My Reflections

~What I have learned through the completion of my multi-genre research project~

Aims and Objectives:  My primary objective was to fully answer my essential question:  "What treatment strategies are effective in improving the communication skills of pre-school children with autism who do not communicate verbally?"   I also set out to answer the following foundation questions:  1.)  What is autism?  2.)  What are common characteristics of autism?  3.)  What are common characteristics of autism regarding language?   

I sat out to design a website featuring several "characters"  so that my question would be answered in a story format.  We were asked to use seven different styles of writing, and I attempted to use each genre to answer a specific component of my question.  I hoped this would force me to efficiently explore my topic and convey factual information in an interesting way.  I also thought this would provide a certain structure to my website.  Finally, I wanted my site to provide evidence behind the answers it provided; therefore, my goal was to utilize multiple peer-reviewed resources.  I hoped this would ensure the message I was conveyed would be reliable.

Declarative Knowledge:  I learned so much factual information regarding my research question.  Before beginning this project I was vaguely aware of the characteristics of autism, but I now feel I have a much deeper understanding of the disorder.  For example, before this project, I knew that people with autism processed information in an abnormal way.  After researching for this project, I understood how people with autism cognitively process information.  Most likely they use Gestalt processing; this means they receive information in large chunks and may have difficulty breaking down and analyzing the information.  This is why many people with autism struggle acquiring language. 

Also in the completion of my project, I  learned a lot regarding PECs, or the Picture Exchange Communication System. I only went into the assignment with a very generalized definition of PECs.  I didn't understand the process , and I also didn't know why it was so successful in treating individuals with autism.   When I decided to explain PECs system for my PowerPoint, I was forced to buckle down and research --  its nearly impossible to explain something you don't understand.  I read the "Phases of PECs" many, many times, and I feel I understand it pretty well for someone who has yet to see it in action.  : )  I thought it was interesting that PECs not only helps children understand language, but also helps them understand social interaction.  A specific phase of PECs requires the child initiate the "communication", and he or she does this by approaching their communicative partner and handing them the picture.

Procedural Knowledge:   Ultimately, the process I learned was how to create an effective website.  We learned the steps to designing a webpage and we learned how to insert links to the webpage.  (For instance, let's say I wanted "effective website" to link to my website.  Well, I would highlight "effective website", I would go under Insert, under hyperlink, and then write my website's URL in the space provided.

In the creation of my MRP, I got to try my hand at a variety of different writing styles.  This was something that involved more practice than research.  Perhaps my interview would have been more structured if I had researched the "elements of a successful interview" beforehand.  : )  However, I think the key to sharpening your writing skills is to write.  The more I write, the more I will truly be aware of the writing process.

I learned how to design a PowerPoint Presentation -- both how to create and transition between the slides, and how to use this format to tell a story.  By using strong visual images and few words in a PowerPoint presentation, your message will have a stronger impact on your reader.  After all, would you be impacted by pages upon pages of bulleted facts?

Conditional Knowledge:  Understanding how to effectively tell a story, visually, may prove beneficial to other formats.  (And we may actually be forced to use PowerPoint in the real world, you never know.)  Knowing how to effectively devise a plan for a research project is definitely good to know, because asking the right questions is how you get the right answers.

I think I might work in a school, and I would have the opportunity to work with lots of kids with a variety of communication impairments.  I'm sure some of the children would have autism. In this case, I might not be taught much regarding each individual disorder and its treatment in my profession. Most of my knowledge (that didn't come from Marshall) would come from independent study. So, by thoroughly researching an SLP-relevant topic, I guess I'm starting my own form of independent study right now. I think we owe it to our client's to go above and beyond the required knowledge. We need to be as competent as we can in our profession to assure we're doing all we can for our clients.