In This Presentation We Will Discuss: the Ethics of Caring for a Student with ASD Including

1 Introduction  In this presentation we will discuss: the ethics of caring for a student with ASD including: o What are basic human rights? o How do we show dignity and respect? o How do we ensure we respect individual differences? o How do we use person first language? o What is presuming competence? o Why is confidentiality so important? o How do we keep students safe and free from harm?

In this presentation, we will discuss one of the most important aspects of your job as a paraprofessional: the ethics of caring for a student with ASD.

As a paraprofessional, you have a big responsibility. It is to ensure each student you support receives an appropriate education and that you always do this with dignity and respect! Your responsibility as a paraprofessional carries with it many ethical considerations. In this presentation, you will learn about these considerations as we cover the following topics:

What are basic human rights? How do we show dignity and respect? How do we ensure we respect individual differences? How do we use person first language? What is presuming competence? Why is confidentiality so important? How do we keep students safe and free from harm?

2 The Golden Rule  Autism is complex and can be very challenging for educators, professionals and even families.  The child, teenager and adult with ASD needs to be treated like any other human being.  If you follow only one rule, let it be what we consider the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.”

Autism is complex and can be very challenging for educators, professionals and even families. It can be easy to forget that this is a person when someone is yelling, throwing things, or running away. It is easy to forget about the desires, interests and even the strengths of this person when you are presented day after day with the challenges. Before long, all anyone can think about it is the label: autism.

Yet once we take away all the labels, all the behaviors, all the challenges and the fancy terms, we are left with a child, a teenager or a young adult. This child, this teenager or this young adult needs you to balance what you will learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder with how you would treat any other human being.

It seems simple, doesn’t it? The reality, however, is that being a paraprofessional is hard work and situations can change quickly. What started out as a good day can quickly become a crisis situation. How you handle the challenges will be crucial. If you follow only one rule, let it be what we consider the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” In every situation, no matter how serious, how challenging, or how confusing, remember this Golden Rule and let it guide your work as a paraprofessional.

3 Basic human rights

 Every child, every teenager and every young adult with ASD needs what every other typically developing person needs: basic human rights.  EVERY student, regardless of disability, has basic human rights including: o The right to be treated with dignity and respect o The right to privacy o The right to be safe

Every child, every teenager and every young adult with ASD needs what every other typically developing person needs: basic human rights. Your responsibility as a paraprofessional is to remember that EVERY student, regardless of disability, has basic human rights. Basic human rights are the following:

Every student has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Every student has the right to privacy regarding the events of their life. Every student has the right to be safe.

Let’s go through each basic human right, starting with dignity and respect.

4 Dignity and respect o Dignity and respect can mean different things to different people. o Dignity means, “The condition of deserving respect.” o Do you believe your student deserves respect? o The answer should ALWAYS be YES! Dignity and respect can mean different things to different people. Dignity simply means “the condition of deserving respect.” So the first question you must ask is, “Do I believe my student deserves respect?” The answer should always be YES. Every single minute you spend with your student, you should ALWAYS believe he or she deserves your respect. Even when the student is angry and even when your student frustrates you, he or she ALWAYS deserves your respect. As a paraprofessional, your ability to believe your student deserves respect and how you show that respect makes all the difference in the world.

5 What is respect?  What does respect mean to you?  Respect can mean many different things: o Respect may mean appreciating a person’s individuality and differences. o Respect may mean treating someone with compassion and kindness. o Respect may mean valuing another person’s beliefs or opinions, even if they differ from yours. o Respect also includes presuming a person is competent and capable and has the ability to do something well.

Now let’s talk about respect. What does respect mean to you? Respect can mean many different things. It can involve all of the following:

Respect may mean appreciating a person’s individuality and differences. Respect may mean treating someone with compassion and kindness. Respect may mean valuing another person’s beliefs or opinions, even if they differ from yours. Respect also includes presuming a person is competent and capable and has the ability to do something well.

For the paraprofessional, treating a student with respect will involve ALL of these things. Let’s go through each of these in a little more depth in the upcoming slides.

6 Appreciate individuality and unique differences  Respect starts with understanding that all students with ASD are different.  Each student will have individual strengths, individual challenges, and individual ways they learn.

As you learn more about ASD in this course and as you learn more about the students you support, you will find that respect starts with understanding that all students with ASD are different. Each student will have individual strengths, individual challenges, and individual ways they learn. Part of what makes a successful experience for the student with ASD is playing up to a student’s strengths and providing the student with ways to overcome his or her challenges.

As a paraprofessional, one of the first things you should do when you start supporting a new student is take the time to learn about his or her strengths. These are often overlooked because we get so caught up in the student’s needs. Every student has many strengths and you will use these over and over again as you provide instruction and help the student learn.

7 Individualized education

 Since EVERY student with ASD is unique, this means that our strategies and methods for supporting students with ASD may be completely different!  Every student is different and a quality education program recognizes and appreciates such differences.  Every time you provide support or instruction, it is crucial to make sure it is individualized and designed to help the student learn.

Since EVERY student with ASD is unique, this means that our strategies and methods for supporting students with ASD may be completely different! There will be different ways to motivate and teach every student with ASD in your building. In this sense, we must respect that every student with ASD needs an individualized education. In fact, later on, you’ll learn that IEP stands for Individualized Education Program! While it may seem like a good idea to use the same approach and the same strategies for all students with ASD, we know that every student is different and a quality educational program recognizes and appreciates such differences.

As a paraprofessional, you are on the frontlines of this student’s education and may often be the first person to demonstrate and model respect for how the student learns. Every time you provide support or instruction, it is crucial to make sure it is individualized and designed to help the student learn. Let’s look at some example of this.

8 Examples

Promote dignity and respect Does not promote dignity and respect

Tyler loves trains. His teacher makes an Tyler struggles with handwriting and is good at addition math worksheet where Tyler typing. Tyler’s teacher has him hand write an counts train cars. entire paper. Shari struggles with doing group work Shari is really bothered by bright lights, especially with peers. Her teacher pairs her with fluorescent lights. When Shari rocks and covers one peer and helps the girls complete her eyes, her teacher tells her to put her hands the activity. down and stop rocking. In science class, Austin struggles with Austin participates in whole class lectures but does multiple directions. When his teacher better in a small group setting. Even though he is gives class directions, she taps him on failing, his teacher continues to provide whole the shoulder and then gives the group lectures without support. direction.

In this table you will find examples of teachers providing instruction that do and do not promote dignity and respect.

9 Compassion and kindness  Another component of respect is showing compassion and kindness.  Remember, “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in his shoes.”  The student with ASD needs you to understand that he or she sees the world from a very different perspective and may not be able to handle seemingly everyday situations.

Another component of respect is showing compassion and kindness. Think about simple ways we show compassion and kindness. We comfort those who are in pain, we help those who are struggling, and we stop others from being cruel or causing pain. We talked about the Golden Rule. There’s another phrase that will be useful as you support the student with ASD and that is, “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in his shoes.” Life for the student with ASD is often loud, scary, and out of control. He or she may not always know how to handle every situation and may need a lot of guidance and patience. The student with ASD needs you to understand that he or she sees the world from a very different perspective and may not be able to handle seemingly everyday situations. As you go through this course, you will learn how the student with ASD may perceive the world and also how to support him or her through many different types of challenges. By the end, you will appreciate how difficult that mile is to walk for your student!

10 Person first language  Show compassion and kindness by using person first language.  Person first language acknowledges that people are people, no matter what disability they may have.  Instead of autistic child, say child with autism.  People should not be defined by their disability.  Think of your student as a person first!

Another way to show compassion and kindness is by using what we call person first language. This means that we acknowledge that people are people, no matter what disability they may have. I’m sure you may have heard people in the past use language that did not put the person first. This would include statements like these: “autistic child” or “learning disabled student.” In this event the disability is put before the person. A better way to say this is “the child with autism” or “John, who has a learning disability”. Do you see the difference? Of course, the best way to talk about ANY student is to simply use their name!

People should not be defined by their disability. They should be thought of as a person! The words and phrases we use when talking about a student greatly affects the images that are formed about the student.

11 Think About It!  Find your Participant Handbook and go to the question entitled: Person First Language.  Write down the correct way to refer to the same person using person first language. o Wheel chair bound o Autistic boy o Dyslexic girl o Learning disabled

Find your Participant Handbook and go to the question entitled: Person First Language. Let’s practice using person first language through the following exercises. We have provided you with a list of incorrect ways to describe a student with a disability. You need to write down the correct way to refer to the same person using person first language. Wheel chair bound: Autistic boy: Dyslexic girl: Learning disabled:

12 Thoughts!  Person first language examples: o A boy who uses a wheelchair o A boy with autism o A girl with dyslexia o A student with a learning disability

You may have written down the following: Instead of saying wheelchair bound, you might say a boy who uses a wheelchair. Instead of saying an autistic boy, you might say a boy with autism. Instead of saying dyslexic girl, you might say a girl with dyslexia. And finally, instead of saying learning disabled student, you might say a student who has a learning disability, or perhaps, a student with a learning disability.

13 Value other beliefs and opinions  Respect includes: o Valuing other people’s beliefs and opinions  This includes valuing various beliefs about caring for and educating a child with ASD.  Families raising children with ASD have more stress than parents of any other children!

Another aspect of respect includes valuing other people’s beliefs and opinions. There are many differences related to the family of the student with ASD. The family may have unique cultural considerations. For example, Juan’s family is Hispanic. His mother speaks limited English. The school uses an interpreter to help communicate with the family. Matthew’s family is Jewish. During the unit on winter holidays, they would like for him to learn about Hanukah. Being culturally sensitive means you will show respect for the differences, including beliefs and customs of others.

Just as there are various beliefs and opinions about caring for and educating a typically developing child, there are a great many beliefs and opinions about caring for and educating a child with ASD. Families make decisions about their child with ASD based off a number of different factors. It is certainly not easy to raise a child with ASD and research has shown us that parents of children with ASD have more stress than parents of any other children, including children with other disabilities. Families may be raising other children besides the student with ASD, may have challenging work schedules, and have varying levels of support from extended family members. All of these factors may impact their ability to implement interventions at home.

Again, it’s best to think of that phrase, ‘Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes,’ when considering the family of a student with ASD. Most people do not understand the difficulties and decisions caregivers must face day in and day out. While it may be very easy to judge a family, I caution you against this. Families of students with ASD need our support just as much as your student with ASD does!

14 Presume competence  Show respect by: o Presuming competence  To presume competence means that you believe your student has abilities and is capable.  Remember each student is an intelligent and capable human being with many skills and talents.  Every educator and paraprofessional should believe in their student and ALWAYS presume competence!

Finally, one of the last ways to show respect to your student is by presuming competence. To presume competence means that you believe your student has abilities and is capable. As educators, we presume a great many things about our students every year! Teachers of general education students presume that a student CAN do it until they demonstrate that they cannot.

We should always presume competence in every student; however, many people do not always presume such competence for many students with disabilities. Often, instead of presuming they can, we assume they can’t. Presuming the student is incompetent can be a big barrier for students with ASD. We must always remember, each student is an intelligent and capable human being with many skills and talents.

Because many students may not talk, may not follow directions, or may not seem to be paying attention, many are likely to think they can’t learn. These attitudes are hurtful to students on the spectrum! Research shows us that students do better when they are taught by people who believe in them. Every educator and paraprofessional should believe in their student and always presume competence!

15 Video example: Presume competence In this next video, you will see an individual with ASD describe how she feels using a communication device.

16 Video example: Carly

17 Provide respectful support  We must also remember that there will be times these same students require support.  Provide support that always demonstrates respect.  Teach the student to be independent.  Provide support that promotes positive peer interactions.

As we presume competence in our students with ASD, we must also remember that there will be times these same students require support. There are several key points to remember as you provide support:

1. Provide support that always demonstrates respect. Any assistance you provide should be done in both a dignified and respectful manner. 2. Teach the student to be independent. The more YOU do, the LESS the student learns to do on his or her own. Think about the things you do for the student and ask yourself, should the student learn to do this? If the answer is yes, then teach the student the steps so he or she can gain independence. 3. Provide support that promotes positive peer interactions. If you find yourself constantly hovering at the student’s side, you may be interfering with peer interactions and decreasing independence. Make sure your presence and support promotes peer interactions and does not interfere with them!

Let’s look at some examples.

18 Provide respectful support

Student Competence Julia is a nonverbal student with ASD and is Julia’s educational team understands her entering high school. challenges but also knows her capabilities and they encourage her take more math classes. Maddie’s paraprofessional hands her the Maddie’s paraprofessional teaches her how to math book, pencil and workbook during independently get out her supplies at the math class. beginning of math class. Valerie is now 12 years old. When she goes The paraprofessional realizes the need for a more into the hallway, the paraprofessional walks independent arrangement and begins to walk beside her and holds her hand. beside her, and then later behind her. Jeff is in a general education science class. The paraprofessional notices that the other A paraprofessional sits right beside him at students do not want to sit at the table with an the lab table in science. adult so she moves to the table behind Jeff to facilitate peer interaction.

19 Think About It!  Locate the Think About It! entitled: Jerome.  Read the section about Jerome.  Describe how you would presume competence in the areas of communication for Jerome.

Let’s take a moment and complete a Think About It! activity. Locate the Think About It! paper entitled “Jerome.”

Jerome is a nine year old boy with autism. He is nonverbal and uses a communication device to communicate. The device has nine pictures on it. Each picture is of something he enjoys such as a cookie, slide and computer. You are supporting Jerome while he is in the cafeteria. While in the cafeteria he has to go through the lunch line. He has to order and pay for his food. He sits with his classmates at a table in the back corner of the room.

Describe how you would presume competence in the areas of communication for Jerome.

20 Thoughts!  Here are some ways to presume competence: o Listen to and respect the wishes of the student and family you are supporting, even if those desires are in conflict with your beliefs. o Talk to the person in an age appropriate voice and about age appropriate topics. o Talk to the person in an age appropriate tone of voice. o Use the student’s communication system when talking to them. o Talk directly to the student with ASD. o Avoid talking about the student with ASD in front of him / her.

Here are a few simple things you can do to show you presume the student to be competent and you respect them. Here’s a list to help you:

 Listen to and respect the wishes of the student and the family you are supporting, even if those desires are in conflict with your beliefs. Everyone has the right to make choices and to make mistakes, this includes students with ASD. Don’t let your belief system get in the way of the students rights. For example, if Kevin likes to stay up late and watch the late show on television with his parents even though he is often tired and sluggish at school in the morning it is the choice of the parents and Kevin to allow for a late bedtime. You have to respect the choice of the family even if you think he should get more rest in order to be better prepared for the school day.  Talk to the person in an age appropriate voice and about age appropriate topics. You will talk to a student in high school differently than you will talk to a young student in elementary school. Your tone of voice and the words you use will more than likely be different. What you talk about will be different too. Pay attention to the words, phrases, and topics that typically developing students are in engaging in and use these when talking to the student with ASD.  Talk to the student in an appropriate tone of voice.  Use the student’s communication system when talking with them.  Talk directly to the student with ASD. Often we will speak to the adult or peer who is with the student with ASD rather than talking directly to the student.  Avoid talking about the student with ASD in front of them. Avoid talking about the student in front of their peers. Avoid talking where others can over hear. No one likes to be talked about, especially negatively, so be careful what you say and where you say it. This list is not exhaustive but provides some general guidelines. Can you think of any other ways to show the student with ASD respect?

21 Privacy and confidentiality  Every person has the right to privacy regarding events in their life.  Confidentiality means that any information you learn about the student should remain private.  It is critical to remember that everything you learn about a student is confidential and must not be shared with anyone in the school or outside of the school.

Every person has the right to privacy regarding events in their life. This is certainly true for our students with ASD. Confidentiality is sometimes difficult to understand and is sometimes broken accidentally. This happens when we do not fully understand the scope of this responsibility. Confidentiality means that any information you learn about the student should remain private. As a person supporting student’s with ASD, it is critical to remember that everything you learn about a student is confidential and must not be shared with anyone in the school or outside of the school.

22 General rules for confidentiality o The student’s program is private and should not be shared with others. o Any information about the student and / or family is a private matter. o The student is to only be discussed with relevant individuals. o Any conversations about a student are to be conducted in areas where they cannot be overhead. o Student records and documents are to be kept confidential.

Here are some general rules for maintaining confidentiality:

 The student’s instructional program is private and should not to be shared with others.  Any information about the student and/ or family is a private matter and should not to be shared with others.  The student is to only be discussed with relevant individuals. The relevant individuals are typically the student’s team members. Everyone who supports a student must be aware of who these individuals are and only share information with these individuals.  Any conversations about a student are to be conducted in areas where they cannot be overheard by anyone else.  Student records and documents are to be kept confidential. Maintaining confidentiality requires appropriate storage and disposal of anything that contains information about the student. 23 Guidelines for maintaining confidentiality o Never discuss the student / family with your friends and family. o Never discuss information about a student / family in a public place. o Never discuss a student with another student. o Never share information concerning a child or parent with another parent. o Store documents in safe locations. o Obtain written consent. o Never create a personal file about a student / family. o Never take the child’s file home.

Remember, it is your legal responsibility to keep personal information about a child and their family confidential. When maintaining confidentiality, there are several helpful guidelines. They include:

 Never discuss the student or family with your personal friends and family members.  Never discuss information about a student or family in a public place. Conversations can be overheard even if you think no one knows the student you are discussing.  Never discuss a student with another student.  Never share information concerning a child or parent with another parent. If a parent asks you about another student, you can simply tell a parent that all student information is confidential and you are not able to share this with them. They will respect your integrity and will want the same for their child.  Store documents in safe locations. Documents such as the student’s Individualized Education Plan or a Behavior Support Plan must be kept in a secure place where other people entering the room cannot see it. It is easy to have data sheets lying openly on a table or desk. Be cautious of this practice and be extra aware when there are visitors in the classroom.  Obtain written consent before taking and using photographs or videos and make sure the intent and use of these items is clearly defined for the student and family.  Never create a personal file on a child or family. Of course, you will have professional files, but never create a personal file for your own use. We all love our students and sometimes this can be tempting to capture great moments!  Never take the child’s official file home. This is the file that is kept in the school’s office. This is to be kept under lock when not in use, so store it appropriately.

24 Apply It!  Locate the Apply It! entitled: Confidentiality.  Answer the following questions: o Who are the appropriate people in which you can discuss the student or students with ASD that you support. o Where in the building are confidential documents stored? Who has access to these documents? o Are there procedures for viewing confidential documents? If so, what are they?

Locate the Apply It! entitled “Confidentiality” and answer the following questions:

1) Who are the appropriate people in which you can discuss the student or students with ASD that you support? 2) Where in the building are confidential documents stored? Who has access to these documents? 3) Are there procedures for viewing confidential documents? If so, what are they?

25 Safety  Every morning, a student is placed in your care and every day, you must maintain a student’s basic human rights throughout the day.  There is one last crucial piece to basic human rights: SAFETY.  EVERY paraprofessional supporting a student with ASD must realize that safety must be the TOP PRIORITY for our students.

Every morning, a student is placed in your care and every day, you must maintain a student’s basic human rights throughout the day. As you’ve seen throughout this presentation, there are several factors you must balance including dignity, respect and confidentiality. Yet there is one last crucial piece to basic human rights: safety. Every paraprofessional supporting a student with ASD must realize that safety must be the top priority for our students.

Often, we see shocking examples of dangerous and hurtful practices regarding students with ASD on the evening news. It is crucial that we put a stop to such human rights violations by learning more about ASD, appreciating the student with ASD’s strengths and challenges and by learning how to proactively and positively support the student with ASD. As you go through this course, remember that everything we teach you will help you provide the student with ASD the care that he or she deserves.

26 First: Do no harm  Students should remain free from harm AT ALL TIMES.  Harm comes in many different forms: o Physical abuse o Verbal abuse o Neglect o Excessive force

It should also go without saying that all students should remain free from harm at all times. Harm can come in a lot of different forms. It can be in the form of physical abuse. It can be in the form of verbal abuse. It can be in the form of neglecting the student. It can also be in the form of using excessive force.

27 Provide supportive touch  Physical touch can provide support or encouragement: o High five o Pat on the back o Help a student take off a coat, write the letter ‘B’ or clap hands o Guide or direct the student to their desk or a corner

However, there are ways to use physical touch that do not cause harm to the student and can even be used to provide positive support or encouragement.

For example, you can give the student a high five. You can provide a pat on the back. You can touch the student to provide physical assistance to complete many different tasks. For example, you can physically help the student to take off his coat, to write the letter “B” or to clap his hands. You can also touch the student when he or she is showing problem or disruptive behavior. For example, the student who got up from his desk can be gently physically guided back to his desk. The student who is upset and is having a tantrum can be gently directed to the corner of the room. The student who is throwing items can have his hand blocked when he starts to throw. However, the use of physical handling of a student is limited. Whether the physical interaction is supposed to help him complete a task or is supposed to stop a behavior it should do no harm. Physical interactions are to be done for the purpose of providing a safe and effective support that will help keep the student or others free of harm and/or help the student complete a learning task successfully.

If you have any questions about what is and is not appropriate use of physical contact with a student, ask your supervising teacher.

28 Prevent danger  Paraprofessionals help students engage in behaviors that will prevent danger!  We teach students to terminate behaviors that are harmful such as darting into a parking lot without first looking for cars.  If you see behaviors that are unsafe, intervene immediately.  Talk with the supervisory teacher about these behaviors so they can be stopped. Paraprofessionals often play the role of eyes and ears for our students. In this role, we help students engage in behaviors that will prevent danger, such as teaching a student to ask for attention instead of hitting himself, or teaching an adolescent with Asperger’s Syndrome how to notify an adult if bullied. We also teach students to terminate behaviors that are harmful such as darting into a parking lot without first looking for cars.

If you see behaviors that are unsafe, you are to intervene immediately. You also must talk to your supervisory teacher about these behaviors so they can be stopped and the team can determine how to make sure the student stays safe.

29 Video summary: Dignity and respect In this next video, you will see some of the most important aspects of being a paraprofessional to a student with ASD.

30 Video summary: Dignity and respect No transcript required.

31 Summary  Every person deserves basic human rights. o 1st right: Dignity and respect o 2nd right: Privacy o 3rd right: Safety  Treat the person with ASD as you would want to be treated!

Remember, every person deserves basic human rights. The first right is that every person should be treated with dignity and respect. The second is that every person has the right to privacy regarding events in our life. The third is that every person has the right to be safe. As a person providing support to students with ASD you must always respect these rights and treat the person with ASD as you would want to be treated.