Project DISE will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will start in February 2005 with a class of up to five students’ trialling the videos and digital diaries.
The step-by-step videos will show and explain simply the processes, people and obstacles the student may encounter in the community. Through repetition of the video being played over and over by the student, the visual images aim to desensitise, familiarise and build confidence in the student before they go into an unfamiliar environment. More confident students will be used to act in the videos.
Detecting nuance and social signals is difficult for autistic people and they may unintentionally cause offence, and isolate themselves further from the community. The purpose of the videos is to show what is and what is not socially acceptable behaviour. Actors will be filmed in a series of social situations. The teacher will then guide the learning by freezing the video and asking students to work out what would be appropriate behaviour in a certain situation. The video shows the appropriate outcome. Once again, repetition of the video is needed to aid learning.
Digital diaries provide an excellent personalised visual record showing a student’s progress. Each student will be filmed at regular intervals carrying out a task or exercise such as wheelchair ability or social interaction. The use of ICT in this way is designed to act as a motivating tool to encourage the student, and to illustrate to parents more accurately the capabilities of their children. The digital diaries can be downloaded onto CDs or DVDs and given to parents so they have a record of their child’s progress.
CDs and DVDs will also be created for parents and caregivers outlining different ways and means of dealing with their child. The DVDs and CDs aim to give extra help, ideas and support to parents and caregivers whose children suffer from severe behavioural and emotional problems.
The second phase of the project will be adjusted to reflect the findings of phase one of the project. Phase two sees the project expanded to other classes and extended to satellite special needs classes, which are attached mainstream schools. The first of two milestone reports on the project is due in May 2005.
