Seeing the Spectrum: Teaching English Language Arts to Adolescents with Autism

Language and Literacy

by Robert Rozema, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm (Foreword)

With 1 in 59 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), odds are that students on the spectrum will be in many classrooms across every subject area. Seeing the Spectrum argues that secondary English teachers are uniquely equipped to prepare students with autism for future success, both in school and in life. Writing for preservice and current English language arts teachers, Robert Rozema offers practical, evidence-based strategies for teaching literature, informational texts, writing, and communication to students on the spectrum. These strategies are appropriate for inclusive classrooms with both neurotypical students and students with autism. The final chapter includes a complete unit plan on Of Mice and Men , illustrating how curriculum focused on commonly taught literary works can be reimagined to accommodate the needs and draw on the strengths of students on the spectrum. Book

168 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2018

Reviews

[Sean Kottke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superb ELA methods book provides a framework for integrated language arts instruction to support the unique learning needs of adolescents on the autism spectrum that also happens to exemplify high-quality instruction for all students. It brought back a lot of memories, some cherished (the interest-based approach I took in leading my high school gifted/talented ELA classes), some traumatic (trying - and often failing - to supplement the ELA instruction my now-adult dependents on the spectrum received in high school). Would that their teachers had had this book; would that I had had it in my own practice. This also satisfies the Read Harder challenge for a book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse, and provides solid recommendations for more such titles.