RWA5.1: Supporting second language learners newly arrived and/or in the early years

If you are interested in how you might support newly arrived children learning English for the first time, and/or young children in the early years, please access the below articles:

Aiming High: Meeting the needs of newly arrived learners of English as an additional language (EAL), DfES (2005)

Supporting children learning English as an additional language, NALDIC (2007)

RWA5.2: Use of PECS

This website provides a summary of PECS and also offers a way to decide if PECS would be appropriate for learners with whom you are familiar.

How useful would PECS be to you for supporting young people who experience difficulties in communication in your own situation?

RWA5.3: Using visual scheduling at home

Davies (2008) offers a very useful guide for families wishing to develop schedules for their autistic offspring at home:  Davies, C. (2008). 'Using visual schedules: A guide for parents', The Reporter, 14(1), 18-22. As you read this, please consider:

- the potential usefulness of the advice for parents and families
- how you might introduce this approach to families and/or school, setting and college staff.


RWA5.4. Debate about male to female identification of autism

If you are interested in reading about the debate related to the male to female ratio in diagnosing autism, you may choose to access the following article:

Loomes R., Hull L. & Mandy, W.P.L. (2017) What is the male-to-female ratio in autism spectrum disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), pp. 466-74.

This article reports on the outcome of a systematic review and analysis of all the articles that were reviewed.

RWA5.5. Asperger’s work in context

For many years, the connection between Hans Asperger and Nazism in Germany was not discussed in the literature on Aspergers syndrome; just how far Asperger was an active supporter, or opponent, of Nazism is a matter of some debate. You can read more on this topic in the following article:

Czech, H. (2018) ‘Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and “race hygiene” in Nazi-era Vienna’ Molecular Autism 9(29)

What is your reaction to this text?

RWA5.6: Considering ‘savant syndrome’

If you wish to read more about savant syndrome you can read D.A. Treffert’s article, ‘The savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future’, Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences vol. 364(1522), pp. 1351-7, here.

RWA5.7: Improving the transition process for autistic learners

If you are interested in issues of transition between phases of education for autistic learners, please access the SCIE (2019) web site here and reflect on the following questions:

- the CSIE outlines suggested improvements in transition for autistic learners when they leave school. Which of these do you think relates to all learners of any age and stage at transition?

- which relates specifically to autistic learners post-compulsory education?