10/29: Field Trip Reflection, Barb Retenbach

The first thing about Barb’s presentation that stood out to me was the introduction. I was initially unsure of what was happening, and my confusion threw me off a little at first. When I began to realize that Barb was writing on her facilitated communication device, I was amazed by how the technology allowed Barb to express herself. I also wondered how long it would take to write using such a device and marveled at Barb’s patience and persistence—the second thing that stood out to me. But what stuck with me the most was the proficiency of Barb’s writing, despite her condition. By proficiency, I do not simply mean vocabulary, but how her ideas were extremely lucid and profound. This stunned me, especially with what I have learned about people and students who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

            ASD affect boys five times more often than girls, and they are accompanied by an intellectual disability nearly half of the time (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Students with ASD may have restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests as well as significant difficulty with relationships. From watching the video of Barb, Autism Teacher Please, and viewing the presentation, I have gathered Barb does not have a problem with relationships per se. Rather she has problems expressing herself to her friends and peers without the use of facilitated communication. Friend and Bursuck encourage teaches to provide opportunities for students with ASD to work and be alone to alleviate stress. This may be especially helpful since students with ASD tend to have problems with noisy environments (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Teachers must be careful, though, for as Barb warns, we should not assume students and people with autism prefer isolation. Something as simple as quiet company can be very effective for helping students with ASD. Like Barb, students with ASD might also require facilitated communication devices to help express themselves. Inclusion of these accommodations in the classroom is fair, I believe, because they allow all students to have the same opportunity to succeed and participate. And, as Barb mentions, we all receive help and still work “independently” even as adults. Friend and Bursuck offer a list of augmented and alternative communication devices. These may range from simpler items like pictures to more complex tools like voice synthesizers, scanning devices, and communication boards (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Educators must be careful, though, to teach communication, and not simply how to use the assistive technology.