Misbehavior or Missed Opportunity? Challenges in Interpreting the Behavior of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly being included in early childhood classrooms that include typically developing peers and in general education classrooms once they enter school. Many of these learners have the requisite academic skills to be successful, yet their social communication and behavioral challenges often impede their successful inclusion in general education settings. The challenges educators may experience when interpreting and responding to some behaviors exhibited by young students with ASD are explored and analyzed using an illustrative case vignette of a Kindergarten child with ASD. Recommendations for analyzing the communicative function of children’s behavior and for embedding social communication opportunities in inclusive classroom settings are described.     

Getting up close with Taoist: Chinese perspectives on physical literacy

PROSPECTS - This article argues that ancient Chinese Tao (“The Way”) philosophy—which can be traced back more than two thousand years—can explain the essence and philosophy...     

University Choice: What Influences the Decisions of Academically Successful Post‐16 Students?

The questionnaire survey reported in this paper is part of an ongoing evaluation of the effect of a bursary scheme on recruitment to Cambridge University. It sought to identify factors that encouraged or discouraged highly successful A Level students from applying to Cambridge. Findings reveal three main dimensions associated with the decision to apply to Cambridge, the nature of the courses, the prestige of the university and anxiety about the application process combined with fear of failure. Further analyses showed that there were complex interactions between these three dimensions which governed the decision to apply to Cambridge. These findings are relevant to other prestigious universities. The availability of a bursary did appear to influence the decisions of those who were eligible, but its influence was not as great as some of the other factors.     

“The story means more to me now”: teaching thinking through Guided Reading

This article describes perspective and imagery thinking strategies taught during Guided Reading lessons. These strategies are designed to enhance comprehension by giving students techniques for manipulating meaning. Social and physical perspective thinking strategies allow students to identify and apply a variety of perspectives, while imagery thinking strategies allow students to re‐view meaning through the application of still, moving and melting images. Comment from teachers and students involved in a project designed to trial these strategies indicate they may be one way of raising standards in English.     

Experiencing and evidencing learning through self-study: New ways of working with mentors and trainees in a training school partnership

This paper uses self-study to analyse the development of a generative, research-based approach to mentoring initial teacher training students in a Training School/university partnership and its contribution to redefining teacher education practice. It focuses on the ontological values and co-learning of the authors as they work collaboratively with mentors to develop a democratic form of social practice and relations. The use of video to record the teaching and situated learning of mentors and trainees is explored as are the qualities and conditions which helped foster the shift in power relations between participants as they engaged in reflective dialogue and inquiry. Issues of sustainability and embedding such practices are addressed as is the contribution of practitioner-research accounts to the professional knowledge of other teacher educators, teachers and trainees.     

EMBRACEMENT AND ENTICEMENT: A THERAPEUTIC NURSERY GROUP FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN

In response to the increasing number of referrals to the Children's Unit of Autistic and disturbed children between two and four years a therapeutic nursery group was established. By beginning treatment as early as two years it was hoped that further withdrawal could be arrested. Therapy was aimed at involving the children in a simulated family group with a male and female therapist and through rewarding play experiences to encourage learning and modify behaviour. Treatment procedures and outcome for the first twenty children referred to the programme over a three year period are described.