You might be asking how to cope with a classroom where there is a number of students with so many different health diagnoses. The answer sounds perhaps too simple….

And you should do the same in any class. Don't look for problems where there are none. Try to be natural and perceptive, work with the students as they are. Make otherness an advantage that can be useful. If you manage to work with students' attitudes towards otherness so that they perceive it as natural, you will create a precondition for an environment where everyone (including you) will feel good.

If you don’t blow issues out of proportions, neither will your students.

How to support diversity in classroom and work with students' attitudes:

Autism spectrum disorders usually manifest during the first years of a child's life, but the path to a correct diagnosis is often lengthy and can take several years. It all depends on the specific manifestations and their dimensions, the child's social background and the awareness of experts such as medical practitioners about autism. Manifestations can be different in boys and girls, who are unfortunately often misdiagnosed.

The correct diagnosis requires the identification of a certain number of symptoms in all three areas of the so-called autistic triad

• difficulties in communication,
• social interaction,
• imagination and play.

As teachers in elementary schools, you will most often encounter pupils with Asperger's syndrome. The main feature of this syndrome is a disorder of social interaction. Already in young children, there is a disruption of non-verbal communication and unusual reactions to other people's emotions, showing difficulties in establishing relationships with their parents and peers. Attempts to make contact can be clumsy, disproportionate, and aggressive. Children are aware of this deficiency, but they do not understand the cause. As a result, they may start closing up and suffer from depression.

In the school environment, verbal expression can be a common problem, especially in the area of pragmatic use of speech. They are unable to engage in a conversation in a natural way or to keep the direction of the conversation. Very often they cling to a topic of their own interest regardless of the other party's reactions. They do not understand humour and do not recognise irony, which can lead to inappropriate behaviour and different understandings of social situations. Their interests include areas where regularity and order can be found. They are fascinated by numbers, maps, traffic signs, timetables, or programming. People with Asperger's syndrome prefer and sometimes even require adherence to rituals, whether it is the daily routine or the way they do certain things (food preparation, travel, leisure activities, etc.). Disruption of these established methods is challenging for them, and they may not tolerate it. It is therefore good to notify them about any changes or deviations in advance and at the same time train and strengthen their flexibility. It is exactly because of these differences, difficulties in communication and stereotypical behaviours that they can become victims of bullying. The best preventative step is to work with the class, building respect for differences, respect for other people and their diverse needs (cf. Thor, 2006; Gillberg, Peeters, 1998).

Working with a child with Asperger's syndrome

If you have a student with Asperger's syndrome (AS) in the class, it is important to familiarise yourself with what exactly the diagnosis means for the educational process of this particular student. Contact the staff of the school counselling centre, invite the student's parents to the meeting - they can all help you shape the basic regime so that the student is not unnecessarily stressed in the school environment. Don't forget to involve the teaching assistant who will be working with the student in the classroom. Cooperation and regular communication with all these actors is essential.

Working with the class is very important. Communication and socialisation are important for the acceptance of differences among students. Ask the parents if you can tell classmates about the student's diagnosis and what it means. Parents may be surprised by this request but try to explain to them the reasons why understanding of this matter is important for creating good relations in the class and for building a respectful environment for their own child. The student concerned should also agree and be prepared for this activity in advance. The reasons for sharing the situation with the class include:

• "Take the wind out of the sails" - students often question why someone must or doesn't have to do something. If they know from the beginning that a student who has a diagnosis also has an individual educational plan, and if they know exactly what this means in practice, they will not have a greater need to draw attention to it.
• “Learning respect and tolerance” - students will be introduced to what a particular diagnosis means which will mediate potential conflicts arising from a misunderstanding of the student's behaviour.
  

If the parents and the student agree, do not be afraid to invite an expert on the given issue, who would make a programme for the class. If you can't find anyone, take the help of a parent (with the consent of the school management) or a school counsellor. Together, try to create activities that focus not only on the diagnosis itself, but on the uniqueness of each student. The aim of the meeting should be not only informative, but it should also lead students to realising their own uniqueness and possible "limitations". Even in this case, it is possible to use a one-page profile, which will help students reflect what they are good at and in which areas they need support from others.

Among the basic principles influencing the success of a student with Asperger's syndrome

Among the basic principles influencing the success of a student with Asperger's syndrome in the educational process are (Pospíšilová, 2008):

• motivation - use the student's interests in the educational process
  
• structuring - be predictable (see subchapter 4.3.). You will see that not only the student with AS will find himself/herself doing better in your lessons. Notify students of any changes well in advance. As part of the structuring of the environment, time and activities, try to create a system that answers the questions "When, where, what, how and for how long?"
  
• visualisation - mainly concerns the time schedule of activities
  
• individualisation - involvement of the teaching assistant according to the needs of the student
  
• work according to the individual educational plan – try to make the educational process fit the student’s individual needs
  
  • how the environment will be adjusted
    
  • what the student's daily routine will be
    
  • how to apply methods and procedures within the educational intervention
    

How a student with AS handles school attendance depends on many factors, some of which we can influence more and others less so. However, it is important to act preventatively in the educational process and to avoid situations that may have a negative effect not only on the student with AS but also on the whole class.

Literature and interesting links