Greetings from the Asperger's/Learning Support Classroom! To the parents of former students, welcome back! To the parents of new students; welcome. There are many adventures awaiting us this year at Worrall.

Action 7 is back! We will continue to create a very successcul newscast during the 2008-2009 school year. Mrs. Dercole and I can't wait to begin our production where we will work on pragmatic language, social skills, current events and lots of school news for our broadcast.  Our young reporters will be professional newscasters in the making!

Please check out The Autism File, Issue 28, Summer 2008 which is a British Publication regarding Autism. I recently published an article regarding Action 7 which received world-wide attention! It features the newscast and how it taps into the needs and interests of the children. 

We will continue to focus on the Hidden Curriculum, Pragmatic Skills, Non-Verbal Body Language, and Feelings and Emotions. We have many exciting activities planned for the 2008-2009 school year!  In addition, we will continue to help the children modulate behavior, develop social and communication skills, and turn many of their differences into strengths.

__________________________________________________________________________________

                             WHAT IS THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM??????

The Hidden Curriculum refers to the set of rules or guidelines that are often not directly taught but are assumed to be known (Garnett, 1984; Hemmings, 2000; Jackson, 1968; Kanpol, 1989). The Hidden Curriculum impacts safety, social interactions, and school performance. It also contains fugurative language such as idioms, metaphors, and slang. These are things that most people just pick up and learn from observation or subtle cues. To somebody who has social-cognitive challenges and interprets language literally, the term such as "shake a leg" will have a totally different meaning and could be very confusing to many individuals.

This school year, the Asperger's Support Classroom will concentrate on the following areas in the Hidden Curriculum:

1. Reading the Hidden Curriculum of Body Language

2. How the Hidden Curriculum Differes Across Gender

3. How the Hidden Curriculum Differs Depending on Who You Are With

4. Cultures with their own Hidden Curriculum

All of these will be incorporated into lists of curriculum items that include areas in life skills, school, and the community.

                                                 FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS    

In addition to the Hidden Curriculum, we will continue to work on our identification and utilization of feelings and emotions. When you can better understand yourself, your emotions, the emotions and responses of other people, and how the social world works, it becomes easier for you to handle the challenges you face. Everyone can benefit from strengthening these skills.                                  

 If you would like to find out more about Asperger Syndrome, here are some useful books listed below. Also, please check out the links for additional websites.

BOOKS

Non-Fiction for children and teenagers

Hall, Kenneth (2001) "Asperger Syndrome, The Universe and Everything." London:  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Jackson, Luke (2002) "Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence." London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Both of these fascinating books are written by boys with AS, and tell you what it's like from the inside.

Faherty, Catherine (2000) "Asperger's:  What Does IT Mean TO Me?" Arlington, TX:  Future Horizons.

This is a workbook for children with AS, teaching self-awareness and life lessons, along with structured teaching ideas for home and school. A really valuable resource.

Fiction for Children

Kathy Hoopmann has written a number of books for children which feature children with AS as the heros. They include:

Hoopmann, Kathy (2000) "Blue Bottle Mystery:  An Asperger Adventure." London:  Jessica    Kingsley Publishers.

Hoopmann, Kathy (2002) "Lisa and the Lacemaker:  An Asperger Adventure." London:  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

For Older Readers

Holliday Willey, Lian (1999) "Pretending to be Normal:  Living with Asperger's SYndrome." London:  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Holliday Willey, Liane (2001) "Asperger Syndrome in the Family: REdefining Normal." London:  Jessica Kingsley Publsihers.

These two books are by Liane Holliday Willey, a doctor of education, a writer and researcher. Both she and her daughter have AS, and the books give remarkable insights and practical ideas.

General Books

Durand, V.M. (1990). Severe Behavior Problems: A Functional Communication Training Approach. New York: Guilford Press.

Baker, J.E. (200). Social Skills Picture Books. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc.

Attwood, T. (1998). Asperger;s SYndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Myles, B.S. Sompson, R.L. & Becker, J.K. (1994-1995). An analysis of characteristics of students diagnosed as having highre-functioning autistic disorder. Exceptionality, 5(1), 19-30.

Myles, B.S., Trautman, M.L., Schelvan, R.L., (2005). The Hidden Curriculum:  Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations:  APC Publications.