PSHE at KS2 and autism spectrum disorder

The additional challenges at KS2 are in:

• Difficulty thinking flexibly and creatively
• Understanding that others have different thoughts and beliefs, and seeing the perspectives of others
• Difficulty in predicting outcomes when they are not obviously logical
• Problems with ‘why?’ questions
• Social interaction with their peer group
• Difficulties with abstract concepts such as religion, ethnicity and democracy
• A need for support through maintaining consistency and routines, and by learning through logical links

Many aspects of PSHE will be challenging because the subject focuses on knowing and using social rules and expectations, and understanding feelings – their own and others’.  These are areas of difficulty for the pupil with Asperger’s syndrome pupil. Unspoken social understanding gained automatically by other pupils will not come naturally to a pupil with Asperger’s syndrome. Clear explanations of what might be going on in others people’s thoughts, or descriptions of generally accepted social conventions, are needed.

You can:

• Have a list of vocabulary which could be useful for a specific topic. Explain and discuss the new words, using visual examples.
• Read the art and design KS2 page tips on interpreting artworks.
• Try comic strip conversations (developed by Carol Gray), help understanding by making abstract aspects of social communication (such as recognising the feelings and intentions of others) more concrete. For example, where difficulties have turned into an argument, the comic strip conversation helps the pupil think about what they could change for a more positive outcome.
• Use this method, and social stories, to teach complex feelings (such as embarrassment, jealousy and loneliness) and others’ responses.
• Try a feelings diary, written with adult support. It can help the pupil reflect on a situation and label the feelings they had, supporting learning through experience.

The pupil will probably still need rules and structure at KS2 and so may latch onto discussion about laws and rules in society. Try involving them in discussion around why someone might break the rules, and how to respond. It can be related to the pupil’s own experiences, for example how to respond when someone pushes in front of them in the lunch queue.

A pupil with Asperger’s syndrome may have difficulty predicting the outcome of situations (what someone might do if they have been bullied or what might happen to someone who doesn’t eat healthily). Try linking this to the pupil’s experiences as a way of helping them to understand outcomes.

Visual maps of social relationships (as in the circle of friends approach) can help the pupil to identify levels of intimacy with different groups of people (such as it being OK to hug your parents but not your postman) and ways of interacting with those groups.