Kara's+Technology+Assignment


 * Understanding Our Gifted, 14(2), Winter 2002. Open Space Communications (www.openspacecomm.com).**

Giftedness and Asperger's Syndrome: A New Agenda for Education
[]


 * • Content Knowledge Question: Describe what you learned about diagnostic and assessment strategies that fit your target population.** **(Write a minimum of 50 words for this question.) (CK)**

Diagnostic and assessment are important because they set the foundations to WHAT you are going to expect from students and how, based on their current abilities and skills, they can meet those requirements. Based on the above reading about Asperger's Syndrome, it is important to note that this population walks a fine line between being a gate students and having a social disorder that is categorized as a high-functioning form of autism. When diagnosing what needs to be done for students with asperger's syndrome, the real question is not IF they student will be able to grasp the material, but HOW they will be able to grasp the material and what form of assessment can you best use to maximize understanding. For example, if you have a business teamwork assignment and a student understand the specific roles of leadership and the traits based on reading, this student might struggle with being able to comprehend the act of socializing or be able to exude those physical characteristics that you might be grading on. Therefore, grading and assessing this student's interaction will require accomodations. With behavioral disorders, it can be easy to ignore the effect this has on his CORRECT performance on an assessment.

By gathering diagnostic data, I can gauge this student's subject knowledge and a different form of emotional diagnostic might be a good tool for student's with asperger's. For example, I were using teaching Business or a more social science-based subject, I would need to understand that an asperger's student might not comprehend the slang and social taboos that are essential for understanding major concepts in business. For example, while this student might excel in vocabulary and on tests, group work and informal assessments would not gauage the stduents full capabilities. I would consider still giving this type of student group work and social interactive practice, but I would specify different group roles and make sure this type of student will be in charge of maybe the research aspect or practice speaking on a topic that is more academically complex. In addition, many asperger's students suffer emotional depression or extreme spikes in disposition. Therefore, maybe adjusting handing back papers until the end of class or giving a student cues when a student needs an "emotional break" might be good. For example, "I need to go the bathroom" can be a code that this student needs to regroup instead of being put in a behavior situation that might put him in conflict with a group.
 * • Pedagogical Knowledge Question: Describe in what way/s assessment data would determine how you planned your curriculum and lessons for the specific special needs population? (Write a minimum of 50 words for this question.) (PK)**