0000000000657516
AUTHOR
Irene Rämä
Communicative spontaneity in autism: exploring supportive prompts in an educational context
The purpose of this article was to describe a Finnish research project concerning communicative spontaneity in pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a behavioural syndrome which is neurobiological in origin and which involves atypical developmental dysfunctions in the brain. The essential features are persistent impairment in reciprocal social communication and social interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interest, and activities. However, an important part of flexible interaction is functional communication between partners, and spontaneity is a critical aspect of functional communication. Communicative spontaneity can be assessed by examining the rela…
The Transition to Upper Secondary Level After Basic Education for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland
This chapter provides an exploration of the preparation of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for transition to upper secondary level after Finnish basic education. It also examines the importance of supports required during the transition phase. Two examples of pupils with ASD (Kalle and Maija) are utilized to illustrate how to plan and support pupils with ASD during their initial post-school transition. Transitions are defined, after which education opportunities after basic education for pupils with ASD in Finland are examined. This is followed by a brief illustration of the Finnish comprehensive school system to provide context with a focus on support arrangements and the prepar…
Special education without teaching assistants? : The development process for students with autism
Many children may need the help of another person to attend school. It is common for children with disabilities to receive help from a teaching assistant at school. Assistants are provided in many countries as a legal right and are often publicly funded. It is also widely assumed that having teaching assistants in the class is an effective and cost-efficient way to support students with disabilities. In this study, the research task was to monitor and document the development process carried out by the teacher, with the aim of making visible the development of a more dynamic classroom interaction. The focus in this development process was the teacher’s idea of minimizing the conta…
Ruskeasuon koulun kehittämishanke II : ICF-pohjaiset toimintakykykuvaukset, HOJKS-tavoitteet ja lukuvuosiarvioinnit toiminta-alueittaisessa opetuksessa
Valteri-koulu Ruskis (aiemmin Ruskeasuon koulu) on Helsingissä sijaitseva valtion erityiskoulu, joka toimii osana valtakunnallista Oppimis- ja ohjauskeskus Valteria. Koulussa on liikunta- ja monivammaisia sekä pitkäaikaissairaita oppilaita esiopetuksesta lisäopetukseen. Artikkeli on jatkoa aiemmalle kuvaukselle koulun kehittämisprosessista (ks. NMI Bulletin 3/2013). Tässä työssä tarkastellaan koulun tavoitetyöskentelyyn kohdistuvan pitkäaikaisen kehityshankkeen viimeisintä vaihetta, jossa on paneuduttu tarkastelemaan toiminta-alueittain opiskelevien oppilaiden (n = 19) yhden lukuvuoden keskeisiä HOJKS-tavoitteita, niiden suhdetta oppilaiden ICF-pohjaisiin toimintakykykuvauksiin sekä tavoitt…
Teacher Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Finland
This chapter first provides a short description of the historical background and development of special education teacher training in Finland. The relationship between special education and teaching pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is covered by chronologically presenting the main events, turning points, publications, and people that have had a significant effect on the education of pupils with ASD in Finland. This is followed by a description of the organization of teacher training, in general, and the particular characteristics of teaching pupils with ASD. In the context of ASD, it is essential to examine questions concerning the link between learning as social practice and the …
The usefulness of the ICF framework in goal setting for students with autism spectrum disorder
AbstractAn Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a multi-disciplinary, team-developed plan that is required for a child receiving special education services. IEPs are tools for setting objectives that are responsive to students with special needs. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a hierarchical classification for human functioning and disability developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICF classification can be used as a structural and conceptual instrument in goal setting. In this study the educational IEP objectives of five Finnish students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are examined within the ICF framework. The focus is i…