Global Environment Research Foundation

• Autistic students and regular STEM students in a regular classroom environment.
• (a). In modern societies, the group of people with dysfunctions related to the spectrum of autism is increasing. A specialized approach to design for this group of people is becoming a necessity. Particular attention is paid to the rooms where children with autism spectrum disorders spend a lot of time - to classrooms. The arrangement of the space can strongly influence their behavior.
  The teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of mainstream educational practice are empowering students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. These studies provide a focused mainstream educational program.
  • Numerous structured interviews were conducted in order to better understand this topic. Interviews were transcribed and coded using grounded theory methods. Findings revealed an overwhelming amount of support for students with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream schools and classrooms. This support was shown through multiple themes identified by interviewees. Implications for social work practice and advocacy within main stream schools serving students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
  Many effective learning methods were introduced that engages students, encouraging them to set their own goals and timeline. Autistic Children Social Skills Activities for Elementary Students with Autism
  • Challenges with normal back-and-forth conversation
  • Decreased desire to share personal interests or emotions
  • Difficulty understanding or responding to social cues like eye contact and facial expressions
  • Challenges in developing/maintaining/understanding relationships (trouble building friendships)
  A common characteristic of students with autism is trouble communicating or connecting with their classmates. Teachers and staff felt that the ability to mainstream ASD students was beneficial, not only for the ASD students themselves but for general education students as well. Teachers also described specific school-based resources that they felt most contributed to the success of the ASD students in the mainstream classrooms. Additionally, educators talked specifically about the role of empowerment with ASD students, as they discussed what they felt contributed to student empowerment. Teachers are responsible for providing carefully planned programs that are effective and appropriate for each individual student.  Individual Learning Profiles includes data from parents and previous teachers, observation of literacy and numeracy skills, data from criterion-referenced assessment tools, as well as, other reports such as psycho-educational reports, speech/language reports, medical reports, etc. After the completion of the Individual Learning Profile the teacher design instruction for the student that takes into consideration the particular needs of the student and then capitalizes on the student’s strengths. The classroom teacher holds primary responsibility for all students in the classroom as they contribute first-hand knowledge of students’ strengths, needs and interests. They are then are responsible for creating the best possible learning environment. Posting individual rules in a visually accessible location.

     (b). High school students are overwhelmed by endless tests and stress.  Project-based learning shifts high school student's attention back to the pleasures of learning allowing them to dream big and set high expectations.

• Video game logic designing
• Discussion panel for Climate change issues
• Smart Boards for detailed diagrams and explanation of principles.
• Fun indoor games and activities which increase spatial awareness.
• Long term projects involving local community allowing the students to be involved in social awareness.
• Involvement of student bodies in public speaking and decision planning, boosting confidence and teaching management skills.

Autistic Children

Social Skills Activities for Elementary Students with Autism

• Challenges with normal back-and-forth conversation
• Decreased desire to share personal interests or emotions
• Difficulty understanding or responding to social cues like eye contact and facial expressions
• Challenges in developing/maintaining/understanding relationships (trouble building friendships)

A common characteristic of students with autism is trouble communicating or connecting with their classmates.

Teachers and staff felt that the ability to mainstream ASD students was beneficial, not only for the ASD students themselves but for general education students as well. Teachers also described specific school-based resources that they felt most contributed to the success of the ASD students in the mainstream classrooms. Additionally, educators talked specifically about the role of empowerment with ASD students, as they discussed what they felt contributed to student empowerment.

Teachers are responsible for providing carefully planned programs that are effective and appropriate for each individual student.  Individual Learning Profiles includes data from parents and previous teachers, observation of literacy and numeracy skills, data from criterion-referenced assessment tools, as well as, other reports such as psycho-educational reports, speech/language reports, medical reports, etc. After the completion of the Individual Learning Profile the teacher design instruction for the student that takes into consideration the particular needs of the student and then capitalizes on the student’s strengths.

The classroom teacher holds primary responsibility for all students in the classroom as they contribute first-hand knowledge of students’ strengths, needs and interests. They are then are responsible for creating the best possible learning environment. Posting individual rules in a visually accessible location.

• Developing a visual schedule for daily activities
• Provide visual warnings before transitions
• Have a specific place where materials will be stored
• Introduce unfamiliar tasks in a familiar setting

Types of Environmental Accommodations could include: individual workspace, strategic seating, proximity to teacher, use of headphones, special lighting, quiet setting, etc. Specific accommodations that the student is dependent on should be listed in their current individual Education Plan.

When working with an Educational Assistant it is the teacher’s responsibility to do the following:

• Share information regarding learning goals and contents of the Individual Education Plan
• Find out the assistant’s skills and strengths and make good use of them in the classroom
• Be willing to make or take suggestions and to give examples
• Plan in advance for the assistant
• Have assistant work with other students while the teacher spends time in direction instruction with the assigned student
• Establish regular routines and duties for the assistant
• Encourage initiative on the part of the assistant
• Correct tactfully and criticize constructively
• Encourage the assistant’s professional development

Structured Learning

The appearance of Structured Learning can change according to a students’ strengths and needs. It’s common factor is that learning tasks are organized physically into small chunks to provide the student with the sense of predictability and success.

• The completion of tasks is directed to the student through the use of a visual schedule of what needs to be completed and in what order. Often a reward is shown at the completion of the task or series of tasks as motivation to complete the work required.

• Work is organized physically into compartments i.e. bins, drawers, folders, boxes. This way work does not overwhelm the student when they are only presented with a small task within each compartment.
• According to the individual’s learning profile work will then be organized on a rank of easiest to most difficult, hands – on to other modes of task completion, tasks that the student is familiar moving to unfamiliar, etc.
• Once the student becomes familiar with the system chosen, the goal would be for the student to complete tasks with optimal independency.

Communication between all who work with a student with ASD can promote better assessment results as you discover the unique ways in which the student is able to best learn and communicate his/her knowledge. Presenting tasks and information in different ways as well as providing this variety when extracting knowledge from the student will give the student an opportunity to show their learning. If the student is working on alternative goals from their Individual Education Plan be sure to track their success and report on their achievement accurately to guide following alternative goals.

It is important to consider the following when assessing a student with ASD:

• Recognize that verbal responses may be the most difficult and least accurate
• If a verbal response is required, do not insist on eye contact
• Allow student to read a passage several times before asking comprehension questions
• Begin assessment at a level of success than increase difficulty
• Provide student with sample questions to practice the format
• Allow the use of the computer in answering questions

Communication Between Home and School

• Parent participation can enhance program planning and assist in the determination of educational goals, methods, and motivational strategies that are most appropriate and effective for the student.
• Parents of children with can provide a wealth of knowledge to educators such as:
• Developmental history
• Health issues
• Range of professionals who are or have been with the student
• Child’s like, dislikes, special interests
• Sensory sensitives
• How the student has learned skills at home
• Behavior and communication strategies that have been successful at home and in other environments
• Perspectives on the student’s personality

It is important that the classroom teacher look at the learner first despite any identification the student has been given. Classroom management and structure is required to be specific around the student’s needs and strengths to be effective. Getting to know the learner will promote successful achievement for the student With ASD.

With an aim to render quality education, GERF provides comprehensive educational support for the underprivileged children across two district of West Bengal to help them break the cycle of poverty. GERF bridges the gaps in formal education and opportunities by providing language and STEAM education, life-skills: - through volunteers at orphanages during weekends - at low-income (private and government) schools with development support for teachers - education at after-school community centres in urban slums

Most of our volunteers are students or working professionals under the age of 35 and go through mandatory orientation and in return gain immensely through our Leadership programme. Through this platform, the volunteers’ progress to more leadership roles and responsibility where they switch to education sector from the experiences gained from GERF. While holistic education is imparted to the children, GERF young volunteers are also transformed into socially conscious leaders in the education sector.

GERF’s volunteers are committed to delivering age-appropriate content to different learning styles and levels every weekend at shelter homes across two district of West Bengal. The year’s learning culminates with Ignite Fest, an annual inter-shelter home education fest where children enthusiastically participated in activities set up by the volunteers, and presented models they had created. Working robots, conceptualized science project models made evident that consistent support and exposure, nurturance and opportunities only steer children forward towards a brighter future.

An interactive platform targeted at children from underprivileged backgrounds helps them with their listening, reading and writing skills. Each volunteer from GERF is assigned a group of 10 students. The students are engaged in 2-hour long weekend classes that focus on helping the students recognize alphabets using interactive tools.

The progress of the children is assessed through baseline, mid-year progressive and year-end assessments to monitor every child's progress.

Now they are exposed to scientific and real-world challenges. They also built, tested, and programmed an autonomous robot to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game.

Each student was chosen to create a diverse group which provided an opportunity to learn from each other and grow as the event progressed. The children were overjoyed with their first experience of real-time usage of robotics and we are thrilled to have given them access to such a platform!

We have organized the best practices into the following categories:

•       Modeling, scaffolding, and clarification of challenging curriculum.

•       Using student strengths as starting points and building on their funds of knowledge.

•       Investing in and taking personal responsibility for students’ success.

•       Creating and nurturing cooperative environments.

•       Having high behavioral expectations.

•       Reshaping the prescribed curriculum.

•       Encouraging relationships among schools and communities.

•       Promoting critical literacy.

•       Engaging students in social justice work.

•       Making explicit the power dynamics of mainstream society.

•       Sharing power in the classroom.

We’ve identified five core types of learning gaps that students experienced, including: 

• Knowledge gaps.
• Skills gaps. 
• Motivation gaps. 
• Environmental gaps.
• Communication gaps.

OUTCOMES:

• Positive social behavior.

• Academic success.

• Handling emotional distress.

• Ability to create, refine, and achieve vision for self.

Improved academics More commitment to school Better behavior Less emotional distress.

There was found significance difference in certain life skills like interpersonal skill and critical thinking.

(i) Creative Thinking.

(ii) Critical Thinking.

(iii) Decision Making.

(iv) Problem Solving.

Our organization emphasis in the following: Personalized learning is focused on, led with and demonstrated by the learner, and is connected to career-relevant, real-world skills and opportunities.

Learners are empowered to holistically understand their needs, strengths, and interests.

Learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Inside children and outside their classrooms has an enormous impact on their academic success. Students thrive when their learning is relevant to their lives and shaped by their individual needs, strengths and interests, as well as their approaches to learning. Understanding all the factors at play—even the ones that teachers can’t control—conversing those factors into sources of strength, rather than barriers to learning.

When learners choose their own reading material based on their interests, their reading skills improve, in both the elementary and middle grades. Integrating social-emotional development into academic lessons improves student behavior, which leads to greater content knowledge and motivation to learn. Culturally responsive teaching includes: high academic expectations and using student strengths; cultural competence, where teachers reshape lessons based on the culture of the students; and critical consciousness, where teachers share power, engage in social justice, and encourage students to challenge the status quo.

Engaging in cultural competence training and actively seek to learn more about the cultures of the learners.

Conducting observations and assessments to confirm learners’ current academic levels, as well as their responses to varying levels of academic challenge.

Meeting regularly with key supporters (e.g. parents, teachers, extracurricular staff, therapists) to inform the strategy for the learner’s development.

When STEAM-based activities are introduced into a remote or in-person classroom (specifically those that are interactive and introduce new technology concepts), we’ve seen students’ levels of interest multiply exponentially. These activities peaks interests, as they oftentimes enable to teach multiple concepts at once. 

The teacher provides his learners with a “Reflection Binder.” At the end of each day, they reflect on their work, identifying what worked well for them, what they struggled with, and what support they need.

Over the course of six weeks (beginning at the start of the school year or when a new learner arrives), teachers and learners complete several inventories to identify learning drivers and gaps.

The teacher creates a system of small book clubs and public share-outs during independent reading time that helps the community of learners share their excitement for books.

The teacher does a KWI (Know, Wonder, Interest) chart to have learners share what they know, wonder, and are interested in regarding a theme.

Learners partner in shaping their learning pathways and experiences.

Allowing learners to choose their best learning place and medium to work on their goal.

Offer learners an organized approach to outline and document their learning plan (e.g. template, rubric).

Support on need bases from teachers, peers, technology, and other sources.

Coach and model for learners how to identify and advocate for their needs according to degrees of urgency.

Established routines for regular learner-led conferences.

Actively nurture a class culture of self- and team advocacy.

Providing a system for learners to provide their status and request support.

Learners begin at a challenging level appropriate to their prior knowledge and learning needs.

Using all available data to determine where a learner falls on the appropriate learning progression for major and sub skills.

Partnering with learners to identify the most suitable learning format for their current academic level (e.g. class, groupings, activities, software). Short- and long-term learning programs that are appropriate for learners’ current academic levels.(Vocational tools and technique).

Learners receive feedback on effort, process, and mastery throughout every learning experience.

• Providing feedback that is objective and non-judgmental to reinforce a learner’s sense of control for improving his or her mastery.
• The teacher eliminates all language from his feedback that denotes fixed conditions such as “you’re smart” or “you’re talented.”
• Encouraging learners to experiment and try multiple strategies to solve problems.
• The teacher gives an assignment where learners are assessed not only by how successfully they solve a problem, but by how many ways they can think of to solve the problem.
• Encouraging the learners to reflect and report on effort and strategies as often as they do on results.
• The teacher ends every class by having learners publicly share examples of peers putting forth great effort or using successful strategies.

STRENGTHS AND TALENTS TO THE CLASSROOM & OUTREACH

1.  From spreading awareness and influencing policy changes to finding better employment for people with autism through their strong expertise, early intervention, capacity building, advocacy and research, we want to introduce a tremendous positive change in the attitude of kids.

2. The organization wants to focus on providing counseling and guidance to people with ASD and their families.

Global Environment Research Foundation (GERF) was started with an objective to provide world-class education and training to regular students as well as autistic kids. We also provide pre-vocational and vocational training to children. With experienced staff who conduct exercises and  provide speech and occupational therapy to the kids, the foundation is trying to make life better for autistic children. Through our early intervention programme, group therapies, physical training and pre-vocational training, GERF is catering to the needs of children with special needs in amazing ways.

We aim to train children on the autism spectrum through behaviour management and structured teaching. Children are taught to interact and play with other children so that they can socialize in society. They are also taught self-help skills and academics using various multimedia tools.

3. Our organization (GERF) works with autistic kids and focuses on early intervention. They aim at improving communication, cognitive skills, social skills and also enhance the attention span of the kids.

Partnering with learners to identify the most suitable learning format for their current academic level (e.g. class, groupings, activities, software) providing a system for learners to provide their status and request support.

Our collaboration school provides training and education to children with special needs. It aims at creating world-class learning environment for people with Autism disorder. GERF focuses on utilizing a child’s potential by providing him or her with assistance, training and support as well as calmness and discipline which brings into the autistic kids is something worth admiring.

The organizations aims to gather information that can help improve the understanding of the mental and physical issues related to autistic children. We aim to accelerate the development of effective teaching methods across the whole spectrum of age of children and share such information gathered to collaborate with other NGOs and foundations.