Self-Management Strategies: Positive Impact on Learners With ASD - Research Paper

Introduction

Self-management strategies have positive feedback in improving target behaviors for learners with ASD. Among the 16 research conducted, the original research criteria were met. Among the 35 learners who were using self-management showed improvement and target skills management. Such strategies are easy to implement, design and practical for students. The assertion has been made that, self-management is a support skill that can support autonomy, generalize behaviors and increase across the student platform (Koegel et al., 2015). Self-management is a viable practice that can be recommendable for administering the inclusion and independence of people with ASD.

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A significant gain was noticed in Hughes participant in 2002 who employed self-management strategies as supposed by a student and teacher. Both the teacher and the peer commented that they enjoyed being close to the student after a positive impact on self-management. School staffs perceived self-management as being easy to implement within a short time period. Self-management techniques are more effective for student behavior management as compared to teacher-mediated interventions (Stage & Quiroz, 1997; Fitzpatrick & Knowlton, 2017). By linking these strategies to functional equivalent behavior intervention, there is a positive increase in time for tasks by students. Improvement of social behaviors and more assignment completion was among the positive impacts of self-management. Some of the self-management techniques include:

• Self-monitoring- this involves the self-observation and recording of target behaviors. Student set goals on certain behaviors, these targets restrain a student from other non-productive behaviors. This helps one to achieve behavioral change.
• Self-evaluation- this involves assessing one's performance and developing learning criteria. This aims at improving performance and increases the chances of reaching certain set goals. A student compares their previous results and comes up with their own target achievements by the end of the next.
• Self-instruction- this involves self-statements by a student towards their personality. Self-instructions play an important role in the general throughput of a particular student. Defining your own instruction can help govern someone's boundaries.
• Goal-setting- students choose a certain goal and commit themselves towards achieving them. This helps a student to be punctual in other fields too. Factors such as time management as well as self-management depend on set goals.

Learning Strategies for Students

According to research on students learning methodologies, students move away from skills gain from elementary grade to emphasize secondary grades. A great demand is faced gaining information from the textbook, taking down lecturer notes, independent work and expressing their understanding in tests and compositions (Schumaker & Deshler, 2016). Failure falls to a student without such skills since they struggle to master the textbook content. A student with a learning disability (LD) including those with learning issues, adopt certain learning strategies to achieve their goals despite their learning problems. To put a learning strategy is an individual's task completion approach. A learning strategy can be defined as a personal approach on how to organize and applying a certain set of skills to learn content and accomplishing tasks in an effective and efficient way in any setting such as at school or other areas (Schumaker & Deshler, 2012). Teaching a student on learning strategies helps students learn rather than focusing on content mastery.

According to the University of Kansas, research and learning center, usage learning strategies can help students improve their general performance in graded tasks. A good example is in reading, which involves use of words study identification strategy which concludes that oral reading mistakes as comprehensive reading score raises for every student on both grade and ability levels (Lenz & Hughes, 2016). Another research report shows that text taking strategy approach by students increase test score from 57% to 71% (Hughes & Schumaker, 2017). Another research conducted by Harris, Grahm, and colleagues reveals that strategies for revisions, resource planning, and student composition recorded positive results (e.g., Graham, Harris, MacArthur, & Schwartz, 2015). Reciprocal teaching, strategic planning for reading performance was tested and replicated by Palinscar and Brown (e.g., Palincsar & Brown, 2014). Other strategies include the use of mnemonics as validated by Scruggs and Mastopieri ( Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1992). Solving word problems and math calculation strategies have recorded positive results in these fields as per Miller and Mercer (Miller & Mercer, 2013).

According to the University of Kansas educators, learning and research center has developed a set instruction sequence for learning strategy emphasize. Teacher-directed steps approaches developed include a pretest, describe, model, verbal practice, controlled practice, grade-appropriate practice, post-test, generalization (Schumaker & Deshler, 2017). At teacher evaluation strategy pretest, students involve themselves in learning new strategies. The strategy is then described by the teacher trying to answer questions such as when, where and why it was used. After this step, a model on the strategic application to content material by the "read aloud" approach. Students then memorize the strategy steps as well as other important issues during the verbal practice step. At a later stage, students are natured to become proficient strategy users with capability levels through a sequence of controlled practical activities. Teacher evaluate performance and generate feedback, students apply the strategies in grade-appropriate materials. At the final stage, a posttest, students are facilitated by teachers on generalizing the strategy in both academic and non-academic settings. Each learned strategy involves mnemonic codes for easy memorization. In order for students to learn prerequisite skills, they are taught earlier before the strategy. Reinforcement of skills mastery is implemented during strategy instructions. These strategies are learned by students in small groups such as classrooms, through extensive and intensive lessons over a few weeks.

The University of Kansas has organized three standards for learning strategies for curriculum development; (a), information acquisition, (b) information storage, and finally (c) expression, and understanding. At information acquisition, features such as paraphrasing strategies, word identification strategies as well as others. Multisyllabic words can be easily decoded by students at word identification strategy (Lenz & Hughes, 2014). Comprehension of main key features and reading improvement are learned at paraphrasing strategy (Schumaker, Denton, & Deshler, 2017). The last phase (information storage) entails paired associates strategy, FIRST-letter mnemonic strategies. Mastery of FIRST-letter mnemonic enables students to scan through textbooks and come up with critical information lists and associate the first letter with the content for easy remembering of the material (Nagel, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2017). For content recalling and better study approach, paired associates strategy enable students to pair new information pieces through the use of audio-visual devices (Bulgren, Hock, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2017). The expression and demonstration of understanding field entail sentence creation strategy, test taking among other related fields designed for emphasis on simple, compound, complex and complex-compound sentences (Schumaker & Sheldon, 2017). Test-taking strategies, on the other hand, focuses on test-related items, answers generation, and improvement on test performance. (Hughes & Schumaker, 2017).

Time Management

It is an important skill for a learner, it will be crucial for one's career especially in college. Different time-clocks exist among students. Each student should adopt their own timeframe. Time management strategies discussed in this research are imported to one's time-management routine. Assessing one's time use before attempting to incorporate the discussed strategies may be useful. Time management strategies include:

learn to prioritize- different tasks have varied levels of importance and urgency. Classify your daily tasks according to their priorities. Those with the highest priorities should be done first followed by the ones with little priorities. Never waste your time on less important issues.

Be specific on your tasks- each task should be made specifically as possible. If possible write them down. It is possible to follow them when on paper. Example, specify the fields of mathematics you will tackle at a particular time instead of just mathematics.

Modularize your work- break your tasks into small bits, to avoid being overwhelmed by tasks. This will motivate you to attempt and eventually complete any task with ease.

Ensure all the available time is used- this approach can be best applied especially when one is pressed for time. Any available time between classes, weekends and travel time can be utilized for tasks which require little attention such as reviewing main ideas within a text or even skimming through an important work to grasp main ideas.

Have an established routine- having a conditioned timeframe will you enhance greater concentration. One can easily get used to a certain routine for brief and extensive studies on a regular basis.

Define a learning environment- choose the best-preferred environment, far away from any form of distraction. Ensure the chosen place has all the basics and avoid excuses. Get used to your environment. Personal study environments ensure maximum study input.

Benefits of Employing the Above Strategies

Reduced stress- students who use the above strategies experience reduced stress in academic level as well as other fields. This is because they experience reduced pressure since everything tends to align with their learning expectations.

increased productivity- time management, self-management, and learning strategies help students regain self-confidence and focus on goals leading to high commendable results in academic and non-academic settings.

Less rework- through employing learning strategies discussed, a student has reduced workload hence general work to redo is minimal. This increases the chances of attaining the set goals.

More free time - by using the three strategies discussed, extra time is created hence the student has extra free time to do other tasks as well as time to relax and do leisure activities.

Gain reputation - general work output and personal presentation are commendable by both teachers and the potential employer hence the learner's potential is realized early. This serves as a self-motivation tool for students while and after their education.

Low efforts- having met all the strategic outcome, the student applies less effort in studies such as struggling to master the content for test tasks and focus on learning only. This builds self-confidence.

References

Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L., & Phillips, A. P. (2017). College students' time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of educational psychology, 82(4), 760.

Misra, R., & McKean, M. (2015). College students' academic stress and its relation to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction. American journal of Health studies, 16(1), 41.

MacCann, C., Fogarty, G. J., & Roberts, R. D. (2014). Strategies for success in education: Time management is more important for part-time than full-time community college students. Learning and Individual D...