
This paper provides a brief overview of research, knowledge and practice regarding Asperger's syndrome, an autistic spectrum disorder that has only recently been acknowledged by clinicians. The paper reviews our knowledge of the degree and nature of the impairments of social understanding of such individuals, especially their problems with making and keeping friends, perception of social and emotional cues, understanding and management of emotions, and ability to recognise the thoughts and feelings of others. Difficulties with communication and conversation skills are explained, as well as the person's tendency to develop areas of expertise and special interests. People with Asperger's syndrome have an unusual profile of cognitive abilities; some have signs of movement disturbance and some are extraordinarily perceptive of sensory experiences. The prevalence and aetiology of Asperger's syndrome are discussed briefly.
This article makes use of autoethnography in which I, as researcher, explore my own awareness of Asperger's syndrome and how this, in turn, has helped me deal with many day to day situations I have encountered. The work illustrates how actively engaging with one's own life story narratives can help the Asperger's learner come to terms with his or her Asperger's self. The work makes use of symbolic interactionism to construct an outward image of the self and then use this projection to play out and engage with the social situations one encounters.
The article begins with a brief biographic picture of stages of my school and college journey. This places the work in context. It then discusses the autoethnography approach I use to examine aspects of myself, and how symbolic interactionism provides a framework with which to explore social action in the learning context. Examples from personal journals are used to illustrate aspects of my quest to understand the nature and essence of my Asperger's self.
First-hand accounts of five people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who spoke about social relationships were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Four central themes were identified. These were an awareness of the difficulties in communication and comprehension, descriptions of attempts to `fit in' by trying to role-play at being non-autistic, the awareness of other people with Asperger's as a supportive community, and an awareness of the benefits of the Internet as a means to develop and maintain social relationships. Overall the analysis showed a high degree of awareness and insight into individual difficulties with social relationships, and highlighted other people with Asperger's as a source of friendship and support.
Is Asperger syndrome a syndrome in its own right or is it a form of autism?
In this volume several of the major experts in the field discuss the diagnostic criteria of the syndrome, named after Hans Asperger who first described the condition in the 1940s, and illustrate their views with case studies drawn from their clinical practice. These clinical studies are complemented by personal accounts and placed in a new theoretical framework. Significantly, Uta Frith provides the first English translation of Asperger's paper: his work has long been neglected, but his insights reflect a very modern awareness of the broad continuum of autistic disorders. They also provide surprisingly practical suggestions on the education and management of autistic children.
This book gives the first coherent account of Asperger syndrome as a distinct variant of autism and will undoubtedly arouse a good deal of debate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In Mindblindness, Simon Baron-Cohen presents a model of the evolution and development of "mindreading." He argues that we mindread all the time, effortlessly, automatically, and mostly unconsciously. It is the natural way in which we interpret, predict, and participate in social behavior and communication. We ascribe mental states to people: states such as thoughts, desires, knowledge, and intentions.
Building on many years of research, Baron-Cohen concludes that children with autism, suffer from "mindblindness" as a result of a selective impairment in mindreading. For these children, the world is essentially devoid of mental things.
Baron-Cohen develops a theory that draws on data from comparative psychology, from developmental, and from neuropsychology. He argues that specific neurocognitive mechanisms have evolved that allow us to mindread, to make sense of actions, to interpret gazes as meaningful, and to decode "the language of the eyes."
Bradford Books imprint
A group of high-functioning autistic individuals was compared to a clinical control group matched on VIQ, age, sex and SES. Significant group differences were found on executive function, theory of mind, emotion perception and verbal memory tests, but not on spatial or other control measures. Second-order theory of mind and executive function deficits were widespread among the autistic group, while first-order theory of mind deficits were found in only a subset of the sample. The relationship of executive function and theory of mind deficits to each other, and their primacy to autism, are discussed.
This paper reviews the history of Asperger syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA), current diagnostic concepts and criteria, some controversial diagnostic issues, epidemiology, background factors, outcome, and intervention guidelines.
This study examined differences in the ability to decode emotion through facial expression, prosody, and verbal content between 14 children with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and 16 typically developing peers. The ability to decode emotion was measured by the Perception of Emotion Test (POET), which portrayed the emotions of happy, angry, sad, and neutral among the modalities of static and dynamic facial expression, prosody, verbal content, and all modalities combined. Results revealed that children with AS had more difficulty identifying emotions through static facial expression, dynamic facial expression, and prosody than typically developing children. Results are discussed in relationship to an over-reliance on verbal content as a compensatory strategy in social interactions. Treatment implications for individuals with AS are also discussed.
This paper reports on a content analysis of blogs written by people with Asperger's syndrome (AS), as well as people who are parents and caretakers of people with AS. The paper documents that the views of the two groups, based on 30 blogs from each perspective, are frequently oppositional to one another. Whereas the parents and caretakers usually accept the medical definition of the situation and seek assistance and a cure for their children, the Aspies argue against this pathologizing and medicalizing perspective. Those diagnosed with AS say they are happy with who they are and that any suffering they may have undergone has been the result of society and not inherent in their condition. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical, methodological, substantive, and practical implications of these findings.
Embracing Asperger's: a primer for parents and professionals
- R. Bromfield
Managing Meltdown: using the S.C.A.R.E.D calming technique with children and adults with autism
- D. Lipsky
- W. Richards
The Passionate Mind: how people with autism learn
- W. Lawson
Mind, Self and Society (Works of George Herbert Mead
- G. Mead
Handbook of Qualitative Research
- C. Ellis
- A. Bochner
Life History Research in Education Settings; learning from lives
- I. Goodson
- P. Sikes
- Merrill
- Becker
Can guessing intervention be a useful component of a personalised system to support social understanding?: a case study involving three adults with Asperger syndrome
- K Silver