Seeing the Spectrum: Teaching English Language Arts to Adolescents with Autism

With 1 in 59 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), odds are that students on the spectrum will be in many classrooms across every subject area.Seeing the Spectrum argues that secondary English teachers are uniquely equipped to prepare students with autism for future success, both in school and in life. Writing for preservice and current English language arts teachers, Robert Rozema offers practical, evidenced-based strategies for teaching literature, informational texts, writing, and communication to students on the spectrum. These strategies are appropriate for inclusive classrooms with both neurotypical students and students with autism. The final chapter includes a complete unit plan on Of Mice and Men, illustrating how curriculum focused on commonly taught literary works can be reimagined to accommodate the needs and draw on the strengths of students on the spectrum.

“I appreciate this book. I appreciate the gift Robert Rozema has given me. My thinking and teaching will now be more diverse, more consciously competent, more compassionate, and therefore more vital.”
—From the Foreword by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, distinguished professor of English Education, Boise State University, and author of “You Gotta BE the Book”

“Seeing the Spectrum examines real young people and daily classroom interactions to help teachers better understand the mental and emotional processing of their autistic spectrum students and devise assignments to scaffold their success. Rozema knows what matters in English: reading literature, developing empathy, understanding complex ideas and interpersonal relationships, writing to express complicated ideas. The diverse tools, strategies, and ideas he describes foster inclusiveness, compassion, and success for all students.”
—Allen Webb, professor of English, Western Michigan University