27443
The Use of Cultural Animation to Teach Students with Autism in Mixed-Classroom
Objectives: This pilot project aimed to explore the feasibility of using animations to facilitate the learning of spoken English for students with autism in an inclusion school in Indonesia. The aim of the animation was to increase students’ with autism attention during class activities.
Methods: Sample: The animation was used for 8 students with autism attending an inclusion school in Jember, Indonesia. Students with autism were spread across five classes: one in the second grade, 2 in the third grade, 3 in the fifth grade, and 2 in the sixth grade. Students with autism were between eight and twelve years of age, and diagnosed with ASD through comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.
The animation: The duration of the animation was five minutes and the theme was based on cultural diversities in Indonesia. The animation was developed by the researcher and presented seven characters, each representing one of the ethnicities from Indonesia. The targeted language expression was how to ask and give opinion in English. So, the use of “what do you think” and “I think…” were the main learning topic for the students with autism.
Use of the animation in the classroom: The teacher played the animation in the beginning of the class and paused at several parts. The goal of pausing was to highlight the language expression. After the students with autism watched the animation, the teacher applied roleplay models of non-autistic students and then asked the students with autism to speak the targeted English expression in front of the class. The teacher used concise, friendly and comprehensible instructions, and avoided verbal overload (Addabbo, 2004).
Students with autism and teachers were interviewed about their experience of the animations in the classroom. In addition, the use was documented by videos and photos.
Results: Students with autism were confident to use the animations and did the roleplay in front of the class. Moreover, students with autism paid attention enthusiastically during the class. The teachers mentioned that the animation was effectively inviting the students’ with autism attention. In addition, students with autism were more enthusiastic about the next English class.
Conclusions: Preliminary findings indicated that animations could be used in inclusive classrooms to support teachers’ knowledge and teaching skill in teaching language skills to students with autism.