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if you could design a communication curriculum...

NTgirl4276

Well-Known Member
as some of you know, i found AC a few months ago (I lurked for a few weeks, before finally posting) when I was attempting to navigate the early stages of a romantic situation with an Aspie. it was my first exposure to the autism spectrum. that situation ultimately didn't work out, but I am so grateful to have had the chance to get to know some members of this supportive and loving community. some of you also know that I teach classes in communication at an American university.

that being said, I am hoping to modify my lesson plans for one of the introductory-level classes that I teach. i've realized how NT-dominant our approach to communication is, and I regret conforming to traditional models without ever considering the role that neurological differences play in everyday interactions. I am also devastated that former students have likely felt alienated or marginalized in our classes.

so, i'm hoping some of you might be able to help me as I work to revise my lesson plans this summer. If you have taken communication classes in the past, what do you wish had been included? Or, differently explored/explained? What do you wish your teacher would have done differently? If you were to take a communication class, what would you hope for? What would you want to walk away with?

For reference, it's a very introductory course, with such broad topics as verbal communication, language acquisition, nonverbal communication/nonverbal "rules" of social interaction, relationship development, interpersonal conflict and conflict resolution, negotiation, group process/group work, and public speaking (both informative and persuasive).

(if you don't feel comfortable posting in the thread, or if you feel this warrants a longer one-on-one conversation, please feel free to PM me! :))
 
as some of you know, i found AC a few months ago (I lurked for a few weeks, before finally posting) when I was attempting to navigate the early stages of a romantic situation with an Aspie. it was my first exposure to the autism spectrum. that situation ultimately didn't work out, but I am so grateful to have had the chance to get to know some members of this supportive and loving community. some of you also know that I teach classes in communication at an American university.

that being said, I am hoping to modify my lesson plans for one of the introductory-level classes that I teach. i've realized how NT-dominant our approach to communication is, and I regret conforming to traditional models without ever considering the role that neurological differences play in everyday interactions. I am also devastated that former students have likely felt alienated or marginalized in our classes.

so, i'm hoping some of you might be able to help me as I work to revise my lesson plans this summer. If you have taken communication classes in the past, what do you wish had been included? Or, differently explored/explained? What do you wish your teacher would have done differently? If you were to take a communication class, what would you hope for? What would you want to walk away with?

For reference, it's a very introductory course, with such broad topics as verbal communication, language acquisition, nonverbal communication/nonverbal "rules" of social interaction, relationship development, interpersonal conflict and conflict resolution, negotiation, group process/group work, and public speaking (both informative and persuasive).

(if you don't feel comfortable posting in the thread, or if you feel this warrants a longer one-on-one conversation, please feel free to PM me! :))

Sorry bumped the post button, on the last one. Well for starters as a auti/aspie imaging sort of savant, my audio note taking ability basically doesn't exist. Some times I just transfered out of classes that didn't have a nice classwork sheet for the semester. All the assignments reading and written should be on the sheet with deadline dates etcetera..or I'm lost. It's not much fun wandering around begging assignment notes off classmates. Also verbal instructions don't help much if the social stress level or noise level is too high, look at my face does it look blank, if it is blank, I didn't hear a word you said, or at least won't until I replay it in my head tomorrow. how is that for starters...best wishes Mael
 
as some of you know, i found AC a few months ago (I lurked for a few weeks, before finally posting) when I was attempting to navigate the early stages of a romantic situation with an Aspie. it was my first exposure to the autism spectrum. that situation ultimately didn't work out, but I am so grateful to have had the chance to get to know some members of this supportive and loving community. some of you also know that I teach classes in communication at an American university.

that being said, I am hoping to modify my lesson plans for one of the introductory-level classes that I teach. i've realized how NT-dominant our approach to communication is, and I regret conforming to traditional models without ever considering the role that neurological differences play in everyday interactions. I am also devastated that former students have likely felt alienated or marginalized in our classes.

so, i'm hoping some of you might be able to help me as I work to revise my lesson plans this summer. If you have taken communication classes in the past, what do you wish had been included? Or, differently explored/explained? What do you wish your teacher would have done differently? If you were to take a communication class, what would you hope for? What would you want to walk away with?

For reference, it's a very introductory course, with such broad topics as verbal communication, language acquisition, nonverbal communication/nonverbal "rules" of social interaction, relationship development, interpersonal conflict and conflict resolution, negotiation, group process/group work, and public speaking (both informative and persuasive).

(if you don't feel comfortable posting in the thread, or if you feel this warrants a longer one-on-one conversation, please feel free to PM me! :))

NT, I hope I'm not far off topic and offer a thought. I am 67 male and that may be relevant.

I emigrated to the states from Germany in 1951. I was tri lingual until I started school and told that I was "retarded". I did not speak American. Well it was time to learn English. It took awhile but I had a knack for words. I liked to read, anything. I am guessing I was in 3rd grade and I'm reading my way through a collection of matched classics. Marcus Aurelius one week, Guy Maupassant the next and HG Welles the next. Swell, but I could not spell, think the word color in an Brit or French
Translation of a classic, colour perhaps. Anyway I never had the opportunity to explain the issue. I was simply wrong. I think that education is the answer to most issues, but a bit of interest and compassion from the teachers towards the students could only be helpful.
Besides as an Asper right/ wrong and comply and submit to authority raises my hackles, but I would have gone the distance if any teacher was a friend. Thanks for your time.
 
This is pretty obvious, but so many people get it wrong. Teach that body language is learnt cultural behaviour, so it is neither understood the same across all cultures, nor understood the same across the neurological spectrum. Most NTs take it much to seriously, and make alot of assumptions that prove wrong. Teach them to use the correct terms, be precise, and to actually listen to the words said/written!
You should also be aware that aspies generally do not enjoy group assignments, and will struggle with them.
 
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I think it is great that you are incorporating this into your lessons, from what I can tell from your posts you seem to be very passionate about teaching and finding the best ways of doing this for the wide diversity of people you will encounter in your classes.
I just wanted to encourage you and let you know that what you are doing will be so appreciated by many people, Thank you
I wish the teachers I had have in my past had the approach you do, well done.
 
I have never been in any kind of communication class except for the really annoying ethics classes some businesses make everybody go through. That aside, I would really eat up body language and how combining emphasis, volume, and pitch can have different meanings.

My only recommendation would be to let people avoid giving speeches who couldn't handle it regardless if they had a whitecoat pronounce them socially anxious or not. There's a joke that goes "the number one fear is public speaking, second is death, which means a person would rather be the guy in the casket than the one giving the eulogy", and I find that very much applies to me. Every time in my life I've had to be a little circus monkey for an audience, I had to deal with the aftermath for weeks, months, and even years after. I still haven't gotten over a short sentence it was sprang on me to say in a room full of 150-200 people with every single one of them looking at me. I had to sit down in a corner and stop shaking for a good thirty minutes and then disappear for a few hours. Just thinking about it is making me antsy now and that was over six years ago.
 
Taking an idea from Karin's thread "I guessed right" I guessed right :) | AspiesCentral.com I would suggest using visual media - using clips depicting social situations taken from soap operas or films, and using them to discuss the non-verbal comminication such as body language and what message that conveys, how the people are feeling, whether their communication was accurate, etc. People in Karin's thread have said that they have learned a lot about social interaction from watching TV programmes and movies.
 
thank you so much, everyone, for being willing to share your insights and experiences! they are so helpful; please keep 'em coming! no individual anecdote or piece of advice is too small. the greater the diversity of feedback, the better :)

please forgive the long post as I respond to each of you and, hopefully, keep this conversation going.

Sorry bumped the post button, on the last one. Well for starters as a auti/aspie imaging sort of savant, my audio note taking ability basically doesn't exist. Some times I just transfered out of classes that didn't have a nice classwork sheet for the semester. All the assignments reading and written should be on the sheet with deadline dates etcetera..or I'm lost. It's not much fun wandering around begging assignment notes off classmates. Also verbal instructions don't help much if the social stress level or noise level is too high, look at my face does it look blank, if it is blank, I didn't hear a word you said, or at least won't until I replay it in my head tomorrow. how is that for starters...best wishes Mael

thank you,Maelstrom ! this is great advice. i've learned a lot about different learning styles over the past few years, but it's helpful to hear that I need to account for these differences when it comes to even the syllabus, course documents, rubrics, etc... and, in explaining them! your advice about noise levels is also particularly important, because comm classes often get loud and rambunctious! I'll try to make sure to keep things under control and consciously offer breaks for quieter debriefing. can i ask, did you ever seek out your professors to talk to them about your struggles in the classroom? if so, what did the professors do that made you feel comfortable doing so? if not, what made you feel uncomfortable approaching them with your needs?

NT, I hope I'm not far off topic and offer a thought. I am 67 male and that may be relevant.

I emigrated to the states from Germany in 1951. I was tri lingual until I started school and told that I was "retarded". I did not speak American. Well it was time to learn English. It took awhile but I had a knack for words. I liked to read, anything. I am guessing I was in 3rd grade and I'm reading my way through a collection of matched classics. Marcus Aurelius one week, Guy Maupassant the next and HG Welles the next. Swell, but I could not spell, think the word color in an Brit or French
Translation of a classic, colour perhaps. Anyway I never had the opportunity to explain the issue. I was simply wrong. I think that education is the answer to most issues, but a bit of interest and compassion from the teachers towards the students could only be helpful.
Besides as an Asper right/ wrong and comply and submit to authority raises my hackles, but I would have gone the distance if any teacher was a friend. Thanks for your time.

this is certainly relevant, Epicurean Pariah . I'm so sorry to hear that your amazing cultural experiences/knowledge were dismissed as "retarded." That is unacceptable. I actually have a lot of international students in my classes, and they have often expressed severe anxiety about speaking in English. They often ask me to help them get rid of their accents, too!! I find this so upsetting, because that sort of cultural richness should never be actively eradicated, in my opinion. Funnily enough, it's usually my international students that end up blowing everyone else out of the water by the end of the semester! Perhaps because they are working twice as hard, while others simply take their skills for granted/assume that they must be naturally amazing at communicating just because they grew up in the States.

I like to think that I am a compassionate teacher, and since I am so young, many of my students feel comfortable opening up to me. It can be a bit of a double-edged sword, because some students mistake my openness for weakness and try to take advantage of me. A lot of my colleagues stress a very authoritarian model of teaching, and that has never been my style, so I'm glad to hear this feedback. Is there anything specifically that I might be able to do to reinforce my willingness to work with my students, regarding their individual needs? I find that I often invite my students to come to me with their concerns (during open office hours, via email, after class, etc.), but many of them simply don't. Especially for those students who are shy or have been "burned" by previous professors, is there a way to make it clear to them that I welcome their honesty?

This is pretty obvious, but so many people get it wrong. Teach that body language is learnt cultural behaviour, so it is neither understood the same across all cultures, nor understood the same across the neurological spectrum. Most NTs take it much to seriously, and make alot of assumptions that prove wrong. Teach them to use the correct terms, be precise, and to actually listen to the words said/written!
You should also be aware that aspies generally do not enjoy group assignments, and will struggle with them.

Thank you for this, zurb ! It's becoming so clear to me that, for all of our emphasis on cultural differences--racial, religious, gender, regional, national, etc.--we have generally overlooked the differences that are less physically apparent! I am going to try very hard to demonstrate how neurological differences are just as important to recognize and navigate in everyday interactions. I have generally taught that nonverbal rules are never normative, but are subject to individual communicators and contexts... but I could do better to emphasize how communicators and contexts often differ even when they don't physically appear to.

As for the group assignments, there IS a group assignment required during the semester (and when I say "required," I mean: by the powers-that-be, my bosses and the university, that have deemed this course a general education requirement and therefore have done their best to make this course as consistent and uniform as possible. It's a nightmare for us teachers, of course. I've often contemplated throwing the group assignment out entirely, since it doesn't really achieve what it aims to achieve--a thorough exposure to and understanding of how groups form and function together. I personally hate group projects also, but I'm wondering how I can alter this assignment to make it more effective but also more enjoyable for my students? Currently, it's basically just a group presentation that they work on for a few weeks, and then "reflect" on in peer reviews. Any thoughts you might have would be great! And if one of my students were particularly adverse to the group project, do you think there is a big risk in letting him or her do an alternative assignment, i.e. would it make him/her feel even more self-conscious if the rest of the class can clearly see that they are not participating in it?

I think it is great that you are incorporating this into your lessons, from what I can tell from your posts you seem to be very passionate about teaching and finding the best ways of doing this for the wide diversity of people you will encounter in your classes.
I just wanted to encourage you and let you know that what you are doing will be so appreciated by many people, Thank you
I wish the teachers I had have in my past had the approach you do, well done.

thank you, qwerty ! I really appreciate the encouragement. I will try my best, with all of your generous help! I just wish I had known better, sooner.

I have never been in any kind of communication class except for the really annoying ethics classes some businesses make everybody go through. That aside, I would really eat up body language and how combining emphasis, volume, and pitch can have different meanings.

My only recommendation would be to let people avoid giving speeches who couldn't handle it regardless if they had a whitecoat pronounce them socially anxious or not. There's a joke that goes "the number one fear is public speaking, second is death, which means a person would rather be the guy in the casket than the one giving the eulogy", and I find that very much applies to me. Every time in my life I've had to be a little circus monkey for an audience, I had to deal with the aftermath for weeks, months, and even years after. I still haven't gotten over a short sentence it was sprang on me to say in a room full of 150-200 people with every single one of them looking at me. I had to sit down in a corner and stop shaking for a good thirty minutes and then disappear for a few hours. Just thinking about it is making me antsy now and that was over six years ago.

oh AsheSkyler, this post hits home, particularly because you mention comm and ethics classes in conjunction with business. When they made our intro comm course a general education requirement, the focus shifted from "being competent and capable communicators" to "how to succeed in business." As such, there's been a lot of pressure on us to make everything business-focused: how to give a good pitch, how to conduct yourself in meetings, how to succeed during an interview, even how to dress professionally, etc. It's not that these aren't important skills, but they are just such a small part of communication and its necessity to everyday interaction.

My experience suggests that your perspective on public speaking is right on. Public speaking can be a heinously traumatic experience, and I am sorry to hear that it has been a nightmare for you. Even I did not lose all my discomfort/fears until I was up there, teaching every single day. As I mentioned in my reply to Zurb, there are certain requirements for the course, including four speech assignments and, often, some impromptu speaking. I can't get rid of them entirely without getting fired, but I have been considering an alternative for my students who are particularly anxious about them. What would you think about this: instead of giving speeches in front of the whole class, what if a student could deliver their speech to me and a small group, like 4 or 5 people, at a time and in a place of their choosing? The student could choose the members of their small audience; ideally, they would be friends that the student feels comfortable around/has practiced in front of multiple times. Then, they might progressively become more comfortable speaking in front of small groups, then maybe one day, bigger ones? Do you think this alternative would be helpful? I have also contemplated letting a student deliver a speech only to me, but without an audience, it's not really public speaking, is it?

Taking an idea from Karin's thread "I guessed right" I guessed right :) | AspiesCentral.com I would suggest using visual media - using clips depicting social situations taken from soap operas or films, and using them to discuss the non-verbal comminication such as body language and what message that conveys, how the people are feeling, whether their communication was accurate, etc. People in Karin's thread have said that they have learned a lot about social interaction from watching TV programmes and movies.

hi Progster, thanks for this suggestion! I use a bit of media and we watch a few movies to illustrate some content, but I can definitely ramp it up some more. And I can definitely do better when it comes to debriefing more extensively; sometimes, we simply run out of time but I can certainly try to plan better. One follow-up question: do you perceive any risk/danger in using media, insofar as it might suggest certain normative rules or understanding of communication? As I mentioned above, I often stress the variability of communication in different contexts/among different communicators, and I worry about reifying "accurate" communication.
 
thank you so much, everyone, for being willing to share your insights and experiences! they are so helpful; please keep 'em coming! no individual anecdote or piece of advice is too small. the greater the diversity of feedback, the better :)

please forgive the long post as I respond to each of you and, hopefully, keep this conversation going.



thank you,Maelstrom ! this is great advice. i've learned a lot about different learning styles over the past few years, but it's helpful to hear that I need to account for these differences when it comes to even the syllabus, course documents, rubrics, etc... and, in explaining them! your advice about noise levels is also particularly important, because comm classes often get loud and rambunctious! I'll try to make sure to keep things under control and consciously offer breaks for quieter debriefing. can i ask, did you ever seek out your professors to talk to them about your struggles in the classroom? if so, what did the professors do that made you feel comfortable doing so? if not, what made you feel uncomfortable approaching them with your needs?



this is certainly relevant, Epicurean Pariah . I'm so sorry to hear that your amazing cultural experiences/knowledge were dismissed as "retarded." That is unacceptable. I actually have a lot of international students in my classes, and they have often expressed severe anxiety about speaking in English. They often ask me to help them get rid of their accents, too!! I find this so upsetting, because that sort of cultural richness should never be actively eradicated, in my opinion. Funnily enough, it's usually my international students that end up blowing everyone else out of the water by the end of the semester! Perhaps because they are working twice as hard, while others simply take their skills for granted/assume that they must be naturally amazing at communicating just because they grew up in the States.

I like to think that I am a compassionate teacher, and since I am so young, many of my students feel comfortable opening up to me. It can be a bit of a double-edged sword, because some students mistake my openness for weakness and try to take advantage of me. A lot of my colleagues stress a very authoritarian model of teaching, and that has never been my style, so I'm glad to hear this feedback. Is there anything specifically that I might be able to do to reinforce my willingness to work with my students, regarding their individual needs? I find that I often invite my students to come to me with their concerns (during open office hours, via email, after class, etc.), but many of them simply don't. Especially for those students who are shy or have been "burned" by previous professors, is there a way to make it clear to them that I welcome their honesty?



Thank you for this, zurb ! It's becoming so clear to me that, for all of our emphasis on cultural differences--racial, religious, gender, regional, national, etc.--we have generally overlooked the differences that are less physically apparent! I am going to try very hard to demonstrate how neurological differences are just as important to recognize and navigate in everyday interactions. I have generally taught that nonverbal rules are never normative, but are subject to individual communicators and contexts... but I could do better to emphasize how communicators and contexts often differ even when they don't physically appear to.

As for the group assignments, there IS a group assignment required during the semester (and when I say "required," I mean: by the powers-that-be, my bosses and the university, that have deemed this course a general education requirement and therefore have done their best to make this course as consistent and uniform as possible. It's a nightmare for us teachers, of course. I've often contemplated throwing the group assignment out entirely, since it doesn't really achieve what it aims to achieve--a thorough exposure to and understanding of how groups form and function together. I personally hate group projects also, but I'm wondering how I can alter this assignment to make it more effective but also more enjoyable for my students? Currently, it's basically just a group presentation that they work on for a few weeks, and then "reflect" on in peer reviews. Any thoughts you might have would be great! And if one of my students were particularly adverse to the group project, do you think there is a big risk in letting him or her do an alternative assignment, i.e. would it make him/her feel even more self-conscious if the rest of the class can clearly see that they are not participating in it?



thank you, qwerty ! I really appreciate the encouragement. I will try my best, with all of your generous help! I just wish I had known better, sooner.



oh AsheSkyler, this post hits home, particularly because you mention comm and ethics classes in conjunction with business. When they made our intro comm course a general education requirement, the focus shifted from "being competent and capable communicators" to "how to succeed in business." As such, there's been a lot of pressure on us to make everything business-focused: how to give a good pitch, how to conduct yourself in meetings, how to succeed during an interview, even how to dress professionally, etc. It's not that these aren't important skills, but they are just such a small part of communication and its necessity to everyday interaction.

My experience suggests that your perspective on public speaking is right on. Public speaking can be a heinously traumatic experience, and I am sorry to hear that it has been a nightmare for you. Even I did not lose all my discomfort/fears until I was up there, teaching every single day. As I mentioned in my reply to Zurb, there are certain requirements for the course, including four speech assignments and, often, some impromptu speaking. I can't get rid of them entirely without getting fired, but I have been considering an alternative for my students who are particularly anxious about them. What would you think about this: instead of giving speeches in front of the whole class, what if a student could deliver their speech to me and a small group, like 4 or 5 people, at a time and in a place of their choosing? The student could choose the members of their small audience; ideally, they would be friends that the student feels comfortable around/has practiced in front of multiple times. Then, they might progressively become more comfortable speaking in front of small groups, then maybe one day, bigger ones? Do you think this alternative would be helpful? I have also contemplated letting a student deliver a speech only to me, but without an audience, it's not really public speaking, is it?



hi Progster, thanks for this suggestion! I use a bit of media and we watch a few movies to illustrate some content, but I can definitely ramp it up some more. And I can definitely do better when it comes to debriefing more extensively; sometimes, we simply run out of time but I can certainly try to plan better. One follow-up question: do you perceive any risk/danger in using media, insofar as it might suggest certain normative rules or understanding of communication? As I mentioned above, I often stress the variability of communication in different contexts/among different communicators, and I worry about reifying "accurate" communication.

I am confident to say we as a community applaud your efforts. On the specifics of improving your approach I have one small comment or suggestion not really directed in a particular direction, a broad generality.
Things may have changed in 60 years, but it seems to me that I give my dog more time, patience, encouragement and rewards in a day than I received in a lifetime from family, teachers and community in my lifetime. In short, offer understanding or seek to understand each child. Treat them with dignity and affection. Thank you for your important efforts.
 
I am confident to say we as a community applaud your efforts. On the specifics of improving your approach I have one small comment or suggestion not really directed in a particular direction, a broad generality.
Things may have changed in 60 years, but it seems to me that I give my dog more time, patience, encouragement and rewards in a day than I received in a lifetime from family, teachers and community in my lifetime. In short, offer understanding or seek to understand each child. Treat them with dignity and affection. Thank you for your important efforts.

thank you so much, E-P! i really appreciate the support and encouragement. i will try, try, try. i hope you all also hold me accountable in the coming months :)
 
A large share of problem areas for Aspies are in the subject area you teach. Much more then say, Science, Math, Art, or even Literature.

Its such a big area it kind of blows my mind however to think about all at once.

Two things come to mind quickly.

1. An illustrated guide to body language. Like a dictionary but it shows pictures of people and then gives the explanations of what it could mean in order of likelihood.

2. Two cans connected by a string. Idk why, it just came to mind in a funny way. :D
 
hi Progster, thanks for this suggestion! I use a bit of media and we watch a few movies to illustrate some content, but I can definitely ramp it up some more. And I can definitely do better when it comes to debriefing more extensively; sometimes, we simply run out of time but I can certainly try to plan better. One follow-up question: do you perceive any risk/danger in using media, insofar as it might suggest certain normative rules or understanding of communication? As I mentioned above, I often stress the variability of communication in different contexts/among different communicators, and I worry about reifying "accurate" communication.

I see the point you are making; movies aren't always an accurate depiction of real life. You'd need to choose the material carefully, and obviously it would need to be age appropiate (I don't know the age of the students or much about their background - are they all on the spectrum or just some?) Some movie scenes might not be appropiate, or they may be exaggerated, badly acted or not realistic. It would be at your discretion what material to use. Some scenes from soaps may be suitable, as they deal with relationships in a more realistic, factual way. Also, the fact that some movies don't always reflect reality is something you could point out.
 
A large share of problem areas for Aspies are in the subject area you teach. Much more then say, Science, Math, Art, or even Literature.

Its such a big area it kind of blows my mind however to think about all at once.

Two things come to mind quickly.

1. An illustrated guide to body language. Like a dictionary but it shows pictures of people and then gives the explanations of what it could mean in order of likelihood.

2. Two cans connected by a string. Idk why, it just came to mind in a funny way. :D

a visual guide would be fantastic. but it needs to show the extremes (very angry, very sad..) and the lesser face/body languages like just being mildly stressed or bored. some don't have the social abilities to just get out there and learn it so (in my case) even by their 30s a lot of it can still be confusing. maybe even a website with small animated gifs showing the person going from a "normal" face/body position to an alternate one. and if it could be expanded on how to respond in an appropriate manner it would be great. to most people it just sounds pointless, like an instructional website on how to breathe... but (to be exteme) it could actually make a difference between somebody hiding in a hole all their life (or even suicide) to just seeming a little quirky but being able to be a productive member of society.
the people with such an intense focus on 1 subject are the ones who become experts and creaters of new ideas within those subjects. naturally, people on the spectrum have that type of focus... so influence it. let them grow and they could do anything
 
thank you so much, E-P! i really appreciate the support and encouragement. i will try, try, try. i hope you all also hold me accountable in the coming months :)

I offer this tidbit. I hope it encourages you.
I am not sure if the following is still the case.
In Germany only two professions are "titled".
Not the politicians, not the priesthood, not the captains of industry either. Only the doctors and teachers were addressed deferentially.
 
[QUOTE="NTgirl4276, thank you,Maelstrom ! this is great advice. i've learned a lot about different learning styles over the past few years, but it's helpful to hear that I need to account for these differences when it comes to even the syllabus, course documents, rubrics, etc... and, in explaining them! your advice about noise levels is also particularly important, because comm classes often get loud and rambunctious! I'll try to make sure to keep things under control and consciously offer breaks for quieter debriefing. can i ask, did you ever seek out your professors to talk to them about your struggles in the classroom? if so, what did the professors do that made you feel comfortable doing so? if not, what made you feel uncomfortable approaching them with your needs?[/QUOTE]

You are welcome NTgirl4276 it is so nice to see someone trying to help kids like we once were. I'm sure some of us wonder how much better our lives would have been if someone had taken the time to do these small helping kindnesses. You have no idea how long a child can remember a kind understanding moment from a teacher.
No I never went to a teacher for help, too embarrasing, the only way really is for the teacher to take a student aside after class or something, to get them to open up on troubles. The main thing I learned to do was read my text books through like novels immediately so I was familiar with everything, because most of my energy in class went to surviving what was going on without making any humiliating mistakes. I did real well with multiple choice tests, was dyslexic so I couldn't spell that made blue book essay tests hell. I got lucky in collage my english creative writing teacher allowed unlimited rewrites so long as they were in before the end of the semester. You could offer extra credit to better students to help the poorer ones with editing.

On math I really struggled because of audio overload in class basically meant I had to figure out the whole book by my self. I did claw my way through collage algebra, my teachers thought I was cheating for a while because I did so poor in the class stuff, but did well on the big tests. But what I was doing was taking collage math videos home, and I would carefully write out one problem from beginning to end with its matching formula next to it for each section, and bring it to the open book test to remind me how stuff worked. You could give example sheets with matching formulas to the kids during tests.

On speech class, that is very hard for autistics because of social overload, but making a thing familier can neutralize that. So maybe start out passing a book around and have a line read by each kid. Then maybe have them sit in a circle and read a sentence or 2 they wrote. Next have 5 or six stand in front together for morel support and read a small thing they wrote. Then work up slowly with small to bigger up front speeches. Basically we are talking the one toe at a time dipped into the hot tub principal, if you jump in too quick you cook...slowly you are okay. I hope this helps some NTgirl Best wishes Mael
 
[QUOTE="NTgirl4276, thank you,Maelstrom ! this is great advice. i've learned a lot about different learning styles over the past few years, but it's helpful to hear that I need to account for these differences when it comes to even the syllabus, course documents, rubrics, etc... and, in explaining them! your advice about noise levels is also particularly important, because comm classes often get loud and rambunctious! I'll try to make sure to keep things under control and consciously offer breaks for quieter debriefing. can i ask, did you ever seek out your professors to talk to them about your struggles in the classroom? if so, what did the professors do that made you feel comfortable doing so? if not, what made you feel uncomfortable approaching them with your needs?

You are welcome NTgirl4276 it is so nice to see someone trying to help kids like we once were. I'm sure some of us wonder how much better our lives would have been if someone had taken the time to do these small helping kindnesses. You have no idea how long a child can remember a kind understanding moment from a teacher.
No I never went to a teacher for help, too embarrasing, the only way really is for the teacher to take a student aside after class or something, to get them to open up on troubles. The main thing I learned to do was read my text books through like novels immediately so I was familiar with everything, because most of my energy in class went to surviving what was going on without making any humiliating mistakes. I did real well with multiple choice tests, was dyslexic so I couldn't spell that made blue book essay tests hell. I got lucky in collage my english creative writing teacher allowed unlimited rewrites so long as they were in before the end of the semester. You could offer extra credit to better students to help the poorer ones with editing.

On math I really struggled because of audio overload in class basically meant I had to figure out the whole book by my self. I did claw my way through collage algebra, my teachers thought I was cheating for a while because I did so poor in the class stuff, but did well on the big tests. But what I was doing was taking collage math videos home, and I would carefully write out one problem from beginning to end with its matching formula next to it for each section, and bring it to the open book test to remind me how stuff worked. You could give example sheets with matching formulas to the kids during tests.

On speech class, that is very hard for autistics because of social overload, but making a thing familier can neutralize that. So maybe start out passing a book around and have a line read by each kid. Then maybe have them sit in a circle and read a sentence or 2 they wrote. Next have 5 or six stand in front together for morel support and read a small thing they wrote. Then work up slowly with small to bigger up front speeches. Basically we are talking the one toe at a time dipped into the hot tub principal, if you jump in too quick you cook...slowly you are okay. I hope this helps some NTgirl Best wishes Mael[/QUOTE]

Maelstrom, I thought this to be amongst your very best posts, informative, helpful and heart warming. I am proud to have you in my circle of friends.
 
i am so happy and grateful that I crowd-sourced this question to all of you :)

A large share of problem areas for Aspies are in the subject area you teach. Much more then say, Science, Math, Art, or even Literature.

mind-boggling, then, isn't it that in all of the orientations and trainings I was offered as a new professor, not once did the concept of neurological difference EVER come up?! joining AC has been such an eye-opener for me, and for that I am genuinely grateful.

Its such a big area it kind of blows my mind however to think about all at once.

Two things come to mind quickly.

1. An illustrated guide to body language. Like a dictionary but it shows pictures of people and then gives the explanations of what it could mean in order of likelihood.

2. Two cans connected by a string. Idk why, it just came to mind in a funny way. :D

This question certainly is broad and overwhelming; feel free to come back to it at any time, if something happens to pop into your brain :rolleyes: it seems like some other Aspies (like ChrisC1983) echo your call for an illustrated guide! I think that'd be a great addition to my nonverbal lesson content, especially if I can get my students involved in compiling it, aka acting out the nonverbals themselves! I also love your "two cans" comment. It might be productive to take these young adults back to basics :p

I see the point you are making; movies aren't always an accurate depiction of real life. You'd need to choose the material carefully, and obviously it would need to be age appropiate (I don't know the age of the students or much about their background - are they all on the spectrum or just some?) Some movie scenes might not be appropiate, or they may be exaggerated, badly acted or not realistic. It would be at your discretion what material to use. Some scenes from soaps may be suitable, as they deal with relationships in a more realistic, factual way. Also, the fact that some movies don't always reflect reality is something you could point out.

Thanks for prompting me to clarify, Progster. They're ages 17-22, typically. I teach freshman through seniors at a large university. I really have NO IDEA how many of them may be somewhere on the spectrum; statistically, however, I have to expect that a healthy number of them are/have been in previous years. I'm now entering my 5th year teaching at this university, and I have now taught nearly 1,000 individual students of various backgrounds. For many of them, my course will be the only communication course they ever take in their lives. Even if I somehow have zero students on the spectrum, I hope to help my students develop an understanding of communication that will not compel them to deem communicative differences to be inherently "dysfunctional" or even "weird," so when they inevitably meet an Aspie, they are not a completely horrible human towards them.

to most people it just sounds pointless, like an instructional website on how to breathe... but (to be exteme) it could actually make a difference between somebody hiding in a hole all their life (or even suicide) to just seeming a little quirky but being able to be a productive member of society.
the people with such an intense focus on 1 subject are the ones who become experts and creaters of new ideas within those subjects. naturally, people on the spectrum have that type of focus... so influence it. let them grow and they could do anything

ChrisC1983, this is AMAZING inspiration and motivation for me. Thank you so much, truly.

I offer this tidbit. I hope it encourages you.
I am not sure if the following is still the case.
In Germany only two professions are "titled".
Not the politicians, not the priesthood, not the captains of industry either. Only the doctors and teachers were addressed deferentially.

This helps--it helps my heart and my soul. I will not forget this. :)

You are welcome NTgirl4276 it is so nice to see someone trying to help kids like we once were. I'm sure some of us wonder how much better our lives would have been if someone had taken the time to do these small helping kindnesses. You have no idea how long a child can remember a kind understanding moment from a teacher.
No I never went to a teacher for help, too embarrasing, the only way really is for the teacher to take a student aside after class or something, to get them to open up on troubles. The main thing I learned to do was read my text books through like novels immediately so I was familiar with everything, because most of my energy in class went to surviving what was going on without making any humiliating mistakes. I did real well with multiple choice tests, was dyslexic so I couldn't spell that made blue book essay tests hell. I got lucky in collage my english creative writing teacher allowed unlimited rewrites so long as they were in before the end of the semester. You could offer extra credit to better students to help the poorer ones with editing.

On math I really struggled because of audio overload in class basically meant I had to figure out the whole book by my self. I did claw my way through collage algebra, my teachers thought I was cheating for a while because I did so poor in the class stuff, but did well on the big tests. But what I was doing was taking collage math videos home, and I would carefully write out one problem from beginning to end with its matching formula next to it for each section, and bring it to the open book test to remind me how stuff worked. You could give example sheets with matching formulas to the kids during tests.

On speech class, that is very hard for autistics because of social overload, but making a thing familier can neutralize that. So maybe start out passing a book around and have a line read by each kid. Then maybe have them sit in a circle and read a sentence or 2 they wrote. Next have 5 or six stand in front together for morel support and read a small thing they wrote. Then work up slowly with small to bigger up front speeches. Basically we are talking the one toe at a time dipped into the hot tub principal, if you jump in too quick you cook...slowly you are okay. I hope this helps some NTgirl Best wishes Mael

Like Epicurean Pariah, I found this post to be heartfelt, illuminating, and very helpful. My big takeaways from your post is to try to work incrementally with my students, taking things step by step; and, to offer as many options as is feasible, so that students can choose the alternatives that might offer them a level of comfort that will be equal parts productive and supportive.

In any moment when teaching seems too exhausting or too impossible, I'll think of you and your story, Maelstrom, and I'll keep going!!!!
 
thanks.. i've been trying to pep myself up. i've never done it before (or had anybody really do it for me) so i'm just trying my best
 
  1. Silence never says nothing. What does that mean? Identify different "kinds" of silence and how to hear and use them to improve communication.
  2. Notice their length and position in a conversation.
  3. How to "read" silence: how to pronounce commas, periods, semicolons, colons--and why these things matter.
  4. Consider an assignment on listening for different kinds of silence in different kinds of conversation: parent scolding child, lovers in anger, the being with a friend whose problem you can't solve, scenarios that your students can pick for themselves and report on to the group.
  5. How to evolve your own rules for permitting yourself to be quiet, and to be OK with that.
  6. Silence in music: the notes are supported by the rests. Think about conversation as a form not just of logic, but of art: and how silence adds or robs words of their meaning. And how the storytelling machines of our minds sometimes work to rob of us helpful silence because we need to fill that space with story, filling in the blanks of what we don't know. How do we acquire the skill to stop the storytelling machine when it's not helping? Potential recommended reading: What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, by David DiSalvo.
  7. One of the most useful classes I ever took in communications wasn't communications. It was Voice I--which had lawyers, amateur singers, and upcoming debaters and public speakers learning how to breathe, to control the sound they made with their words, so that their sounds would support the sense of what they said.
Feel free to PM if you have questions. Good luck with it, this is a very exciting thread, I'm delighted you opened it!
 
  1. Silence never says nothing. What does that mean? Identify different "kinds" of silence and how to hear and use them to improve communication.
  2. Notice their length and position in a conversation.
  3. How to "read" silence: how to pronounce commas, periods, semicolons, colons--and why these things matter.
  4. Consider an assignment on listening for different kinds of silence in different kinds of conversation: parent scolding child, lovers in anger, the being with a friend whose problem you can't solve, scenarios that your students can pick for themselves and report on to the group.
  5. How to evolve your own rules for permitting yourself to be quiet, and to be OK with that.
  6. Silence in music: the notes are supported by the rests. Think about conversation as a form not just of logic, but of art: and how silence adds or robs words of their meaning. And how the storytelling machines of our minds sometimes work to rob of us helpful silence because we need to fill that space with story, filling in the blanks of what we don't know. How do we acquire the skill to stop the storytelling machine when it's not helping? Potential recommended reading: What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, by David DiSalvo.
  7. One of the most useful classes I ever took in communications wasn't communications. It was Voice I--which had lawyers, amateur singers, and upcoming debaters and public speakers learning how to breathe, to control the sound they made with their words, so that their sounds would support the sense of what they said.
Feel free to PM if you have questions. Good luck with it, this is a very exciting thread, I'm delighted you opened it!
Aspergirl, clarity and depth. You have it all working.
I was just surfing around here, mulling a thought.
Nice to read you again.
 

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