Introducing Blended Learning into Classrooms of Students with Autism
Dear Principal Rhee,
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Clear Creek Independent School District has been working to define how blended learning, personalized learning, and standards-based instruction can work together to increase student achievement. Stakeholders are working together to integrate all three principles into the classroom. While the school district offers special services for students with special needs, I would like to address the students in our school with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Last summer, the Texas Parent Autism Conference (TEA) invited parents, guardians, and teachers to an annual event to promote awareness and provide a better understanding of interventions, evidence-based practices, standards, and services in autism. There were breakout sessions and a family focus group. Through these, it showed parents and caretakers topics and solutions to help improve their lives and their children with autism. Through this conference, I was provided with both professional and parental expectations and feedback.
Students with ASD have unique learning challenges that require customized and innovative interventions. They struggle with communication, behavior skills, socialization, and academics, all of which contribute significantly to a student’s emotional health. I want to address the opportunity of providing blended learning by incorporating a specific application for our school. Many students, including ASD, ADHD, and ODD, struggle with their emotional health. Depending on the skill level of the student, many have difficulty recognizing and addressing emotions, and this quickly leads to a future of behavioral and mental health challenges.
I am proposing a plan that will help our students incorporate blended learning using this technology to learn emotional regulation and practice calming skills. Introducing this application into classrooms for special needs students will provide a more tailored educational approach. The application MIGHTIER is a digital program that helps children with autism and other conditions build emotional regulation skills through play. It reimagines therapy and teaches coping skills. “Blended learning is any formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and pace” (Horn & Staker, 2015). By adopting this blended model, our students can regain control of their emotions.
Implementing the MIGHTIER program for a year would begin with setting goals for all ASD students in our elementary school to use this program for a minimum of 10 minutes daily. We want to adopt this blended learning in classes for autistic students to decrease behavioral incidents. I have also reached out to the company for options to implement this into our classrooms, and they provided an outline to help. The cost can vary depending on how many licenses we as a school decide on. We would have to purchase at least one Mightier kit which includes the heart sensor and a compatible tablet. One process of mine will be applying to grants to aid in the total cost. The Mightier care team has also provided me with a quote already.
Implementing the MIGHTIER program for a year would begin with setting goals for all ASD students in our elementary school to use this program for a minimum of 10 minutes daily. We want to adopt this blended learning in classes for autistic students to decrease behavioral incidents. I have also reached out to the company for options to implement this into our classrooms, and they provided an outline to help. The cost can vary depending on how many licenses we as a school decide on. We would have to purchase at least one Mightier kit which includes the heart sensor and a compatible tablet. One process of mine will be applying to grants to aid in the total cost. The Mightier care team has also provided me with a quote already. Through this we will be able to see students gain the skills and confidence to not be overcome by emotions but rather manage them efficiently. By gathering data over this period, we can gain an understanding of the effectiveness of this program. I plan to pilot this app with a small group of teachers and students during Tier 2 instruction.
The benefit of this solution is providing a technology-based program to help students build calming skills. Students wear a Bluetooth heart rate sensor while playing a variety of games. This sensor allows children to visualize their heart rate while playing. This is shown when they become overexcited, frustrated, or stressed, and it teaches them skills to lower their heart rate and return to gameplay. By practicing these calming skills, students can create their own ways for their emotions and, over time, can readily apply these skills. This program even provides parents with their child’s progress and includes resources to help.
I appreciate you taking the time to consider this. I would gladly pilot this program and share results over this period. I am excited to introduce such a positive program to assist our students.
Sincerely,
Julia Cochran​
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Horn, M. B. (2015). Heather Staker. Blended Learning: Promoting Educational Revolution with Subversive Innovation. Machinery Industry Press.