Teachers' Strategies in Teaching English To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO STUDENTS

WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER


(A Case Study in A School With Learners Disability In Cirebon)

Dea Kristy Maharsi


Email: deakristy95@gmail.com

Erwin Oktoma, M.Pd.


Email: erwin_oktoma@yahoo.com

Endang Darsih, M.Pd.


Email: endangdarsih@gmail.com

Department of English Education


Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
University of Kuningan

Abstract: This research objective is specifically to know kinds of strategies used in teaching
English and how those strategies could enrich the vocabulary needed by those students with
Autism Spectrum Disorder at Smart Auladi Bilingual Primary School in Cirebon. Qualitative
research design was applied in this research. The data were collected by observation and
interview. The subject being analyzed is the teacher who teaches English for students with high
level of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Based on the results of data analysis, there were four
strategies used by the teacher in teaching English for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
that are learning to listen strategy, oral language comprehension (by visual aids) strategy,
conversational skill strategy, and using augmentative or alternative communication system
strategy. Out of four strategies, the strategy that is most dominantly used by the teacher is
developing oral language comprehension (by visual aids) strategy which consists of the use of
picture and another relevant real object. This strategy which consists of visual aids, also helps the
teacher in enriching vocabulary of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Finally, the research
suggested that in teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder using certain media such as
visual aids helps the students to get easier in comprehending what teacher’s mean.

Keyword: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Teaching Strategy, Visual Aids.

1. INTRODUCTION
Teachers and other educational implementing effective education
staffs in every schools face the programs for all students, including
challenge of planning and students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD). Considering that approaches to help them achieve their
students with ASD deals with academic goals.
neurological conditions which means Teachers are involved in learning
their language acquisition is different strategies in two obvious ways:
compared with non autistic student. knowing about, supporting, managing
This concept however is more and occasionally teaching the
challenging since their language strategies used by their students, and
acquisition and sensory work using a range of strategies of their
differently. Therefore, it is challenging own. (McDonough, 1995, p.84) It
for teacher on how they could teach means that it’s important for the
English to students with ASD. teacher of the student with autism to
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) know what appropriate strategy used in
are complex neurological disorders their learning, which is different from
that have a lifelong effect on the non-autistic children. Thus, this is the
development of various abilities and challenge or duty for the teacher to
skills. As stated by Diagnostic and deal with the difficulties in teaching
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, language especially foreign language
DSM-IV as cited in American to student with autism spectrum
Psychiatric Association (1994) ASD is disorder.
characterized by impairments in Teachers are the key of success to
communication and social interaction, foreign language teaching program. As
as well as unusual patterns of behavior, cited in British Columbia Ministry of
interests, and activities. As supported Education in their book entitled
by American Psychiatric Association Teaching Students with Autism
(APA) (2000), Autism is a pervasive (2000,p.27), teaching students with
developmental disorder with severe autism may be very challenging
difficulties in communication skills, because there is no such exact method
together with difficulties in regulating which fits every student. Also, it is
attention, cognitive, sensory, motor, necessary for the teachers to try
and affective process. various strategies due to the fact that it
The students with ASD have is difficult to obtain the students’
different level of communication than attention. In this case Watherby and
the other students. Besides that, same Prizant (as cited in British Columbia,
with the normal student, student with 2000, p.40) facilitated teachers with
ASD also need learn language to make several strategies in teaching English
their easy to communicate with others language for students with autism
in their environment and society. As spectrum disorder related to students’
stated by Mayton, et al., (2010) The communication development, those
students with ASD are special and the are; 1) Learning to Listen strategy, 2)
uniqueness requires explicit need for Developing oral language
teachers to identify individualized comprehension strategy, 3) Developing
conversational strategy, 4) Using 2.1.1 Characteristics of Autism
alternative or augmentative in Several disorders are included
communication skill strategy. in the diagnosis of ASD, and the
1.1 Research Questions symptoms and characteristics of each
1) What are the strategies used by the disorder can be present in a variety of
teacher in teaching English to students combinations and develop within a
with autism spectrum disorder? continuum of severity. According to
2) How does the teacher enrich the National Research Council (2001)
vocabulary of students with autism There is no single impairment,
spectrum disorder in English? behavior, or ability level that identifies
ASD. Although ASD is typically
characterized by impairments in
2 LITERATURE REVIEW communication and social interaction,
2.1 Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as unusual patterns of
Ernsperger said (as cited in behaviors, interests, and activities, the
Simon, 2006, p.3) that “autism refers extent of the difficulties will vary
to neurologic disorders involving considerably across individuals and
serious impairment of abilities to within an individual over time. In line
interact and communicate socially, and with the Diagnostic and Statistical
repetitive and restricted interests and Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV
activities.” This developmental as cited in American Psychiatric
disorder condition that happened in Association (1994) describe autism as
their brain make autistic children hard a pervasive developmental disorder
to communicate in their social characterized by impairments in
interaction. communication and social interaction,
There is no one knows cause or and restricted, repetitive, and
combination of causes of autism. As stereotypic patterns of behavior,
supported by Autism Genome Project interests, and activities.
Consortium (2007, p.319). There is Characteristics vary widely.
growing evidence that autism is a For example, some students may be
genetic condition, and that there are overly sensitive and display extreme
likely several different genes involved. reactions to sensory stimuli, while
Current research studies show that others do not respond at all to the same
certain classes of genes may be stimuli. Also, although students with
involved or work in combination to ASD generally have impairments in
cause ASD. There appear to be many both verbal and non-verbal
different forms of genetic communication skill. As stated by
susceptibility but, to date no single Minshew (1998) People with autism
gene has been directly related to ASD. have a psycho-educational profile that
is different from normally developing
individuals. Studies show that there
may be deficits in many cognitive teacher give toward the students during the
functions, yet not all are affected. In learning activity to help the students
addition, there may be deficits in understand the material of learning process.
complex abilities, yet the simpler
abilities in the same area may be intact.
2.2.1 Teaching Strategy in Teaching
2.1.2 Levels of Autism English
Autism has different level of New Teacher Center in their
functional. According to Pusponegoro developed resource entitled
and Solek (2007), autism is divided “Accelerating Academic Language
into three levels, namely low Development: Six Key Strategies for
functioning, medium functioning, and Teachers of English Learners (2005).”
high functioning. These six strategies are based on
Moreover, those levels of autism multiple research studies from the past
can be improved from low until high decade that identify effective methods
with appropriate therapy that students for developing English-language
with ASD get from their school, learners’ content knowledge, use of the
therapist, or their social life. Even academic language associated with
though, many symptoms of autism can math, literature, history, and science,
be improved, although most people and basic interpersonal communication
will have several symptoms throughout skills in English.
their lives. Most people with autism
can live with their families or in the 2.3 Teaching Strategy for Students with
community. Overall the prognosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder
autism depends on the severity of Watherby and Prizant (as cited in
autism and the level of therapy of the British Columbia, 2000) facilitated
person receiving it. teachers with several strategies in
teaching English language for students
2.2 Teaching Strategy with autism spectrum disorder related
Frelberg & Driscoll (1992) teaching to students’ communication
strategy can be used to achieve various development, those are; 1) Learning to
purposes of providing subject matter at Listen strategy, 2) Developing oral
various levels, for different students, in language comprehension strategy, 3)
different contexts. In line with Gerlach & Ely Developing conversational strategy, 4)
(1980) said that teaching strategies are the Using alternative or augmentative in
methods chosen to deliver subject matter in a communication skill strategy. For more
learning environment certain, which includes detail, each of them will be explained
the nature, scope, and sequence of activities below.
that can provide learning experiences to
students. Based on the definition above, 2.4 Teaching Vocabulary to Student with
teaching strategy is a set of instruction that Autism Spectrum Disorder
Van Lancker et al. (1991) that The research design used in this
students with Autism Spectrum research is qualitative. This is kind of
Disorder were below controls in their method that exploring a problem and
ability to identify concrete nouns, non- developing a detailed understanding of
emotional adjectives, and emotional a central phenomenon. Creswell (2009,
adjectives. Thus, in teaching English p.4) said that “qualitative means
vocabulary, teacher have to know and exploring and understanding the
be able to use appropriate strategy meaning individuals or groups come
including the using of certain media or from a social or human problem.
teaching aids in the learning process. This research also included as case
study research because it is conducted
2.4.1 Teaching Vocabulary by using Visual in particular context. According to
Aids Strategy Stake (1995) as cited in Creswell
Moore & Calvert (2000) (2009, p.30) stated that case studies are
Students with autism learned a strategy of inquiry in which the
vocabulary better with added features researcher explores in depth a
to the lessons provided to them, program, event, activity, process, or
including sound, context, and visual one or more individuals. Cases are
aids such as pictures and labels. bounded by time and activity and
Another study by Kim and Gilman researchers collect detailed information
(2008) suggests that for adult learners, using a variety of data collection
visual aids alongside words were procedures over a sustained period of
effective to explain the meaning of the time.
word, especially in the form of This research carried out in Smart
diagrams. Auladi Islamic Bilingual Primary
School located in Jl. Melati No. 53 A
2.5 Learning Styles Kesambi Baru, Kesambi-Cirebon. The
Kefee (1979, p.4) learning styles reason why the researcher choose this
might be thought as cognitive, school is because this school provide
affective and psychological traits that language learner, especially English
are relatively stable indicators of how learning for students with autism
learners perceive, interact with, and spectrum disorder.
respond to the learning environment. Therefore, the participant involved
In line with Kefee, according to in this research was one teacher who
Oxford (2001, p.359) where learning teaches at Smart Auladi Islamic
styles are defined as approaches used Bilingual Primary School. He has
by students in learning new languages experienced in teaching for about 5
or learning various subjects. years especially as the Personal
Teacher of students with Autism
3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Spectrum Disorder. The reason why
3.1 Method of the Research the researcher is only used one
participant, since qualitative has no The researcher interpreted the
certain number of participants, thus in result of interview with the observation
this research one participants is justify result. The researcher interpreted the
enough in giving the information to data that was gained from observation
answer the research questions. and interview. Then, the researcher
The researcher used observation made the conclusion from the
and interview techniques in collecting observation and interview session.
the data. For observation, the
researcher took the video in learning 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
process of the student with autism The graph 4.1 shows the
spectrum disorder. Then, in conducting percentage of the use of each strategy
the interview, the researcher used tape based on the result of observation and
recorder to record the interview. interview based on the theory from
Regarding to the data analysis the Watherby and Prizant (as cited in
researcher conducted several steps in British Columbia, 2000).
analysis the data of the research
according to Alwasilah (2007), as
Graph 4.1
follow: Teacher Strategies in Teaching English to students with
ASD 10%
1. Organizing
30% Learning to Listen
In this steps, the researcher 20%
Developing Oral Language
transcribed the observation and Comprehension (by visual aids)

Developing Conversational Skill


interview result from video and 40%
Developing Communication System use
audiotape recording. The researcher Alternative and Augmentative

translate the interview data from The graph 4.1 above shows the
Indonesian to English. It because percentage of strategy use by the
during the interview process, the teacher in Teaching English to students
interviewee and interviewer use with ASD. The graph was taken based
Indonesian on the result of observation and
2. Coding interview section.
In coding, the researcher classify According to the graphic above,
the observation and interview result from 4 (four) strategies there were 2
based on the appropriate types of (two) of the most dominant strategies
strategy in teaching English for student that used by the teacher. The first
with autism spectrum disorder based strategies which most dominant used
on the theory from Watherby and by the teacher is the use of developing
Prizant (as cited in British Columbia, oral language comprehension strategy
2000, p.40) and the theory of teaching (by visual aids) that is 40%. In this
vocabulary of students with autism strategy, the teaching and learning
spectrum disorder from Moore and process is using visual objects such as
Calvert (2000). picture and another relevant real
3. Interpreting
object. For students with ASD, reason why these strategies were rarely
teaching English using visual aids is used, since this student is diagnosed as
helping them since their language an ASD students with accompanied by
acquisition and sensory work impusility, hyperactivity, and
differently with non-autistic students, it behavioral emotional disturbances, the
would be better if teaching and using of model, physical prompts,
learning using visual aids such as gesture and direct movement is not
picture and another real object. Since effective to the student. The student
the student that taught by the teacher will hard to focus to the teaching and
include the to the Visual learning style, learning process. Therefore, these
the use of this strategy is very effective strategies were rarely use.
towards the teaching and learning Based on the findings, there
process especially in teaching English were four strategy and there was one of
to enrich their vocabulary in English. the most dominant strategies that used
The second dominant used by the by the teacher in teaching English for
teacher is Learning to listen strategy students with ASD at Smart Auladi
that is 30%. In this strategy the Bilingual Primary School. The
teaching and learning process is strategies which are most dominant
facilitated by the sound and used by the teacher was developing
instruction. The sound that the teacher oral language comprehension strategy
use can be the form of music, video or (by visual aids). This strategy are
other audio object such as speaker. proposed by the theory from Watherby
Furthermore, the instruction can be the and Prizant (2000). The used of
form of teacher’s voice instruction developing oral language strategy
given by the teacher to the student to which consist of visual aids was
focus what the teacher’s says. Since dominantly used since in the English
the student that handled by the teaching and learning process the
participant is also belongs to Auditory teacher used visual aids such as
students, the use of learning to listen flashcard, picture and reading book. It
strategy is dominantly use because it is is in line with the idea of Watherby
quite effective in teaching and learning and Prizant (2000, p.40) that
English on how the student could focus developing oral language
and imitate what teacher’s said comprehension strategy (by visual
regarding to the vocabulary especially aids) which accompanying spoken
in pronouncing kinds word in English. language strategies by facilitating
Furthermore, there was two student with ASD using picture, and
strategies that rarely used by the another relevant real object may help
teacher, that is developing obtain and maintain the student’s
conversation skill and developing attention.
communication system used In the observation, the researcher
Alternative and Augmentative. The analyzed the strategies which are used by the
teacher which may enrich the vocabulary of 5. CONCLUSIONS AND
students with ASD. Based on the result of SUGGESTIONS
observation and interview, it is found only one Based on the result of data analysis, the
of strategy of developing oral language researcher conclude that in teaching English to
comprehension by visual aids in which the students with ASD which are proposed by the
teacher used flashcard and real objects in the theory of Watherby and Prizant as cited in
process of introducing the object. In teaching British Columbia (2000), the teacher used 4
and learning process, firstly, the teacher strategy that are learning to listen strategy,
pronounced the words hearing by the students, developing oral language comprehension (by
and the student repeated after the teacher. visual aids) strategy, developing
Based on the findings, in conversational skill strategy, and using
teaching English to student with ASD augmentative or alternative communication
and on how the teacher could enrich system strategy and the most dominantly used
the vocabulary of the student with is the strategy developing oral language
ASD, the teacher used visual aids in comprehension (by visual aids). This strategy
enriching the English vocabulary. The also helps the student in enriching the English
teacher uses a flashcard as the part of vocabulary by using visual aids.
visual aids which can help the students Based on the conclusion presented
to get easier in comprehending the above, this research offers both
material. This is in line with the theory methodological and practical
of Moore & Calvert (2000) Students suggestion regarding the teacher
with autism learned vocabulary better strategies used in teaching English for
with added features to the lessons student with autism spectrum disorder.
provided to them, including sound, These suggestions are addressed
context, and visual aids such as particularly to teachers, students, and
pictures and labels. other researchers who are interested in
this topic
It is better to have visual aids as
1. Practically, it is recommended for further
teaching media for students with ASD in
researcher could conduct a research in the
language teaching. Supported by Yunus (1981,
same topic more depth with different
p.29), one of the advantages of using visual
context.
aids is that the students can use them for as
2. This research also offers some practical or
long as they need to process the information.
pedagogical suggestion for teachers and
In contrast oral communication is transient;
students. Since this study conducted in
once said, the message is no longer available.
primary school, it is suggested that the
Oral information may pose problems for
teacher bring out create more creativity
students with ASD who have difficulty
and relaxed atmosphere in the class by
processing language. The visual aids can help
applying visual aids in the teaching
the students with ASD to recognize and to
English for students with ASD, to
learn the words.
enriching the vocabulary in English.
3. For students, it is provide motivation in Education. Inc. publishing as. Prentice
the learning process that can enrich their Hall, Inc. Oxford learner’s pocket
vocabulary in English. dictionary

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