Planning Before Teaching
Identification of Focus for Community Teaching
The topic is educating adolescent girls diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the need for proper hygiene habits and infection prevention. The lesson plan focused on teaching basic hygiene practices, including oral hygiene, hand sanitizing, and hair brushing, as well as educating students about infections. Interactive and theoretical information was provided, with the teacher explaining the risks of poor hygiene habits. The children were taught basic techniques and asked to participate in activities.
Epidemiological Rationale for Topic
There is a specific epidemiological rationale for conducting a lesson to educate children with ASD on hygiene habits. Due to its rapid rise in prevalence and incidence, ASD, a neurodevelopmental condition marked by severe impairments in social interaction, language use, and mental aptitude, has become a significant public health concern (Hodges et al., 2020). Krishnan and colleagues (2021) estimate that 1% of people worldwide have an ASD diagnosis.
Sensory processing problems in children with ASD have been widely documented, and problems have been connected to inadequate hygiene and inefficient infection management (Krishnan et al., 2021). Thus, children diagnosed with autism may experience more difficulties establishing and upholding proper hygiene practices (Singh et al., 2020). Consequently, this might increase their vulnerability to infections and illnesses.
Therapeutic Communication
Settings and Atmosphere
The overall experience of conducting the lesson was positive. Since the lesson was delivered to six adolescents aged ten to seventeen, engaging in conversation and paying attention to each student’s unique needs was much simpler, facilitating the teaching experience. The lesson took place in a classroom with a bathroom and lasted for 1.5 hours. During this time, I gave each student a box of tissues and hand sanitizer, a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a rinse cup, a hairbrush, and a comb.
Lesson Activities
As a teacher, I showed them how to wash their hands, brush their teeth, floss, rinse, and brush their hair. To ensure the lesson was successful, I made an effort to make it as interactive as possible. For example, the children and I sang “Cover your sneeze, please cover your cough” together to make the experience more interesting. Moreover, we used a sleeve to support the lyrics and make them meaningful.
Additionally, to give the students more practice, I used Glo Germ to teach handwashing, which helped me show bacteria under UV light. This was not exciting or insightful for students. Finally, I demonstrated how to use the proper amount of toothpaste, rinse, floss, and brush for a sufficient time to completely remove all bacteria.
As for hair practices, I purposefully made my hair unkempt in front of children to demonstrate how to salvage it with a hairbrush. Then, I asked the children whether they also wanted to try this activity. Overall, the use of visual aids and songs helped to reinforce the key concepts, and the children demonstrated an understanding of the importance of good hygiene practices. The lesson was effective and successful, with all children being cooperative and excited.
Audience Response
The community response to the lesson was positive, with favorable reactions from fellow educators, students, and parents. As mentioned, children were eager to participate because they felt safe and engaged. Additionally, other educators noted that some students were typically uncooperative, but they were motivated to learn more during this lesson.
Finally, several parents reached out to express appreciation for the lesson and the effort that went into making it engaging and interactive for the students. Some mentioned in their letters that their children are now more willing and “even excited to brush their teeth and wash their hands.” Therefore, such feedback demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of interventions.
Strengths
However, the lesson has specific strengths and limitations. Starting with strengths, the audiovisual aid played a significant role in the effectiveness of the learning process. Children were eager to participate and retained the information they learned better.
Limitations
However, several shortcomings may need to be considered in the following lessons. For example, because children could ingest the hand sanitizer, the lesson plan had to be adjusted to involve only water and soap to demonstrate the appropriate handwashing techniques. Additionally, I had to keep my distance from a couple of students due to their rage and aggressive behavior. Finally, the effectiveness of group instruction was brief, and individual instruction was required instead.
Summary
Overall, no significant challenges were experienced during the lesson. Instead, it was an insightful process for both children and adults present. Six adolescents, aged ten to seventeen, were the class’s target audience, making it easier to interact with the students and address their individual needs. The key ideas were reinforced through visual aids and songs, and the children demonstrated an understanding of the importance of excellent hygiene habits. The lesson was successful and effective, as every child cooperated and showed enthusiasm.
References
Hodges, H., Fealko, C., & Soares, N. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational Pediatrics, 9(1), 55ā65. Web.
Krishnan, L., Iyer, K., & Kumar, P. D. M. (2021). Effectiveness of two sensoryābased health education methods on oral hygiene of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: An interventional study. Special Care in Dentistry, 41(5), 626-633. Web.
Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry Research, 293, 1-11. Web.