Photovoice

=Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders=

Instructional Strategies: Photovoice

 * What is photovoice?**

Photovoice is an educational action research tool that embraces visual communication through photography and allows for individualization. Each individual creates and shares a photo journal as a means of personal development and needs assessment.

The photovoice process uses photographic documentation of the participant's, or student's, everyday life as an educational tool. It is a student-centered intervention.


 * How does photoservice work? (Process)**

1. Each participant, or student, who will be participating in the group recieves a disposable camera.

2. The students are then given opportunities to photograph objects, items or activities that are personally relevant both in school and at home. - Adult support may be necessary in using the cameras. - Does a student need help figuring out what to photograph? Pay close attention to his or her preferred toys, activities that increase engagement, and food preferences.

3. The photos that the students took are developed.

4. Each student then selects several of his/her photos to share with the group.

5. Next, the student creates a photo journal using those photos he/she chose to share.

6. Students come together as a group and share their photo journals. The group session should be a structured membership activity.


 * Outcomes**

1. Students' attention to tasks, adults and peers in their environment increase.

2. Increased engagement with learning materials

3. Increased engagement with others; students will initiate and sustain interactions with peers.

4. Increased independence during group sessions

--> Photovoice lays the groundwork for student voice to emerge.


 * Implications for Practice**


 * Teacher ownership of every child is essential for children to be valued, contributing members of their community.


 * Attend to the interests of individual students and allow those interests to drive instruction

>
 * Shift the emphasis of instruction to include strategies that align with students' learning styles
 * For students with autism, this would mean decreasing reliance on verbal instruction & increasing the use of visual learning materials.
 * Photographs represent intense interests, a key strategy for increasing engagement and activity involvement for students with autism.
 * The project is tangible; the students have something that is concrete to share.
 * Provide clear organization and structure for activities to facilitate active engagement.
 * Incorporate structures and systems that are used on a daily basis in the classroom
 * Carefully structuring the photovoice activities gives students clear expectations and information about how to participate.


 * Once an activity has sufficient structure to meet the needs of each student, teachers should fade into the background.