Homework Oh Homework Article

[Guest guest]

I got this through our local group and thought some of you may enjoy.

Robin

FDL County & Beyond - Autism Support Group ~

Here's an article that recently appeared in the ASFV newletter (I've also copied below in case you can't open the WORD document). I asked Peggy's permission to forward to our group ( & she said yes). Hopefully there's something in the article that may work for you & your child or student.

Thanks!

Sherry

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Homework, Oh Homework!

Homework, Oh Homework I hate you. You stink! The opening lines of Jack Prelutsky’s poem about homework hold true for many children on the spectrum.

Homework can be a cause of great anxiety for children as well as family members. Assignments that should take 15 minutes may result in hours of refusals, crying or even aggressive behaviors. Ideas for homework completion can be addressed in the IEP as well as through structuring time at home. If you and your child are having problems completing homework, check out the ideas below and be sure to talk with your child’s teachers about any problems. Guidelines for the frequency, amount and complexity of homework can be written into the IEP.

IEP Ideas:

The following list can help teams guide their decisions about homework.

The child’s overall anxiety level about school: (Does the child worry excessively about going to school? Do they need to have long periods of solitary time when they return home? Do they have meltdowns when they get in the car or shortly after they come home? )

· Differences and difficulties in auditory processing and communication abilities: Because of brain differences that cause problems with language and organization, school staff cannot rely on students with autism to relay information home. Often parents do not have enough information to assist with homework effectively.

· Difficulties with memory, prioritizing, time management and problem solving: Children often do not remember what their assignments were and do not bring home the appropriate materials to complete them. Many students do not generalize learning between school and home and truly cannot remember how to complete the task.

· The child’s motivation to complete homework. Many students on the spectrum do not see the need for repetition – thinking that if they answer (the same type of question) once, that should be good enough. Other students do not see the need to gather knowledge that is not in their area of high interest.

The following are a few ideas for managing homework that can be discussed with the IEP team and added to the IEP:

· Modifications in length and/or complexity of assignments

· Breakdown of longer assignments to specifics of which part should be done each day

· At least one study hall daily for middle and high school students preferably with a special education professional aware of your child’s needs

· Improve home/school communication through additional written information, e-mail, organizational strategies, additional adult assistance for check-in/check-out:

· Check with the special education teacher to find out what should be coming home (e-mail is usually effective for this or the school may have a website that can help with homework)

· Written instructions and specific examples of how tasks should be done (very often students do not remember how to do the assignment once they are at home)

· Due date of the assignment

· Can there be a peer homework buddy that your family can call to help understand what needs to be done and how to do it?

· Adult assigned to check out student at end of day (have homework and materials necessary to complete tasks placed in backpack)

· Alternative to the Agenda or Planner (for Upper Elementary, Middle and High Students)

· Organizational sheet for gathering materials for homework

· List approximate times it should take the child to complete each task

· Homework folder: procedures for turning in completed homework

· Think about using alternatives for children with writing and fine motor issues such as:

· Label makers – for fill in the blank, lists, short answers

· Keyboarding

· Scribe, dictation

Home Ideas: Create a time and place at home to do homework so that the routine is scheduled and predictable. Many children benefit from having a positive incentive program – working for a favored item or activity.

· Designated homework spot (quiet, away from TV, computer)

· Designated homework time (not during favorite TV shows) – schedule according to child’s needs

· Visual schedule so that child can see when homework time is going to happen and when it will be over

· Divide work into segments – possibly giving small sections, followed by short breaks

· Use a timer to help the child understand how much time is remaining (this may increase anxiety in some children)

· Adult available to assist with problem solving and modeling staying calm

Everyone wants your child to succeed with schoolwork. Continue to talk about successes and challenges with your child’s educational team.

Peggy Bartman, Autism Consultant, CESA 6, peggybartman1@...